So you are getting ready to move into your new home, Congratulations! You are packing your things and have started to unpack your new life. Right now is the perfect time to create a checklist of ways to save money on your new home for years to come.
1. Check the insulation in your attic – and install more if needed.
If you have an unfinished attic, ask your home inspector to let you know if there is insulation between the beams, and if the insulation is at least 6 inches thick or more everywhere. If there’s inadequate insulation up there – or the insulation you have appears to be damaged – install new insulation.
2. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is the optimum temperature for your hot water heater. This task will not only save you money, but will keep you and your family safe. Water over 120 degrees Fahrenheit can scald you or your children.
3. Install ceiling fans in most rooms.
Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to keep air moving in your home. Because of the air circulation effect, you can get away with keeping your thermostat a degree or two higher in summer and a degree or two lower in winter, netting a rather large savings.
4. Install a programmable thermostat – and learn how to use it.
A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule automatic increases and decreases in your home’s temperature, saving money on cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.
5. Hang a clothes rack in your laundry room
Even an efficient clothes dryer can really eat up your energy costs, but it’s convenient for many people. If you’re willing to battle that convenience, you can save money by hanging a clothes rack from the wall in the laundry room and using it for some items; t-shirts, underwear, towels, and pillow cases dry great on clothes racks. If you can hang up 20% of the clothes in a load on a rack, you can get away with running the dryer 20% less than before, saving you cash.
6. Develop a home maintenance checklist, and run through it for the first time
One final tip: Create a home maintenance checklist. This list should include regular home maintenance tasks that you’d want to do on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Then, make it a habit to run through the items on this list every so often. Doing so will extend the life of almost everything in your home, saving you buckets of money over time.
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