Tag: green

Posted on

Get There Green in Madison

Save your gas and Save Your Money, Get There Green in Madison!

There is no question that gas prices both nationally, and here in Madison, are through the roof!  Everyone I know is relying a little more heavily these days on public transportation.  I am therefore providing a great link which is a complete reference map for alternative transportation in Madison.  This site is sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Madison Environmental Group.  It has an interactive map with all your public transportation options in Madison.

Utilizing public transportation is a great way for Madison homeowners and residents to save money on gas as well as live a little green!  The fact that Madison has such great alternative transportation options is also a great reason to consider Madison and its surrounding towns as your next place to live.  If you are interested in learning a litte bit more about the Madison real estate market, just send me an email and I will gladly send you a link with some great real estate buys in the Madison area.

Posted on

Are You Painting Green in Your Madison Home

Since it is Spring, and there seems to be many people buying Madison real estate and moving to new homes these days, I thought I would share another green decorating tip. This one is about painting.

We all know that paint is not the most environmental friendly to produce and that it needs to be discarded of properly to avoid causing environmental contamination. With that being said though, we all still need paint so that we can make our Madison real estate investments look and feel like home!

The last post included a link to the mod green pod, which offers some great green paint products. But on top of that it is also important to ensure that we don’t buy more paint than needed. HGTV has this great paint calculator you can use before you start your next project. Check it out before you start painting the next room in your Madison home.

Posted on

Preserving Madison, A Place to Call Home!

What I have come to learn as a Madison realtor is that most prospective buyers are not shopping for a house, they are shopping for a place to live, a place to call home. And there is quite a difference.
Although the number of bedrooms, the square footage, and the condition of the hardwood floors may mean a lot when trying to sell Madison real estate, so is the surrounding community. Lucky for us living here in the Madison area, we have a community that would appeal to most. The Madison area community is unique, I find it to be filled with wonderfully creative and nurturing people, and the location itself is just a gem. It is one of the few places where can you be in a country atmosphere one moment and then in the city the next. Right here in the Madison area, we have great parks, museums, restaurants, theaters, and events!
I am bringing all this up because I believe the Madison area should be celebrated and preserved in all of its wonderfulness. Just as we all will celebrate the Earth on Earth Day. Thankfully, the Habitat for Humanity Restore program, who has already done so much for the Madison community and Madison real estate, has planned a great event at their location on Grove St. It will be held on April 19th from noon to 4 and will include a number of auctions, festivities, and educational booths. So come and visit the Habitat for Humanity Restore and celebrate the earth, celebrate our Madison area community, the place we all live and call home.

Posted on

Worthwhile Renovations When Preparing to Sell

I am often asked the same question by Madison area home sellers, “what home repairs hold the most value?” It is a very natural question as everyone is trying to get the highest return on their investment. Who wouldn’t?

And with this same question that comes from seller to seller, comes almost always the same answer from me. Buyers are looking for a clean, well-priced home with updated kitchen and baths. Now please understand that I am not necessarily suggesting that everyone interested in selling their Madison area home run out and perform major renovations on their kitchens and baths. I do understand that this is not necessarily realistic. I can however offer some advice that may set you apart from your competition in this competitive Madison area real estate market.

•1) Make your home show ready by always keeping it clean inside and out. This is a must in every market, but it is extremely important during a time when Madison real estate inventories are high. Buyers have a lot to choose from and you don’t want them to get turned off because you fell behind on your spring cleaning.

•2) Bold colors are in this year. With a little bit of money, you can give your Madison home a little makeover with bold colors on the exterior and interior. Since the appearance of your kitchen and bath is generally the most crucial to your sale with a Madison buyer, start with a paint job in those rooms first.

•3) Madison area buyers are “greener” than ever! If you do decide to renovate your kitchen or bathroom, research eco-friendly materials that will set your renovations a part from your Madison real estate competition. In the bathroom you can put in a green faucet and shower head that conserve water and give your bathroom a luxurious modern look. You can also use recycled eco-friendly glass tiles. They come in bold colors and are usually made form 100% recycled glass. An extra bonus…they also clean easier that most other tiles. Another cool touch you can add is recycled glass door knobs. They also come in great bold colors that will compliment those recycled glass tiles.

You can check out GetWithGreen.com for more great tips and eco-friendly home repair materials.

Posted on

Madison Home Builders Going Green

The Madison real estate market has been going through a number of changes as it begins to re-stabilize itself into a more normal market. Middleton and Madison home buyers have more inventories to select from and a bit more time to consider their decisions. This is really great for Madison area buyers, despite the headlines that continue to haunt of a real estate crash. This is not the only the change that we are seeing in Madison real estate though. A new series of projects has recently begun in an attempt to transform some of Madison’s homes into more energy efficient living spaces. Some of our local builders are going green and providing Green Built Home Makeovers that will make homes 50 to 75 percent more energy efficient. Recently, a $100,000 remodel was done as a donation on the east side of Madison. The group is planning to do one donation project a year in the Madison area in an attempt to raise awareness of this important cause. Some of the modifications made were hybrid heat pump systems, modern electrical systems, rooftop solar panels, and energy efficient appliances. The donation project was organized by Project Home which is a non-profit organization that works towards bettering housing for low to moderate income residents in Madison and surrounding areas. They mostly concentrate in the Dane and Green counties. If this causes a chain reaction, this great cause could truly change the face of Madison area real estate.