From one of our trusted vendors, straight to you, a few ideas and spring money-saving tips! 

Everyone loves to save money, and it’s a good idea to review different aspects of your budget now and again to see if there are more opportunities you have missed in the past. In the springtime, considering how you can reduce your energy bills is always a great idea.

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), air conditioners use about 6 percent of all electricity in the country. You can read more about that here. This comes at a cost of roughly $29 billion to homeowners.

If you can reduce that usage in Boise, ID, you will be able to make a difference in our environment and save yourself some money as well. Take some of the following ideas from the professionals at Quality Heating & Cooling to heart and make some money-saving resolutions today.

Tune Up for Efficiency

All air conditioners work more efficiently if they have clean filters, enough refrigerant, spotless coils, and plenty of room for air circulation.

Although you can take care of some of these maintenance items on your own—clearing away fallen yard debris from around your outside condenser unit and regularly changing filters, you should engage one of our highly trained professionals to help inspect and clean your air conditioning components. Our experts can also check your ductwork and be sure you are not losing your cooled air before it reaches its destination.

By investing in regular maintenance, it’s less likely your unit will break down in the dog days of summer. That’s an extra bonus.

Work with Mother Nature

Find ways to use the outdoor conditions to your advantage when it comes to saving energy. For example, during the spring and the fall when nighttime temperatures cool down, open all your windows to let the cool breezes in.

Then, first thing in the morning, close your windows and pull your shades to trap the cooler air inside. You can also consider planting trees to shade your home in the future.

Circulate Indoor Air

Consider investing in floor fans or ceiling fans to help move your indoor air. Fans use a lot less energy than air conditioning systems and do a good job cooling down your home in moderate temperatures. You can also run the fan on your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system or install a whole house fan that pulls in fresh air from the attic.

Relocate Heat Outside

The sun is not always the biggest culprit in generating indoor heat. How often do you find that your appliances are competing directly with your air conditioner?

Instead of turning on your oven or stove, consider grilling outside to keep that heat out of your home. Or get a little creative and find some great cold meals to prepare instead.

The clothes dryer is another heat producer in most Idaho homes. Instead of running your dryer, put that springtime sun and a laundry line to work.

Block and Reflect

Another idea to reduce the heat and associated energy bills is to invest in energy-efficient windows, seals, and insulation to keep the cold in and the heat out. You can also install light-colored window coverings to block sun in the warmest part of the day.

Energy-efficient, reflective roof tiles or a coat of lighter exterior paint can do wonders in reflecting the heat of the sun away from your home’s outside.

Rely on Technology

At the very minimum, install a programmable thermostat that will automatically adjust your temperature requirements while you are away or asleep. Smart technology is advancing each day, and in some homes, rooms can now detect when you are present in them and adjust the temperatures accordingly. You can also control and monitor air conditioning usage from afar using a smartphone.

Don’t Forget the Little Things

Every light that’s left on when not in use generates heat as well as all those electronic devices. Consider switching to LED lightbulbs and turning off electronic gadgets when they are not being used to save money and reduce heat.

Contact Us Today! Schedule an air conditioning tune-up or duct inspection, or to talk with us about other energy-saving ideas, call our Quality Heating & Cooling team at 208-377-3555 or request service online.

Using the right vendor at your rental property is crucial to not only maintaining it but it also plays a huge factor in your profitability. If you use a property manager they should have a diverse and lengthy list of resources for any type of repair, service or need at your property. From the front yard to the roof to the back fence it will all need some type of attention along the way. Hiring a vendor for ANYTHING can truly be one of the most tedious but possibly the most important tasks on your to-do list if you self-manage.

We use these talking points and questions to vet and onboard a new vendor for properties we manage:

• Is the vendor licensed, insured and bonded as required by their state/city?

  • We require a minimum of $1 million dollars of liability coverage for any vendor to be onsite at one of the properties we manage.

• How does the vendor prefer to communicate?

  • In our industry, the faster the better, so we communicate mainly by email to ensure that our vendor request is delivered clearly and timely, so we need our vendors to do the same, communicate promptly and accurately.

• Does the vendor have references?

  • Another property manager or self-managing owner is the best referral source however we also use references from other vendors that have worked with the vendor we are considering.

• What are the vendor’s payment terms?

  • We negotiate this aspect if it does not fit our best practices. We find that most vendors are accommodating. Preferably we want 30-day payment terms to ensure that we have plenty of time to review invoices for accuracy before the vendor is paid.

• What is the vendor’s hourly rates as well as emergency rates?

  • We don’t like surprises but we are very good at managing them so we want to know upfront what to expect for our clients.

• How long has the vendor been in this profession?

  • This question is 2 sided – first we want to know that the vendor has the experience we need to get the job done, secondly we want to verify this with our secretary of state records, this is the first opportunity to build trust with the potential vendor.

• How far out do you typically schedule work orders?

  • Depending on the trade (plumbing, HVAC, etc.) we typically expect a vendor to schedule an appointment with a tenant within 3 to 7 days with the exception of emergencies of course.

• If you have multiple properties, don’t be afraid to ask for a discount!

  • When we vet out vendors we also make sure we get the best possible price for our clients without compromising our expectations!

If a vendor meets all those expectations…

We then collect proof of insurance, a W9 and we send a vendor out on a job. While we understand that mistakes do happen, our vendors are held to a very high standard of service. The time in which the work order is handled, prompt invoicing and tenant feedback determines whether we use that vendor again. Each job, property, and tenant is unique so choosing a vendor that has the skill set, knowledge, and versatility to handle the situation is vital.

If you have more questions about this or you want to find out more about our services and how you can have LESS HASSLE. MORE HAPPY when it comes to owning an investment property, visit our website at www.rentwisepm.com or give us a call at 208-949-3083.