It is not an accident that the list compiled by The National Association of Home Builders on how to save energy in your home has windows included in it. In fact, right near to the top is 'double-pane windows that have high performance glass that helps reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

When we think of windows in a home we don't think in terms of energy efficiency - we think in terms of style. Windows can add elegance to a home, or if you prefer they can add a cozy-cabin feeling or more recently, that wide open feeling of there being no windows.

A well stocked garden really can make a difference to the amount of buyers who find your house appealing. A cared-for garden can indicate a cared-for house, and it also adds to the curb appeal of your home. For a really eye-stopping front yard, you cannot beat the beautiful and vividly colored dahlia.

It was a question that once never entered our consciousness - if we wanted to move, of course we would sell up! Now suddenly there are too many variables involved and many of us are asking the question: shall we sell now or shall we rent our house.

One major bonus of Shafer's homes is the low cost of heating. Heated with propane, his own home—a smaller model—costs him $170 per year to heat, and that's in Iowa, where winters are winters. Plus, a smaller home requires less maintenance. Everything is smaller and therefore the amount of work to be done is less: less to dust, less to vacuum.

Thinking of remodeling or renovating? Make sure you do not 'improve' your home out of the neighborhood. It is okay to do this if you want to stay living in it, but if you are making improvements to sell your home at a higher value - beware!

As the weather cools down, it's time to start thinking about energy efficient heating options. Fireplaces have long been a favorite among homeowners, as they create a wonderfully cozy ambience in any room, but they also cause a lot of cold air to circulate when they are alight.

This means that small improvements to your home that can be listed as 'green' will be a selling plus in this new environment. Switching to 'green' is supported by a recent survey published by Move.com and echoes findings from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

It has been recently suggested in a national newspaper that we must all start to think 'tiny home for a tiny planet' - an interesting concept. However, it seems a very un-North American concept, given that we are all used to houses twice the size of, say, our European counterparts.

Seems the new 2008 housing bill was not a savior for all of us - like a scorpion there is a little kick in the tail! However, struggling home owners can breathe easy, the kick is not directed at them, in fact, it is aimed at real estate investors.

Could your own bedroom have the same relaxing atmosphere as a hotel bedroom? It is an interesting thought, as it has always been a special treat for married couples to 'get away' from the children for a romantic weekend. This is supposing they can save enough money, and find enough time! Recently though, so many of the costs involved are increasing in price that the idea is dropping off.

The pursuit of 'green' buildings that will preserve the environment may possibly veer off in an unpredictable direction that will change the face of America's housing. Contradictory though it may sound, concrete is raising its ugly head as an attractive and 'green' alternative for residential housing. Although concrete

Another way to help the environment is by buying fruit trees. Trees emanate oxygen into the atmosphere, and so help to offset carbon emissions. Many buyers have been swayed into a house-sale by the fact that a garden already has fruit trees and an established vegetable patch on it.

Another factor to take into account is that granite is a porous material and needs to be sealed periodically. If this is not adhered to, it could have serious consequences as oily or acidic liquids could permanently stain the stone.