Ready Solar in October 2007 announced the launch of Solar in a Box, the industry’s first standardized solar electric appliance, says the company. Solar in a Box is a prefab, modular solar electric system that features a frame-mounting system that can be customized to fit into the overall design of a structured. The system is preassembled for easy installation and is compatible with any roof surface, eliminating specialized construction and installation costs. Once installed, Ready Solar provides a web-based monitoring system to track the system’s progress.

Even when they’re turned off, digital clocks, battery chargers and remote-control sensors pull energy. This standby power accounts for about 7 percent of your home’s total energy consumption – 20 percent or higher in some homes.

Most Americans own 20 gadgets with standby features that do everything from monitor refrigerator temperatures to charge cell phones. Monitor devices need to stay on, but your TV and computer have no reason to be on constant standby.

YOU CAN STOP FEEDING THOSE EMPTY CHANNELS.
HERE’S HOW:

1. BUY ENERGY STAR COMPUTERS, appliances and power adaptors, which can consume half the electricity of standard models. For a list of products, visit www.EnergyStar.gov.

2. FULLY SHUT DOWN YOU PRINTER AND COMPUTER WHEN NOT IN USE. (“Sleep” uses standby energy.) Plug them into an easy-to-reach power strip so you only have to do it once.

3. REDUCE. How many phones and remote controls do you need?

4. UNPLUG STUFF YOU DON’T USE.

5. UNPLUG THE CHARGER. Remove battery-powered rechargeable devises from their docks when fully charged.

Here are some easy, inexpensive fixes that will help create curbside appeal and get you one, giant step further to the sale of your home.

1. Paint or stain the front and garage doors, especially if they show any weathering. These are the first visuals where a potential buyer focuses. If garage doors are metal and dented, they may need to be replaced.

2. Remove old, abandoned sheds or small structures and replace the grass.

3. Change any dated, outside light fixtures.

4. Fix that driveway. If it is blacktop, make sure cracks and crumbling areas are dug out and filled and then the whole driveway sealed. If it is cement, have large cracks filled and repaired professionally. The buyer must at least feel they can drive the moving truck in confidently!

5. Make sure landscaping bricks are in their proper placement. Mowing, weed-whipping sometimes moves them and this is something most homeowner’s rarely notice, but makes the property look unsightly.

6. Fill in bare dirt under large shade trees. Plant shade-tolerant plants in defined planters or groundcover. Landscape properly for that area.

7. All landscaping beds should be cleaned out and updated for the time of year it is in your region. Place new bedding material down.

8. Have trees and bushes pruned and trimmed. If a bush or tree is looking old or about to expire, remove it and replace it with a similar size and type if you can. If there is a tree limb(s) over the roof, have them removed.

9. Paint your house. If the house needs painting and a full paint job is not in the cards; have it touched up professionally in the worst, most visible spots. Paint shutters and fix them if they are hanging crooked. At least this may help get a buyer in the front door, even if they negotiate a full paint job into the sale later.

10. Clean windows and siding. If the house is sided, have it power-washed and have gutters and windows cleaned. Window cleaning inside and out makes the house feel updated and fresh, rather than old and dingy.

11. Pull weeds, trim yard and remove snow. Make sure grass is in good shape, weeds are removed, trimming done regularly. So many sellers fail to keep up with this the minute the house is listed, and this is critical to selling a house quickly, especially if the home is vacant. In snowy climates, removal must be done regularly too. If the home is vacant, make sure you have an HWA Home Warranty to re-assure buyers.

12. Keep garbage and recycle containers inside the garage, along with all toys and equipment. Make sure the garage is neat and organized. Painted walls and floors also go a long way in this area and are inexpensive to do.

13. Decks should be washed and repainted or re-sealed; plantings around them cleaned, weed-free and looking good. Patio furniture should be in excellent condition. Even though it is in the backyard, this is the area where the family can envision enjoying the warm days and the new yard.

14. If the roof has missing shingles and they can be replaced inexpensively, suggest this be done as it may save negotiation over a completely new roof. Roof repair needs and costs should be minor or the homeowner might as well replace the entire roof.

15. If you’d like to do a bit more, line the driveway with solar lights or install a more attractive front door with lead glass inserts. While you’re at it, replace plain doorknobs with something more custom.

16. If you have an evening showing, make sure lights are on outside and inside the house. This is warm and inviting.

17. If it’s a holiday season, by all means decorate the home! Just like sugar cookies or vanilla scent on the inside of the house, this really says “it’s a home” and I can see myself enjoying life here! In the least, always have some greenery or flowers for the season on the front step or porch; even a birdbath with a little garden around it says home.

Remember, most home buyers cannot visualize even these simple changes and clean ups in a house and the ones who can, will be looking for a reduced price. So to sell the house at top dollar and quickly, make it “appeal” to the many who will be seeing it rather than the few who are looking for a “fixer upper.” These people know what they want, go after it and need less assistance.

Finally, have neighbors or friends look at the finished results to see if you have missed anything key that would be quick and easy to do.

This spring, as it becomes a popular time for homeowners to begin preparing their homes for sale, Showhomes.com encourages them to do some essential steps to make sure the most important first step takes place: buyers make the decision to view the home.

“Many people think all they have to do is make sure the inside of their home is clean, but it really goes far beyond that when it comes to making sure your home looks its best so that buyers will take a look,” said Thomas Scott, vice president of Operations for Showhomes Franchise Corporation. “That is why we have released five essential tips that can help local residents stay on the right track when preparing their homes for a sale.”

Scott reveals five tips for selling a vacant home:

1. Curb Appeal - the better the curb appeal of your home is, the more attractive it is to prospective buyers.
- Trim overgrown bushes, weed beds and add a fresh layer of mulch
- Clean your front door and repaint if needed
- Add a fresh doormat
- Keep grass cut, edged and blown
- Plant some color in the beds to add contrast

2. Cleaning - for most buyers, dirt equals stress and the last thing most buyers want is more stress in their lives.
- Pressure-wash the driveway and sidewalks.
- Clean windows inside and out
- Pressure wash decks and patios

3. Paint - the condition and color of the paint can make a huge difference in how buyers react to your home. Select light neutrals - creamy kakis, pearly grays or soft greens.

4. Replace Worn Carpet - Dirty carpet is unsanitary and nobody will be able to overlook your worn carpet. Replace the top layer with inexpensive neutral colored carpet and you will always recoup the investment.

5. Stage your home - Buyers who look at vacant homes only see floors, walls and ceilings. With nothing else to look at, they focus on flaws. Because of this, vacant houses are very vulnerable to low-ball offers and often sell for 15-20 percent below list price.

So the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over. No more baking, rushing to the stores or decking the halls. So what will you do with all this spare time? Why not improve the look of your home with some simple projects you can finish over the weekend? Here are some fun weekend projects to tackle this winter:

1. Replace Old Knobs and Door Handles. This is an easy, inexpensive way to dress up or change the look of doors, cabinets, and more. Many homes in the Las Vegas area are older and have outdated hardware. These small changes can actually transform the look and style of your home. Whether you choose vintage glass, shiny metal or even rustic wood, installing these new knobs and handles can add to the value of your home, as well. Don’t overlook the hinges! If you can’t quite get to those now, but have a squeaky door, try spraying the hinges with a cooking spray like Pam. It works!

2. Install a Greenhouse Window. A beautiful addition to any room in the home, a greenhouse window will allow you to grow flowers, herbs and other plants even during the winter! Replacing a regular window with a greenhouse window adds dimension, light and display space while eliminating clutter. Available at home supply stores, they come with many options including granite finishes and glass shelves.

3. Paint, Paint, Paint! Painting can instantly change your home’s look and feel. Don’t limit your color change to just your walls - an updated color on furniture or cabinetry can really spice things up, as well. Play with new colors, patterns and techniques. Don’t be afraid of going bold; remember, if you don’t like the way the color looks, you can always paint over it! There’s a wall, trim or doorway in everyone’s home that could use some paint or freshening. Cheap and easy, get to work!

4. Replace Builder Lighting or Outdated Fixtures with remote ceiling fans. Not only will it save energy and keep your air circulating, it will add appeal, value and enhance the beauty of a room and pull your entire decor together from the floor up. Ceiling fans today are modern, fun, classy and relatively easy to install. They come with directions and there’s help online. If you purchase one in a home improvement store the sales people will help you as well! Make sure you call on their advice and expertise, that’s what they’re there for!

5. Work on your closets and cabinets. Most homeowners have secrets hiding in their closets and cabinetry. The closet is the least looked at part of the home and there we tend to find cracking or peeling paint, old contact paper and clutter! How about taking a few hours and organize, adding new shelves, hooks or hardware and giving yourself more room by throwing out or donating some of the items you think one day you’ll use but haven’t in a decade!

6. Don’t forget your home’s air quality. Change your furnace filter! You can add a couple of dryer sheets to the new one to add a cheap and whole-house air freshener. Remove your vents and soak them in a hot bleach bath while you vacuum inside to remove dust and build up. Clean the hard to reach spots in your home that you don’t get to often. Behind entertainment centers, baseboards, behind heavy furniture and under beds. Removing dust in the home can make it smell better and create a healthier environment!

These fun projects are a great way to pass the time this winter, not to mention the way they’ll quickly improve the look and value of your home!

Mark Nash, author of four real estate books including 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home has completed his annual survey of 886 real estate agents in all fifty states in the U.S. and the eight provinces of Canada. What’s in, What’s out with Homebuyers illuminates what’s popular with home buyers, and what can sour them. Compiled annually from-the-trenches, it offers a spectrum of tips that cover deal and design no-no’s for home sellers and buyer must-haves.

What’s In

- Home buyers. What goes around comes around. Relegated during the boom years to bidding wars, over-full-price offers and new construction lotteries, buyers rule in 2008, and know it. With swelling inventories, they are looking for newly updated kitchens and baths, pristine conditions, and a perception of value.

- Destination bathrooms. The master bath has evolved into the home getaway with multiple task areas. Freestanding or “throne” bathtubs (bath thrones) in the center of a soaking room, multiple flat screens TV’s and wireless Internet so you don’t miss anything as you move from bathing to grooming to lounging. Outfitted with serving bars featuring wine coolers, espresso machines, and grazing snacks. And, a burgeoning need for in-home hair salons.

- Short Sales. Home owners who have over-extended themselves financially are increasingly looking to their mortgage holder to accept less than is owed on their property. Some mortgagee’s will accept less than is owed through a short sale, in place of taking ownership of a home back through foreclosure.

- Pet showers. The kitchen or work sink is out for the dog bath. Dedicated dog showers are an emerging trend. Be it in a mud or utility room, garage corner or basement, dog lovers want a place to clean their favored pooch after a visit to the neighborhood dog park. Common dog showers feature a 3′ x 3′ shower base, surrounded by ceramic tile 4′ up the wall. Pet showers are all about the convenience for Fido to step in, and eliminate the master’s need to lift.

- Home elevators. The boomers want their vertical palaces with elegant min-elevators. No more unsightly and very 1970s chair-on-the-rail-system for these financially flush, forward-thinking home buyers.

- Outdoor living spaces that look interior. Massive, soaring “statement” fireplaces of cut stone, heated (think bathroom floors) flooring and walkways, entertaining sized custom kitchens, and indoor-looking artwork, fabrics, and finishes, but ones that can stand up to the elements.

- Down payments. Sexy home mortgages are out. Those who underwrite home loans are looking for substance from potential home buyers. Substance equates into disciplined savings and credit scores.

- A home’s carbon footprint. Manufactured homes, reused construction materials, and energy-friendly mechanical systems and appliances all reduce the need for fossil fuels. Home buyers are asking about how their potential new home can save the planet. It’s more than a trend, it’s a convenient truth.

- Monitoring and controlling with hand-held devices. Forgot to turn off the coffee maker, close/open the blinds, and turn the heat down or the air conditioning up? The latest in technology that utilize hand-held devices to open or close the blinds, turn on or off lights, or let Fido out the electronic pet door, around the corner or across the country.

- Floating Homes. Not just in Sausalito. If your hood has calm protected waters, you’ll soon have floating homes, those that look like conventional, soil-situated structures. From Louisiana to Vancouver, floating homes are at the top of must-have lists for those looking for a primary home to be lifestyle oriented. Plus, watching sunsets are a more enjoyable and greener alternative to lawn mowing.

- Concealed appliances. Buyers bypass matching cabinet panels that are used to disguise the ubiquitous refrigerator and dishwasher. Hinged and pocket doors are the latest way to integrate visually those boxy necessities and make the kitchen more non-traditional and less functional looking.

- Non-smoking Homeowners Associations. Who knew that some Homeowner Associations are rewriting by-laws and declarations to include those unit owners are not allowed to smoke inside their homes? Smoke-free common areas in addition to building-code-required ventilation systems and fresh-smelling hallways have taken precedence over individual’s rights to light up in their recliner.

- Off-grid homes. Solar panels, windmills and inverters are here to stay, in a big way. With brown-outs and power line-damaging storms on the increase, buyers in 2008 will ask for hybrid home-energy options, even being partially off-grid beats getting expensive power from coal-fired utilities, to these eco-energy users.

What’s Out

- Unrealistic home sellers. These relics of another time and market missed the cocktail party chat and water cooler angst by the transitional sellers of 2007. Cautions included: pricing their home right, consider home-sale contingencies, and offer closing cost givebacks. Hear-no-evil-sellers were overlooked by buyers who pined for reality minded ones. Because if sellers were flexible with buyers needs, buyers bought.

- Living rooms. The great room has replaced the living room in American residential culture. Informal lifestyles with eating, cooking and living spaces combined so family members and visiting friends can congregate together through various activities has conquered the forced museum. In viewing homes with buyers I see the ex-museum used as work-out spaces, home offices, craft or hobby places, and I’ve seen more than once, the coveted living room with nothing more than a pool table as its solitary focus.

- Empty homes for sale. Buyers thought people “lived” in houses, but after seeing one-quarter of the homes they viewed empty, they wondered. Even though staging was the buzzword, getting that right was prickly in 2007. Those leftover silk flowers, the left behind mismatched furniture, and the one-off design-show decorating scheme were buyer no-no’s. Neutral palettes, personal objects, thoughtful furniture rental, and something in the refrigerator says to buyers, maybe a person lives here.

- Double-digit home value appreciation. For now, the home as “get-rich-quick” investment is over. We’re back to pre-boom norm of housing or shelter. Flat or low single-digit appreciation in most markets in 2008.

- “Order-taking” real estate agents. The hive during the boom years was real estate, and multitudes of the dot-com-busted became the worker-bees of real estate sales. Everyone and anyone got licensed and into the frenzy. Little did they know that seasoned (pre-boom), full-time, professional agents possessed ready, willing and able buyers, knew how to sooth seller’s anxieties, and produced the fifth highest year in real estate sales, in 2007.

- McMansions. Size doesn’t matter if it’s not well finished. A large voluminous home whose best attribute is the square-footage is waning. Home buyers are looking for quality, not quantity in 2008. After all, who has the money to replace the faux-hardwood floors, builder grade carpet and fiberglass bathtubs?

- Obese ceiling heights. It’s cheaper to go up than out. That’s been the thinking anyway as of late in residential design. Buyers have finally said enough, they prefer ceilings between nine and eleven feet. Anything more, especially in a smallish (under 10′ x 12′) room is waste. If you can’t add a loft in a soaring room, “down size me” height-wise, buyers say.

- Pioneering locations. Buyers have moved away from take-a-chance-hoods. Pioneering or off the beaten path areas were once the hot bed of potential appreciation. However, buyers in 2008 have returned to the tried-and-true address, keeping resale desirability firmly in mind when making a purchase.

- Balconies as a marketing gimmick. Functional outdoor space, not the anorexic appendage hanging off the building, is what buyers crave in outdoor space for 2008. Real balconies have room for a grill and a comfortable table and chairs. People love the outdoors and want to use it, but not only as a solo experience.

- Option ARMS (Adjustable Rate Mortgage). Buyers have heard that these loans usually have only one option; foreclosure. Used by the rich for short-term financing, they were re-packaged to buyers who wanted to qualify for the highest loan amount. Negative amortization is the harsh reality of Option ARMS. Home buyers should run, not walk if these words are proposed as a financing option.

- Pre-construction pricing on new construction. Builders who are plunging ahead with new projects in 2008 will be better off with one pricing model from beginning to end, and eliminating their “everything’s an upgrade” mentality.

What’s on the Way Out

- Mosaic tile. Once deemed the ultimate in tile, now considered a very personal design commitment to the previous owner. The cost and waste to remove intricate mosaic is over-whelming to buyers, especially if it is has been recently installed. Even the most expensive but not agreeable tile could kill an otherwise acceptable property.

- Retro-1970s chic. Trend-obsolescence by buyers in 2007 was rampant. Loving the retro-seventies was easy, but hearing horror stories from would-be sellers about the market’s hesitance to buy a design white-elephant, made more main stream kitchens and baths a sensible decision. As one Gen X buyer said to me; “I love the dark espresso colored shag carpeting, but, I know my decorating needs will change, I want an interior that will transcend trends.” I replied, “You’re looking for a ‘transcendent look” and her response: “exactly.”

Selling your home in today’s depressed market might be as ambitious as drumming up positive PR for Britney Spears. With thousands of properties for sale, buyers know they have leverage, and they’re using it. They search a multitude of homes in a quest for the best combination of amenities and price.

The National Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of existing homes have dropped by 19.3% in the past year.

So sellers need to fight back, preferably with broom and brush in hand.

Homes that do attract interest are priced right and show well. The grass is cut and the shrubs are manicured, rooms are free of clutter and ratty carpeting has been replaced with a neutral-color berber.

We talked to five housing experts-appraiser Joel Greenberg, real estate agent Janice Leis and home stagers Akanake Cadden, Heather Johnson and Margo Aguirre-for ideas on renovations that homeowners can make that will help their properties stand out.

Fair warning: most of these are budget-friendly, but some changes do require a little extra cash.

“When the market was hot, buyers were willing to overlook things,” Greenberg said. “Not anymore.”

1. Curb appeal

This is arguably the most important part of preparing your home for sale because it’s the buyer’s first impression. Your home doesn’t necessarily have to be repainted, but it should look fresh, with no cracked paint. Consider pressure-cleaning sidewalks, resealing the driveway and replacing the mailbox. Get rid of any debris, weeds and toys in the yard. Sprinkle mulch around the trees and trim the hedges so that they’re not hiding windows. Plant colorful flowers no more than 6 inches high.

“Red, purple, orange,” Cadden said. “Those colors create excitement in a buyer.”

2. Kitchens and bathrooms

Kitchens are the No. 1 seller of homes, with bathrooms a close second. Consider replacing the kitchen counter tops if they’re old and bland. Everybody loves granite, but laminate, black Formica or four-inch tiles with grout aren’t bad alternatives and cost less. Granite 12-by-12 tiles with thin grout is another possibility, but you may have to do a lot of cutting, depending on the depth of the counter top.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: If the house is listed at $500,000 or above, you probably need to spring for granite. To spruce up the bathrooms, replace the fixtures and the sliding shower door. Hang some fluffy white towels. Above all, the bathrooms must be spotless.

3. Doors

The front door, if possible, should have glass side panels to allow light to shine through. Replacing the hardware with, say, antique bronze is a cost-effective way to make the door look new. Don’t forget to make sure the doorbell works. Doors inside the house should be painted and the hardware should be the same on each one. Fix any annoying squeaks. Older homes have sliding-glass doors, but there’s not much you can do with those except replace them. French doors will add value, but they’re expensive.

4. Flooring

Wood is good, but make sure it’s sanded and restained. Laminate flooring also is fine, but it should be a neutral color. Shampoo the carpet so it’s free of stains and pet smells. You don’t need to buy new carpeting because the homebuyer will want to select it. But if the rug is really bad, get berber from one of the home improvement stores and install it yourself.

5. Lighting

Upgrading the lighting is an inexpensive way to improve the look and mood of a house. Replace the fixtures, install dimmers and use soft-wattage light bulbs. Buy a chandelier, but nothing too ornate. Also, keep the outside lights on at night because prospective home buyers often drive through neighborhoods after dark.

6. Living room and closets

A cluttered house quickly turns off buyers, so lose the knick-knacks. Make the house appear open and inviting. Pack up one-third of a closet’s contents and store the junk somewhere off site. A crowded closet tells buyers the house doesn’t have adequate storage.

7. Garage

Garage organization is big business these days and the before/after photos offer dramatic contrasts. Local companies will come in and get rid of the junk, using bins, cabinets, lockers, hooks and hangers to more neatly store what’s left. The cost of organizing your garage can range from a few hundred dollars to more than $15,000. You could do much of the work yourself. For instance, if the garage floor is stained, paint it gray.

8. Patio

Again, less is more. Make sure the junk is gone and that the furniture looks new. Set up the grill. Create a scene that allows potential buyers to see themselves relaxing outside and enjoying the backyard.

9. Ceilings

Adding crown molding and removing popcorn ceilings are nice touches but not necessary. If you do try it, hire a professional. In most cases, however, your money would probably be better spent elsewhere.

10. Pool/spa/sprinkler system

The pool and spa should have enough water. If there are leaks, or if the equipment is broken, get busy. Don’t forget about the sprinkler system. Granted, sellers don’t want to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in fixing these items, but it will greatly improve their chances with buyers.