"Green" Houses: Keeping the Environment in Mind

I sometimes get questions about houses and the way they relate to being environmentally "friendly". Nothing hit this home to me more than THIS ARTICLE that I read on the cover of the AJC yesterday.

What factors are involved in making a house environmentally friendly? And what things can a homeowner do to help reduce energy and water consumption? These are some things to think about and some goals to work towards. Not only will these ideas save money, energy and water, but they will also be SELLING POINTS when you need to sell your house:

• Go solar. The sun is free and if you can use solar panels to capture it's energy, you can use it to run or suppliment the energy that you use in your house. Solar technology is better and the materials are cheaper than they were just a few years ago. To learn more about solar energy, you can visit THIS SITE.
  
• WATER. USE IT WISELY is an excellent resource for learning about reducing our consumption. It has 100+ ways to reduce, a family water audit to help you see where you may be consuming too much water, and ideas for saving water outdoors.
• Landscaping is an important "green" factor in a house. Can you grow your own food? Organic gardening is an excellent way to suppliment your diet and a fun hobby as well. Planting fruit trees, vines and other food-bearing plants will add value and beauty to your home. To learn more, visit the Organic Landscape Alliance.
• Add a composter to reduce the amount of waste that you add to your landfills. Your plants and trees will thank you for the nutrients you will be providing them with, as well. To learn more about composting, CLICK HERE.
• If you are building a new home or rennovating your old one, put some thought into using either recycled materials, sustainable wood floors (bamboo instead of oak, for example) and natural products (wool carpet instead of synthetic). VISIT THIS SITE and you will see things that you have never heard or thought of.
• Water filtration. Using good filters is important for your health and the value of your home. A whole-house water filter that will begin filtering your water as it enters your house will be a big feature. No chlorine, harsh chemicals or impuritites will get into your bath, drinking or laundry water. These filtration systems can be a huge selling point as well as help keep you and your family healthy. CLICK HERE to go to a buying guide.
• Air filtration is a huge factor for your health as well as your energy bills. Using a good filtration system can keep you from visiting the doctors during allergy seasons, it will keep you from having to clean/dust as often, it will keep your AC unit from having to work so hard to keep your house cool and it will be a HUGE factor in the sale of your house. People love high quality filtration systems and you should keep this in mind when deciding on which one to purchase. At the minimum, you should have a very good air filter in your AC system that you change or clean often. To learn more about air filters, CLICK HERE.
• Lighting is huge when it comes to energy consumption. If your house has not been designed with natural lighting in mind, it is imperative that you add energy-efficient lightbulbs. Not only will this reduce your monthly power bill, but you will replace them less often, your house will be cooler in the summer months, you will be reducing air and water pollution and your lighting will be better. Visit THIS SITE for more information.
• Recycle. Making it easy to recycle is an important factor in whether that plastic bottle goes to the landfill or gets reused. Move your recycling containers to a place where they are as easy to get to as your garbage can. If you keep them out of sight, they will be out of mind. Many stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot sell organizing bins to aid you in your efforts to store/organize recycle materials. Installing these will not only encourage you to recycle, it will also be an attractive feature to many potential buyers. To see the variety of options, CLICK HERE.

If you are interested in buying a "green" house or knowing how to make your house more environmentally friendly, please call me today at 770.862.8002 and we'll get started right away!

Michael Bradford

Southern Prime Realty

Workout in Cherokee County, GA

I was recently reading THIS ARTICLE about how many people who live in neighborhoods where it's not easy to walk are not getting enough exercise. This got my mind turning - thinking about a lot of places and neighborhoods in my part of town that people can exercise, play and support the healthy lifestyle that they want to have. I thought, "I'll do a blog about the great places to go in Cherokee where you can workout, walk, take classes and live a healthier lifestyle."

This will be the first of several posts on health and fitness in Cherokee County, Georgia. Without further ado, today's post will be on health clubs and personal trainers.

Gyms

Gold's Gym has several locations in Cherokee County. There is THIS ONE in Canton and THIS ONE in Woodstock. Both have fantastic, modern facilities and a reputation for body-building excellence.
.
Fitness 19 at Towne Lake is another great place to workout in Cherokee. They offer month to month memberships and encourage whole families to participate in exercise. I love the concept of taking your children with you to work out because you can set a good example for them about making time to care for your body.
.
Curves has 3 locations in Cherokee county and 3 more very close to the county lines. This is a special place for women to work out. They offer a 30 minute workout, weight loss classes and a lot of fun along the way.

Anytime Fitness is a new breed of gyms that cater to very busy people. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days per year. They also offer personal training and tanning and a staff that wants to see you succeed in your fitness goals.

BodyPlex Fitness is located near I-575 and Hwy. 92. They offer several different fitness classes, including one especially for senior citizens. They have personal trainers and registered dieticians to help you meet your personal health goals. They provide free childcare while you work out.

All About Bodies is a personal training gym/health club in the Towne Lake area. They have a newly rennovated facility, personal training, a smoothie bar and a free e-newsletter.

I found that all of these facilities offer some sort of free trial membership so you can find the one that's right for you without risk or obligation. If you live in Cherokee County or are thinking about relocating to Cherokee County, please visit these sites and check out what they all have to offer. As always, if I can help you with any real estate questions or needs, I would love to serve you. My number is 770.862.5042.

-Michael Bradford
Southern Prime Realty