If you have been trying to sell your home, you are well aware of how challenging it can be. However, there is one way that you can increase your chances of success and that is if you improve your home's curb appeal.

With fewer and fewer qualified buyers in the market it has become even more important to make your home as attractive as possible.

That's because a very high percentage of people who are shopping for a home decide whether or not they would like to take a look inside the home based on what they see as they drive by the house - or when they arrive for a showing. If the curb appeal is not positive they often leave.

As the homeowner it can be rather difficult for you to see your house through other people's eyes.

That's because you have gotten accustomed to how it looks and you see beyond whatever faults it has. However, if you are considering selling your home you have to first look at is as property rather than the roof over your particular head. And, as such, there are a number of things you can do to sell this property for the highest possible dollar.

Before you can increase your curb appeal you have to identify the areas that are ripe for improvement. Here's a simple exercise that you can do to help you to gage your home's curb appeal.

First, the next time you come back home, park across the street or down the block. You want to be able to get a good view of your property and its surroundings, as if you were looking at it for the first time. As you walk towards your house imagine that this is the first time you are here.

Is the approach to your property tidy and clean? Is there anything that you could do to make it more attractive?

Take a notepad with you and jot down your first impressions of the yard and the house. Then note the house's best exterior features.

Once you've done that take a moment or two to see if you can come up with some initial ideas about how you can enhance the looks of your house and property. Continue this exercise later.

After you consider the best features of your yard and home, make a note of what the worst features are. Then see if you can think of a number of ways that you could eliminate, improve, or minimize these negative factors.

One thing that could help is if you take pictures of your house. If your camera is a digital camera take the photos in color and look at them that way first. Then turn the image into black and white and analyze them. It may be easier to see the problems when the color doesn't affect your impressions.

by: Wendy Moyer 
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_6541.shtml 

All it takes is for cost of a barrel of oil to spike up, and once again everyone starts talking about renewable energy. Then just as fast as whatever it was that caused the price spike goes away, the conversation dies down. It really is all ridiculous too because the future is coming and it is renewable energy.

Now the fact is that the hardware for assembling your own renewable energy system became cost effective years ago and its growing even more as time moves on. That is that it the cost of putting together, say a solar system is about 30% less than the value of the power it produces over its service life.

The big problem though, is that while the power that comes off your power grid does cost more, it's on an easy payment plan. You simply get your bill once a month, pay it, and that's it. Simple and easy and this is what has so many people hooked. It's just easier that way.

However, for you as a business person, there is the public relations aspect that you have to take into consideration. That is that it's just good for business for you to be seen as a conservationist by your clients or customers and this trend in PR is only expected to grow.

By far the easiest type of system to set up is a photovoltaic solar system that uses solar panels. Now while they are quick to install and get online, they do none the less have a few shortcomings that you will have to contend with.

The first is that they only generate power in the daytime and electricity is expensive to store in batteries, but it can be done. The option that most people take though is to direct excess production back into the grid during the day, get credited for it and then draw it back out at night.

Now if your business is in an area where you have a steady supply of wind, then you need to know that a lot of progress has been made in wind turbines. New off the shelf, high tech turbines that can be generating energy for you in about the same time as it takes to set up solar panels.

The nice thing about wind turbines is that they operate 24 hours a day, just as long as the wind is blowing. Also if you have enough wind and buy a big enough turbine system, you can generate a very large amount of power.

One issue to consider with wind turbines though, is that they do tend to be a bit costly, and it's not just the cost of the turbine that can run up your bill. It's the tower, because good towers can be expensive and that particularly holds true for larger towers that you would mount a large turbine on.

(BPT) - If you're thinking about making your next DIY home improvement project "green," but aren't sure how to achieve a balance of eco-friendly and affordability, there's good news. It's now easier than ever, especially when you do the work yourself with rented equipment and choose salvaged building materials for your project.

As you plan your next home improvement, here are some tips to help you ensure it's as green and cost-effective as possible:

* Rent rather than buy. While you probably have a respectable stock of basic DIY tools, some projects may call for equipment you don't have. Rather than buy new, try renting the tools you need. Renting is cheaper than buying new tools, especially if it's a specialized item you may not use again for a while, if at all. You'll also avoid the hassle of having to store larger tools between projects.

Renting is also green. When you get a tool from a rental company, you're basically sharing with other DIYers in your area, and that means cutting down on the energy use, materials consumption and pollution associated with producing, delivering and selling new tools.

* Seek salvaged materials. When you decide on a home improvement project, one of the first things you consider is what material you'll need. Before you hurry down to the home improvement store or lumber yard, however, consider if you can do your project with reclaimed materials.

Building a patio? Recycled bricks or pavers will do the job just as well as new, they cost less and they impart unique character that you just can't get from new materials. Installing a new wood floor in your family room? Wood flooring reclaimed from an old warehouse or barn not only reduces the amount of construction materials going into landfills, but it can give your floor an authentically rustic and historic flair. A simple online search can help you find suppliers of salvaged building materials in your area.

* Reuse from your own home. You don't always have to buy reclaimed materials from outside sources. Often, you have items in your own home that could be used in your DIY projects. The front walk might need to be redone with level pavers, but the old ones could work great for a backyard fire pit. The lumber from that fence you took down in spring could be turned into decorative seating for your deck this fall. The pedestal sink left over from your bathroom remodel could make a great ornamental birdbath for the garden.

Look for opportunities to reuse items you already have on hand - in creative new ways. You'll reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, save money on waste removal fees, and spare the expense of buying new building materials. And don't forget - you'll have extra storage room since you're renting tools, rather than keeping them lying around.

* Keep recycling in mind. Sometimes construction leftovers just can't be reused, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't be recycled. The rusted tin ceiling you tore out of your 1920s home may never be useful again, but it can be recycled. As you're working on your DIY project, look for opportunities to recycle what you can't use. And if you do have to buy new materials, choose ones that could potentially be recycled some day in the future.