The Informant: The Profitable Home (part 2) by Todd Curran

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Is your home a money pit? For most homeowners, home is where the equity is, along with property taxes, mortgage payments, maintenance and improvement costs, utility bills and other wallet whoppers. With all these operating costs, is your most substantial asset also your biggest millstone? Is there a way to actually make your home profitable?
Gadgets that can pay for themselves and even earn a return over time can also make a great deal of environmental sense. Battery chargers can trim the costs down really quick and “Smart” Power Strips retailing for around $40 will start paying for themselves in 60 days. By plugging your computer into the control outlet and all of your peripherals (monitor, printer, speakers, etc.) into the other outlets, turning on your computer will also power up the other devices and turning off your computer will turn the other devices off in kind. Even better, it actually functions as a switch, so when your main unit powers off, there is no phantom “standby” electricity being drawn to the other peripherals. Not only will you save money on the powered-down peripherals, but you'll save money from the lack of phantom charge.
Electricity Usage Monitors will pay for themselves in around three years by showing you how much electricity your powered-down electrical devices are still using. If you discover devices that are pulling a significant load, unplugging them or using an appropriate device to stop the drain will save you money over time.
For under $2 a piece, compact fluorescent light bulbs can save you up to $100 per year. The fact of the matter is that by merely replacing a regular bulb with a CFL, you'll save about a dollar per bulb every two months or so.
High efficiency shower heads retailing for under $20 save you money by reducing the amount of water that needs to flow through your hot water heater. An average household can save as much as 15,000 gallons of water per year by installing high-efficiency shower heads. Even better: that's 15,000 gallons of hot water that your heater doesn't have to heat, cutting down on your energy AND water costs.
A $40 programmable thermostat pays for itself in six months or less through precise temperature control and can be programmed to automatically lower your air conditioning and/or heat use while you're not home. Just program it and forget about it; it will automatically adjust things for you so that you aren't wasting electricity and money.
An $8,500 (including installation) residential windmill will take care of nearly all of your home electrical needs and pay for itself in eight years. It looks like a high-tech antenna, harnessing wind power to supply your juice. After 8 years, you're basically powering your house for free.
In a REALLY off-the-wall concept for money-making potential, participate in Adzookie's deal to pay you to turn your home into an urban or suburban billboard. All you have to do is be willing to let them come paint your home (excluding windows, shutters and roof) from top to bottom. When your contract is up (minimum of at least 3 months) they'll paint it back to your original colors and everyone walks away happy.
It's completely ridiculous, but that doesn't mean you can't use it to your advantage. If you didn't have to pay your monthly mortgage how much could you accomplish around the home? Could that chunk of change help fund your basement renovation? Could you landscape your yard the way you've always wanted or even afford to take a family vacation? Either way you're guaranteed to get a new paint job out of it when the deal is over and that in itself is a few thousand dollars that most of us would have to work hard to save up for! Check out:
www.adzookie.com/paintmyhouse.php for more details.
From solar energy devices to hosting classes in your home, there are dozens of methods to make your home profitable by making your home work for YOU, and trying a few could have you laughing all the way to the mortgage company!