Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick

If you have narrowed down your home search to a handful of homes you like it is time to start digging deeper.  Have another look at each of the homes and while you are there take a few minutes to do a quick pre-inspection to look for potential problems.  Some easy to spot things that show possible problems are: stains on the ceiling, cracks at corners of doors ceiling and walls, water stains or dampness under sinks, cracked or missing grout, cracking in the foundation outside.

There are many more things that are not easy to spot, which is why you should always have a home inspection by a professional once you have a contract.

Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick

One thing that people forget to look at is how energy efficient a home is.  If you can get numbers on energy usage from the owners or the public utility try using this tool for figuring out the score for your next home.

The Yardstick compares the home’s energy use to other homes across the country and gives it a score between 1 and 10 – the average house scores a 5 and the most efficient scores a 10.

If you enter year 2010 the tool doesn’t work – you have to use 2009 or earlier.