With all that you are responsible for as a homeowner, it can be hard knowing which upgrades your home is in need of and when the best time would be to make those upgrades. But at Renew Financial, our year-round goal is to make it easy for homeowners to afford making their homes safer, more energy efficient, and healthier. We know a thing or two about when and where to make the necessary upgrades and even how some of the more expensive home upgrades can be made more affordable.
From January to December, here is your month-by-month home maintenance guide!
January: Time for an Energy Audit!
If you are looking for a map to a healthy home, an energy audit will show you where X marks the spot. An energy audit from a trusted local home performance contractor will uncover any inefficiencies your home is suffering from, as well as how to fix them. Energy audits usually involve the use of diagnostic equipment like infrared cameras and blower door tests.
Is your insulation deteriorated? Are there leaks in your home that are allowing air to float freely in and out? How much energy is your air conditioner using? Start the year off right with an energy audit.
February: Schedule Insulation & Air Sealing
Setting your family up for comfort and your wallet up for savings before the heat of the summer should start with a better performing home. The insulation inside your walls, above your head in the attic, and below your feet in the crawlspace can make or break your home comfort. Scheduling your insulation upgrade and professional air sealing service will be much easier while your attic isn’t piping hot (like it will be come summer!).
*Insulation and air sealing are both home upgrades that qualify for Renew’s PACE financing.
March: Spring for a Roof Upgrade
If you live in Florida, getting ahead of the game is essential to keeping a roof over your head during hurricane season. If your shingles are looking worse for wear, or you are tired of catching those leaky drips with a bucket, schedule your re-roofing before spring turns to hurricane season.
April: Wind-Proof Your Windows & Doors
The next step in guarding your home against a tropical storm is wind-hardening your windows and installing stronger doors. Stronger windows and doors will not only protect your family and possessions from strong winds but also have an incremental effect on reducing your energy bills throughout the year. It’s a win-win!
Installing higher performance windows will also make your home more energy efficiency and stop the drafts from the spring chills and keep your house cooler for longer in the summertime.
*Wind hardening and hurricane-resistant roofing both qualify for Renew’s PACE financing.
May: Ditch the Drought with Clever Landscaping
For California homeowners, rationing precious water during the summer droughts has become a regular activity. Lawn shaming is a real thing, but you can avoid the headache by ditching your real grass for a more sustainable option. Desert landscaping and synthetic grass alternatives have become the go-to way for homeowners all over the country to save on their water bill and conserve during the drier months.
*Synthetic grass and water-saving hardscaping qualify for Renew’s PACE financing.
June: Protect Your Home from Wildfire Threat
Before another California wildfire season begins, make sure to clear the perimeter of your property of any flammable debris. Creating a “defensible zone” around your home will give it a buffer from the flames. Readyforwildfire.org is a thorough resource for guarding your home against wildfire damage.
July: Replace Your Air Filters
An often overlooked maintenance task, the air filters of your heating and cooling systems should be replaced at least every three months. Clogged filters will lose their effectiveness in keeping contaminants and allergens out of your breathing air and can make your heating and cooling equipment work harder than they need to to keep you comfortable.
August: Clean the Gutters
Take the time to clear your gutters of any leftover leaves and debris before the rain starts to pick up. Make sure your gutters are draining clearly before the leaves start to turn again come fall.
September: Get Solar Water Heating
As the temperatures begin to slowly drop, you can say goodbye to the added expense of your hot water heater by using solar energy to offset the cost of your warm pool or hot showers. Solar thermal water heating utilizes renewable solar energy for your home’s hot water needs.
*Solar water and pool heating qualifies for Renew’s PACE financing.
October: “Harvest” the Sun’s Energy with Solar
Installing a solar electric system will reduce your energy bill, decrease your carbon footprint, and increase the value of your home. And with the Federal Tax Incentive, you want to make sure you schedule your installation before the end of the year to take advantage of the full 30% tax credit before it starts to decline next year and eventually sunset after 2022. Designing and installing a residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system can take weeks or even months so October is the perfect time to install before the end of the year.
*Solar PV qualifies for Renew’s PACE financing.
November: Make HVAC Upgrades
As things start to cool down, November is prime time to replace your home heating and cooling equipment. Now that the temperatures are bearable again, you can spend the day without an air conditioner while you upgrade your equipment!
*Energy-efficient furnaces, air conditioners, and other heating and cooling systems qualify for Renew’s PACE financing.
December: Encapsulate the Crawl space
Your crawl space is a magnet for excess moisture issues and unwanted outside air infiltration. This can have a noticeable negative effect on your indoor air quality, potentially leading to mold growth and even damage the structure of your home. Schedule crawl space encapsulation to seal up any air leaks, upgrade insulation, and install a vapor barrier in your crawl space before the end of the year, while temperatures are mild.
*Basement encapsulation qualifies for Renew’s PACE financing.
A Year of Home Maintenance and Energy Efficiency
PACE financing was created so that homeowners could make the necessary upgrades and repairs to their homes without having to empty their savings accounts. If you still have questions about how you can qualify for $0 down, flexible CaliforniaFIRST or RenewPACE financing, you can browse our PACE FAQs or talk to one of our financing specialists today!
