How a Smart Home Could Be Your Best Investment

Smart home technology is gradually leaking into the everyday lives of ordinary people. Home automation is the most effective way of saving energy, improving efficiency and raising the worth of a house.

 

Saving Energy and Water, for Your Wallet and Your Planet

For the average household, smart home technology can seem very pricey. But when you consider how much money can be saved by using smart household appliances, it’s worth the investment.

This piece from Smarthome.com explains the energy saving benefits of having smart home appliances:

Save Energy the Smarthome Way

Smarthome products not only make your life safer, more convenient and more fun, they can also help you to save energy and money. As a member of the Flex Your Power energy efficiency campaign, we can show you how to be a friend to the environment and your wallet through energy conservation.

The average home spends almost $2,000 on energy costs every year. Lower your energy bills and improve comfort by making your home more energy efficient. The average household could cut a third of its current energy bill by switching to energy-efficient appliances, equipment and lighting. From lighting to thermostat control products, Smarthome offers a variety of products that homeowners can purchase to begin saving on energy costs today.

You can see the full article here…

A great example of a product that will save you in power and energy costs is a motion sensor powerstrip with 8 outlets. Michelle Smith from LifeHack.org explains why:

20 Smart Home Technology Gadgets That Will Leave You Spellbound

This smart PowerStrip conserves energy by detecting movement in the surrounding area. Four outlets automatically turn off if it does not detect human movement for 30 minutes in an adjoining space of 20 feet.

It also features three “always-on” outlets that stay on irrespective of movement.

This feature allows essential equipments, such as a router, to be left powered on.

With this smart technology, you can save energy by switching off peripheral devices when they are not in use. It is ideal for networking equipments and entertainment consoles.

Read the full article here…

Having a home that is water and energy efficient will not only save money but save precious resources from being wasted. Smart home technology provides many ways to prevent unnecessary water wastage. Nicole van Zanten from Ideaing.com explains one of these ways:

How to Save Water in Your Home with Smart Home Gadgets

As an avid gardener, I’m always keeping track of the weather. Seriously – you should have seen the rainfall we just had this past weekend. We were all rejoicing at how much of an impact the rain would have on our gardens and lawns, and I had to manually shut off my sprinkler timers for the duration of the rain.

But what if you had a garden hub that could do all of this for you to save you water? That’s possible – and I love it!

Smart garden products and hubs allow users to combine plant/irrigation monitors and sprinkler controls into one, while also monitoring the weather. This means that the smart home products will tell you when it’s time to water your gardens or lawns – with some of them even doing it for you.

Read the full article here…

While there can be some hefty costs involved in turning your home into a smart home, you can make some very cheap adjustments that will save you a lot of money and not everything you do has to cost you a fortune!

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Why You Should Invest in a Modern Heat Pump

It can seem like a great deal of money to spend when you think your current heating works fine…but there are many more advantages to having a modern heating system in your home than you might think.

The Cost of Comfort

When it comes to cost efficiency, old heat pumps have nothing on new ones. Old ones heat slower and require more power, so they cost you in the long run a great deal more than any newer system would.

With all the settings that new ones have and the ability to put them on a timer or even turn them on and off from your phone, you can save money by making your heat pump suit with your lifestyle.

Modern heat pumps also raise your house value should you ever decide to move. So as long as you live in that house you are saving money on power, and even when you leave it will still benefit you.

Heat pumps are a great alternative to any other type of heating too since it’s clean heating that doesn’t involve gas or fire, and is much safer for your whole family.

Sight, Scent and Sound

Old heat pumps are noisy, slow, power-hungry, have minimal settings and also just plain look ugly. Heat pumps designed today are designed specifically with the modern household in mind.

They’re built to be silent, so even though you may have gotten used to that constant whirr all winter you will now be able to enjoy some quiet while you read your book under a blanket.

The heat generates and spreads much faster, and you can set it to work however you want it to. With the heating and cooling settings you can keep your home at a comfortable temperature right throughout the year without stressing over the power bill.

Newer heat pumps also have cleanable air filters and so they don’t pump out dusty smelling air. They filter your air, and return it into your home cleaner and scentless.

And you will lose nothing on the eye either. New heat pumps are smooth and look modern and sleek, so you can take pleasure in having both a warm and stylish home.

How Your Health Will Benefit

The health benefits to a modern heat pump include cleaner, drier air, so for asthmatics they can be a blessing. A home that protects you from the cold boosts your immune system and helps prevent illnesses during winter months.

Moisture in your skin is sucked out by cold air, and so your skin can get dry and sore. This is most commonly noticed on the lips and hands. If your nose dries out too much from the cold it leaves you susceptible to colds, the flu and sinus infections.

There are a huge number of benefits to investing in a new heat pump system. It is a choice that would continue to be an advantage to you and to your family for as long as you live in the home, improving your comfort and quality of life for years to come.

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Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer

Enter September, and the first month of spring – finally! The days are growing slowly but surely longer and the sun is gracing us all with its presence a little more each day.

Welcoming Spring

While the beautiful spring flowers and the adorable baby lambs are always a welcome sight each year, and the idea of having some nice sunshine after the winter is heavenly, the sometimes stifling heat of summer is on its way.

But don’t sweat it. With summer’s many positives are its negatives, but your house being too hot all day doesn’t have to be one of those. There are ways to (economically) keep your house cool even on the hottest days.

Making the Most of the Shade and Air

While you want the sun in your house in winter, during the summer it’s best to avoid letting it pour in. Use blinds or lace curtains to filter the sunlight and provide your living spaces with shade.

Don’t fall for opening your windows during a still, sweltering hot day. If there’s no wind outside, it will cause heat to flood into your home, much like cold does in winter. Keep your house closed up tight to prevent heat from getting in.

Leave doors throughout the house open. This allows the air to move freely, and prevents heat from gathering up in one room and becoming an indoor glasshouse.

Cut Back on Heat-Emitters

You’d be surprised how many things we use each day that emit heat. Incandescent light bulbs are a major one – around 90% of the energy they consume is wasted on heat. Ditching these for more energy efficient light bulbs won’t just help reduce the heat, but also your power bill.

Stoves and ovens are another major one, although they are perhaps a little more obvious. Try to avoid roasts or other meals that take a long time in the oven during summer. Cold meats and salads or even an outdoor barbecue in the shade would make a much cooler alternative.

If it’s possible, you should consider investing in a ventilation system. This would be a massive help in keeping your home cool and the air feeling fresh.

At the very least, a fan in your bathroom is highly recommended, to get rid of the hot steam after showers. This won’t just make your home cooler but also help prevent dampness.

But Most Importantly, Focus on Yourself

When it comes to keeping your home cool (without cranking the A/C all summer) there’s only so much you can do. The best way to feel cool in the home is to start with your own body temperature.

Drink plenty of cold drinks and wear light clothes, and even if your house is the same temperature you’ll feel cooler. Keeping hydrated is incredibly important during the hot months.

Make use of the cooler night air too and leave a small window or two slightly open. But make sure you close them before the sun hits them in the morning.

Something to help you sleep at night too is to remove your flannel sheets and replace them with cotton ones. And your pillows could be swapped out for buckwheat pillows too if you have some – they have natural air pockets that prevent heat from gathering underneath your head.

Being aware of how heat gets into your home and how to keep yourself cool is key during summer. Having a cool house means you can focus on the more important things.

 

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The Benefits of Having a Wirelessly Controlled Thermostat

Thanks to amazing modern technology and the huge success of smartphones and tablets, many aspects of our lives are now right at our fingertips on the touch pad we keep in our pockets. We socialize with these devices, keep track of appointments, keep up with the news and take photos and videos.

Why Have a Thermostat In Your Home?

The possibilities and benefits of having a smartphone in this day and age are endless.

Your home is an essential part of your life; it’s where you eat, sleep and relax. Heating in the home is very important, and can determine the comfort in your life. Too hot or too cold and you’re left drained of energy and miserable.

Modern thermostats and heating appliances like heat pumps can be the best things you can invest in for your home. The temperature of your house becomes adjustable at the press of a button or the touch of a screen, so your comfort can always be maximized.

So, Why Wireless?

For one simple reason really: simplicity and ease. There’s no need to get up, or hurry home and turn your thermostat on, when you can do it from wherever you are on your phone.

Imagine. It’s the middle of winter, and you realize that because of the recent snow you’re going to be really late home. But you’ve set your thermostat, so it’s going to be eating through your power and costing you money while you’re not even there.

With a wireless thermostat connected to your phone you can easily deal with that problem, turning your heat pump off and saving yourself money until you want it on.

It works the same if you plan on being early home and want the house nice and warm when you go in. Efficient and smart heating can make your home a place that revolves around your lifestyle and can be adjusted whether you’re near or far.

In short, having a wireless thermostat:

• Will save you money on your power bills
• Will save you time and energy
• Will keep you comfortable all year round
• Is flexible to your time schedule and last-minute changes in your life

Your Power Bill Will Thank You

Being able to set times for your thermostat to turn on and off means that you are optimizing the heating in your home. Being able to change these settings at the last minute gives you that extra edge, allowing for life to happen and plans to change.

Yes, getting a heat pump system and a modern thermostat can be expensive and will put a dent in your pocket for a while. But you will be saving money for as long as you live in that home thanks to that investment.

When it comes to heating your house, your comfort should always come first. A warm and dry home in winter and a cool and well-ventilated home in the summer will ensure and protect that comfort into the future.

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Tips for a Warmer Home and Lower Power Bills

It’s an all too common issue that residents living in Marlborough have to deal with during the winter – climbing power bills as the cold weather sets in.

Heaters cost a lot to run and a house not properly insulated could be costing you both money and comfort. Here’s a few tips to save you some cash and keep you comfortable this winter.

Giving Your Walls Their Winter Woolies

You are not the only thing that needs to be wrapped up snug.

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get your house relatively insulated. You lose a lot of heat through the floor, roof and walls, and putting barriers up to keep the heat from escaping will make for a warmer and drier home.

Rugs will aid in heat loss through the floor, and making sure you have good insulation in the roof and walls will also help greatly.

Checking for draughts around your home is a must. Look for electrical cables, gas lines and water pipes that go from the interior to the exterior of your home.

There’s a good chance that the caulk which was used originally to keep them in place and prevent draughts has worn down and cracked away. Seal these gaps with expanding foam.

Evicting your Home’s Draughts

Windows can account for around 25% of heat loss in the home but they’re not exactly the easiest of things to insulate.

Firstly, curtains are a must. They should be opened when the sun comes out and closed before the sun goes away again, especially windows that the sun shines directly onto. Make use of the sunshine while it’s around in the winter.

Another little trick is to cover the windows and any glass doors with plastic film, like what you might use to wrap up your sandwiches in. If you’re careful, you can get it to look completely invisible, but it’s still providing another layer of protection against the cold.

Make sure that the windowsills are well-fitted and there are no gaps in the wood. Also, remember to lock your windows rather than just closing them – locks pull the windows tighter shut and makes it harder for the ever-elusive warm air to get out.

Heating and Circulating Warm Air

Old heat pumps and heaters often use a lot more power than newer ones. Modern heaters are built with energy conservation in mind, and their range of settings make it easier to adjust the temperature perfectly for your specific home and lifestyle.

A small portable heater is much better than one big heater in the living room. Shifting it between rooms will ensure the whole house gets some warmth and will let the whole place dry out.

Having a modern heat pump system will also help. Most come with settings that allow you to set temperatures and times, so your house will be warm when you get home from work but won’t be chewing through the power all day.

A ventilation system in your house to circulate the warm air could also be beneficial, allowing the warmth to spread throughout the entire home.

Keeping warm and dry during the cold months boosts your health, comfort and standard of living greatly. Any investment you make in the ways of a heat pump or insulation pays for itself as long as you live in that home.

And once you’ve spent the time and money getting your house sorted, you’ll be saving it all in power bills every single winter.

 

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Meth Contaminated Houses – A Growing Issue

Controversial subject today, but an issue that is close to home for some. This is a problem that affects the entire housing industry. Landlords, tenants, buyers & sellers, are all at the mercy of this national epidemic. What are the solutions?

Methamphetamine Houses – A New Zealand Epidemic

The meth problem in New Zealand is bigger than we all care to admit. Unlike alcoholism, which is visually identified fairly easy, meth is a silent killer, that destroys its user mentally, physically, physiologically and financially.

The amount of users are astonishing. In the article from the New Zealand Drug Foundation illustrates the scale of drug use and its grasp on our country:

Drugs in New Zealand

New Zealanders as a population have some of the higher drug-use rates in the developed world, evidenced in the 2007/2008 New Zealand Alcohol and Drug Use Survey, which reports that one in six (16.6%) New Zealanders aged 16–64 years had used drugs recreationally in the past year.

Read the full article here…

Is it getting worse? There seem to be many conflicting statements being made. At one point it was observed that meth use in New Zealand had halved, but then we see headlines talking about tonnes of meth washing up on our shorelines.

The video below, from the New Zealand Drug Foundation YouTube channel talks about some of the strategies New Zealand has implemented in the hopes to address the issue:

What are your thoughts on this issue? Would you agree that things are betting better or worse? Do you know of anyone who has battled with this addiction?

The Damage To Our Housing Industry

The damage this drug does to its users is horrendous. On a physical level, a heavy user can be easily picked out of the crowd so in a way, its easier to deny its stranglehold by turning your back on it, refusing to acknowledge its presence.

When it comes to your house, be it a rental or an investment property, the damage caused by methamphetamine being manufactured in your property can be financially crushing.

In this article recently published on the Harcourts Marlborough Blog by author Tracey Monaghan talks about the rising impact of meth and the procedures put in place:

Meth contamination – an overview

With the rising impact of meth, developing new standards and guidelines for the testing and remediation of affected properties is critical.

In May a committee was set up to develop a standard (NZS 8510) covering the testing and remediation of properties contaminated by the manufacture or use of methamphetamine.

“We’re making sure we’ve got good procedures in place, keeping our tenants and landlords well informed about those processes and the choices available to them.”

Read the full blog here…

Your Opinions & Experience

Do you have any experience with this issue?

Have you ever rented a house, to find out later that it had been used to manufacture “P”. How much did this effect you financially and physically?

Have you been burnt by a tenant who manufactured methamphetamine in your house? What kind of damage was done? What steps did you take to identify and fix the problem?

Does this drug epidemic change how you feel about renting out your house, or if you are are renter, what are your concerns?

If you’re wanting to get your house tested here are some resources:

• MethSolutions
• MethScreen
• EnviroCheck
• MethTestingNZ

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The Benefits of Home Ventilation Systems

If your house is damp and moldy, condensation streaming down the windows and has a stale smell to the air you need to improve your ventilation. This is where home ventilation systems can make a huge difference.

What are Home Ventilation Systems?

These are systems that move air around your home with fans, providing constant air circulation. Great for any season, they’re the perfect addition to any home. Keeping you cool in the summer without having to open all doors and windows, desperately trying to find a draft.

Different Kinds of Air Purifying Systems

Depending on your requirements, there are a couple varieties to choose from. These systems are not good at heating your house on their own, if this is your concern you might want to look at one of our heat transfer systems here.

Balanced Pressure

This system is generally powered by two separate fans that pull air from different sources. One fan pulls air from outside and directs it into your home. The other fan extracts the same amount of air from within your home and directs it outside.

This creates a continuous air flow, keeping the air clean and fresh. An air tight house will improve the efficiency of the unit.

Positive Pressure

This style is the most common found in New Zealand. Air is pushed from the cavity in your roof, though vents in your ceiling, into different rooms in the house.

For these to work effectively you need to make sure that your house is not too draughty otherwise the unit will struggle to move the air efficiently.

Roof cavities are generally dusty and full of contaminants, so filters are installed to purify the air. This is a potential issue because of where they (the filters) are installed, the tend to not get cleaned as much.

Options for Diy Home Ventilation Systems

Installing one of these units yourself can be a fantastic way to save some money. It will only take a day to complete so perfect for a weekend job.

Make sure you plan out where you are going to place your vents and fans. Take the extra time to fill in any holes or gaps that could potentially alter the units efficiency.

The Best Home Ventilation Systems

The best systems are the ones that are installed correctly. Here are some factors to keep in mind when you are looking at installing one of these units.

The kind of system you install can determine its benefits. Where you place the vents, the style of the house, how well it is insulated and how air tight the house is are all things to consider.

Our suggestion is to talk to your supplier to get the best advice. With their expertise you will be able to compare home ventilation systems to see which would suit you.

Looking for Home Ventilation Services?

There’re plenty of options to explore when it comes to improving the air flow in your house. We suggest contacting a professional before you commit to anything. Make sure the company you decide to deal with have a great reputation and stock only the best products. Feel free to contact us regarding any queries you may have. We will be able to point you in the right direction.

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