Energy Star is the name you likely know, but if truly stellar energy performance revs your motor, go straight to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE).

What it means: CEE rates appliances, electronics, lighting, HVAC systems, and gas heating systems. At the website, you can download lists of products that meet CEE’s criteria. Do it before you shop because — bummer — CEE doesn’t put a label on compliant products.

CEE ratings are so stringent that the highest-rated Energy Star products are considered the low end of CEE’s roster (and Energy Star isn’t shabby!):

Appliances and HVAC systems are grouped into three tiers, taking both energy performance and water usage (if applicable) into account.

• Tier 1 products meet Energy Star requirements at a minimum.

• Tier 3 products are super-efficient—the cream of the crop.

CEE updates its ratings every month.

Pricing: Often high-efficiency products rated by CEE (and Energy Star) are more expensive than their less-efficient peers, but may cost less to operate annually.

Speaking of Energy Star…

Energy Star

What it means: Energy Star, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s flagship label, identifies roughly the top 25% of each product category it rates in terms of energy performance. It’s the best-known and most widely applied green stamp of approval, covering more than 50 product categories, including appliances, lighting, plumbing, andheating and cooling systems.

Bad press leads to more reliable Energy Star ratings

Energy Star beefed up its standards after getting bad press in 2010, when the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported it was able to get fake products approved. All products must now be individually reviewed by Energy Star staff and tested by approved third-party labs.

But Energy Star is still trustworthy, says BuildingGreen, an independent company that educates building professionals on green product certifications:

• Its standards get more stringent every two years to coincide with manufacturing cycles for new products.

• It responded quickly after being called on the carpet by changing its product approval process.

It’s easy to find Energy Star labels in the store, but if you want to research your purchase in advance, download compliant product lists.

Pricing: Often high-efficiency products rated by Energy Star are more expensive than their less-efficient counterparts, but you save money on annual operating costs.

Energy Guide

OK, one more rating label to add to the mix. You’ve probably seen the ubiquitous yellowEnergy Guide sticker on new appliances in stores.

What it means: Energy Guide lists the manufacturers’ self-reported performance numbers, not the results of independent third-party testing. Plus, those numbers may not reflect how you’ll use the product in your own home (do you make a special effort to use the most energy-efficient settings at all times, or do you dry tons of laundry on high heat?) or the rates your utility charges.

So if you use Energy Guide labels at all, use them to compare models in the store in terms of up-front cost vs. annual operating cost. But the labels don’t provide enough context to tell you whether a product is really the best energy-saving deal you can get for the price. That’s where Energy Star and CEE come in.

Pricing: Energy Guide labels are government mandated and appear on all products in all price ranges. So it’s not a way to sort by price.

By: Karin Beuerlein

Mistake #1: Ignore contingencies

If your contract requires you to do something before the sale, do it. If the buyers make the sale contingent on certain repairs, don’t do cheap patch-jobs and expect the buyers not to notice the fixes weren’t done properly.

Mistake #2: Don’t bother to fix things that break

The last thing any seller needs is for the buyers to notice on the pre-closing walk-through that the home isn’t in the same condition as when they made their offer. When things fall apart in a home about to be purchased, sellers must make the repairs. If the furnace fails, get a professional to fix it, and inform the buyers that the work was done. When you fail to maintain the home, the buyers may lose confidence in your integrity and the condition of the home and back out of the sale.

Mistake #3: Get lax about deadlines

Treat deadlines as sacrosanct. If you have three days to accept or reject the home inspection, make your decision within three days. If you’re selling, move out a few days early, so you can turn over the keys at closing.

Mistake #4: Refuse to negotiate any further

Once you’ve negotiated a price, it’s natural to calculate how much you’ll walk away with from the closing table. However, problems uncovered during inspections will have to be fixed. The appraisal may come in at a price below what the buyers offered to pay. Be prepared to negotiate with the buyers over these bottom-line-influencing issues.

Mistake #5: Hide liens from buyers

Did you neglect to mention that Uncle Sam has placed a tax lien on your home or you owe six months of homeowners association fees? The title search is going to turn up any liens filed on your house. To sell your house, you have to pay off the lien (or get the borrower to agree to pay it off). If you can do that with the sales proceeds, great. If not, the sale isn’t going to close.

Because regulations now give them financial rewards for meeting energy-efficiency goals.

Even though it costs about one-third to one-fourth less to save a kilowatt hour through conservation than it does to build, fuel, and operate a new power plant, utilities resisted conservation programs for years, says Martin Kushler, senior fellow with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Instead, they opted to finance new plants over the long term and pass along the costs to all of us as higher rates—until regulators stepped in.

What energy rebates are available through your utility?

Some are small—say, a $20 rebate after you purchase a programmable thermostat. Others range into the thousands of dollars, especially for expensive items such as solar panels.

A few examples of home improvements that can qualify for energy rebates from utilities:

• Installing Energy Star appliances

• Adding insulation

• Weatherizing

• Sealing ducts

• Installing programmable thermostats

• Installing geothermal heating

• Replacing water heaters with high-efficiency models

• Getting a home energy audit (see below)

What does my utility offer?

• Check your utility’s website for a list of any incentives.

• Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. DSIRE’s search function allows you to filter results for residential rebates offered by utilities.

Get your utility to slash home energy audit price

Paralyzed by all the potential rebate options? Get an energy pro to come to your house and tell you exactly which energy-efficient retrofits will be cost-effective for you.

Some utilities:

• Offer free in-home energy evaluations performed by utility staff.

• Give a rebate against the price of an energy audit conducted by an independent pro.

• Rebate part of the cost of any recommended improvements. In California, for example, Pacific Gas & Electric offers up to $4,000 in rebates for any household that receives an energy audit, implements the recommended changes, and achieves a 15% reduction or more in energy consumption.

The auditor will advise you on the potential cost of recommended improvements vs. the money they’ll save you on your energy bills. If your utility rebates part of the cost of those improvements, the return on your investment will come much faster.

It’s definitely worth checking out—especially if the audit is free or at a reduced cost.

By: Karin Beuerlein

1. Salvage nontraditional items for new kitchen storage.

Reuse is the gold standard for green remodeling, and a little creativity goes a long way. Banks of old school lockers or lab cabinets, for example, are a hot salvage item for retro-flavored kitchen storage.

2. Reuse stuff from your old kitchen.

Take a hard look to see if there are things you can keep—appliances, cabinets, hardware, faucets, and sinks are all candidates for reuse or refurb rather than replacement. A caveat: Don’t keep any faucet purchased before 1997, because it’s likely to contain some lead. And dispense with any appliances more than 10 years old. Energy Star appliances are leaps and bounds ahead of their ancestors in terms of energy-efficiency.

3. Install an under-the-counter water purifier.

These have about 10 times the filtering capacity of a faucet-mounted purifier. A model with a top-quality activated carbon filter will remove heavy metals, bacteria, and pesticides—not to mention odors and bad tastes. Expect to pay $150 to $200 for an activated charcoal purifier with a replaceable cartridge, which is peanuts compared with the total remodel and easy to do while the project is under way.

4. Don’t forget energy-efficient lighting.

Fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps use up to 75% less energy than comparable incandescent lamps. In fact, according to EnergyStar.gov, a single CFL bulb will save $30 to $40 during its expected lifespan of 10,000 hours. But make sure you keep task areas well-lit: Consider efficient halogen and LED lighting sources anywhere you’re planning to chop veggies or measure ingredients. Or plan a skylight overhead–the sun’s still free.

5. Make recycling easy.

Most cabinet manufacturers offer options for lower cabinets that include pull-out recycling bins to keep contents organized and out of sight. You can even get surface-mounted bins to go underneath holes in countertops. Just sweep food scraps right in.

6. Buy counter-depth Energy Star refrigerator instead of a standard-depth model.

Counter-depth fridges fit flush with cabinet fronts instead of jutting out five or six inches into the kitchen. It’s a way to carve out extra floor space, get a sleek built-in look, and save energy, since you’re cooling less space. And an Energy Star option adds efficiency over older models. You likely won’t even notice the slight difference in capacity, although you’ll pay a few hundred dollars more.

Make your decision up front, though, because counter-depth appliances often aren’t standard width. You’ll need to plan your cabinets accordingly.

And by the way—models featuring the freezer on top use 10% to 25% less energy than a same-sized model with a side-by-side configuration.

By: John Riha

Karin Beuerlein contributed to this article.

If you’re like me, you’ve got a half-dozen rakes of different sizes and materials, a couple of blowers in various states of repair, and a couple of infomercial gadgets that promise to make annual leaf gathering faster and easier.

In fact, you need only a few essential leaf removal items in your landscape tool collectionto accomplish your autumn goal — removing the heavy leaves that smother grass and make your lawn a splotchy mess in spring.

Fewer gizmos and more elbow grease help home owners remove leaves and keep up withlawn maintenance, says Brett Lemcke of R. M. Landscape Inc. in Rochester, NY.

“The reality is, you can’t avoid hard work” when it comes to fall landscaping chores, says Lemcke. “There are some tools that will help us, but the best help is family and friends. The more hands, the better. Doing it yourself is daunting.”

Unless you tether a mower to a stick and let it mulch leaves all by itself.

Whether you rake, blow, or tie a mower to a stick, you should remove leaves at least twice each fall.

“Some people wait until every last leaf falls, and then they pick them up,” Lemke says. “You should pick them up throughout the season. Don’t wait until the last minute.”

Here are four essential leaf-removal tools that’ll help you clear your lawn before winter sets in:

• Rigid leaf rake. This plastic, fan-shaped rake is your go-to rake for collecting leaves. Pick one with a cushion handle and a 30- to 36-inch fan. Avoid the super-wide fans that can spread to 48 inches; they’re too big to rake between shrubs and in flower beds. Cost: $10-$20 (30-inch fan).

• Leaf tarp. Instead of scooping leaves into a million plastic bags, rake or blow them into a big pile on top of a polypropylene leaf tarp. Then drag the tarp to the curb and dump. Cost: $22 for 12.5-by-10-ft. tarp.

• Leaf blower. Select a two-cycle, gasoline-powered blower to collect leaves in tarps or blow them directly to the curb. If you have a large yard, buy a backpack model, which is more expensive but more comfortable than handheld blowers. Cost: 2-cycle handheld blower: $180; 2-cycle backpack blower: $300.

• Yard vacuum. This tool vacuums, shreds, chips, and bags leaves and other yard debris. Once leaves are ground up, they’ll decompose quickly in your compost pile. Cost: $400-$650.

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Energy Star just launched a pilot program for a new designation that’s supposed to help me figure out how to do that. The new “Most Efficient” Energy Star label will be given to the top 5% of washers, heating and cooling equipment, televisions, and refrigerator-freezers that already bear the Energy Star designation.

Although many of the first products to get the designation are pricey ones, it’s a positive step because virtually all the home appliances on the market already have the designation, which dilutes the value of the program for consumers. If you’re at a big-box home store shopping for a stainless steel dishwasher, you can choose from 95 products — 92 of which are Energy Star (the three that aren’t are budget-busting double-drawer models).

If you’re choosing household products based on energy performance, we suggest you also check out Consortium for Energy Efficiency ratings. The highest-rated Energy Star products are on the low end of CEE’s ratings (and Energy Star isn’t shabby!).

Some people question the whole Energy Star program, saying it’s too easy to get certified. That’s an assessment the Government Accounting Office confirmed last year when it tricked the EPA into giving a gas-powered alarm clock and 15 other fake products the Energy Star label.

That fiasco certainly had me wondering about the value of the program, but it sounds like Energy Star is at least moving in the right direction with this new most-efficient label.

Did you consider energy use the last time you bought an appliance? Do you think the “Most Efficient” Energy Star label is a positive step?

By: Dona DeZube

Cost of replacement gutters and downspouts

You’ll find aluminum and vinyl gutter components surprisingly affordable. Here’s what to look for:

• Home centers sell 10-foot sections of gutter for less than $8.

• A 10-foot downspout costs you less than $13.

• Clip-up downspout extenders that snap out of the way when mowing cost about $8.

• Gutter sealant runs about $5 for a 10-ounce tube.

• Buy additional hangers and clips for 25 cents each—the damage may have occurred because there weren’t enough of them in the first place.

• In some cases, you’ll also need some end caps ($7), joint connectors ($3), and self-tapping screws ($3).

How to replace missing gutters

More often than not, an entire 10-foot section of gutter will be damaged or missing. Use a hacksaw and tin snips to cut shorter lengths of replacement gutter.

• Grab two ladders and enlist a helper.

• Remove any old joint connectors and scrape any sealant or gunk off the existing gutter.

• Do a test fit with new joint connectors.

• Fill the ends of the new joint connectors with sealant before installing the gutter.

• Loosen adjacent hangers if needed to add the replacement section.

• Add hangers every 3 feet. Confirm that the gutter is pitched toward the downspout at a slope of ¼-inch for every 10 feet.

How to add a downspout

• Fit the new downspout up into the drop outlet (the piece at the end of gutter that feeds into the downspout). Notice that the drop outlet fits inside the downspout section to contain the flow and keep the jointing from leaking.

• Fasten the joint with two self-tapping gutter screws. Add additional sections as needed.

• Finish the downspout with an elbow positioned at least 6 inches above grade.

• Attach the downspout extender (it should extend at least 5 feet into your yard).

Adding all-new gutters and downspouts

If there are lots of missing or damaged pieces, you may decide it is time for a whole new set of gutters. Most residential gutters are made of lightweight and durable aluminum. Vinyl, galvanized steel, and even copper also are options.

Aluminum gutters range from about $4.50 to $8.50 per linear foot installed. On a 2,000-square-foot house with about 180 linear feet of gutters, that’s roughly $800 to $1,500.

By: Pat Curry

Network cameras

Internet-based network cameras are a quick solution in setting up home surveillance. They connect to your broadband connection and don’t require difficult wiring or mounting.

Logitech’s Alert lets you view either real-time or recorded footage—with audio—of the inside and outside of your house through your iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry smartphone, and the system is expandable by adding additional cameras. You’ll get text or email notifications on your phone or computer if the camera’s motion sensor is triggered.

Panasonic’s BL-C131A goes one step further by giving you remote pan and tilt control from your smartphone or computer, allowing you to view in eight different positions.

The Alert 750i Master System starts at $299.99. (A similar device from D-Link costs $119.99.) The Panasonic BL-C131A costs around $300.

Riding the Z-Wave

If you have a Z-Wave-based home automation system installed, you can add wireless cameras to create a security network inside and outside of your house.

ADT’s Pulse is a complete home alarm system that uses Z-Wave cameras for home monitoring from your iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android. ADT Pulse service plans start at $48 a month, not including installation and cameras.

Schlage’s LiNK offers its Z-Wave Wireless Camera as an option to its electronic locks. Like ADT’s Pulse, you can also perform additional home management functions with compatible Z-Wave products like thermostats. Schlage LiNK starter kits cost around $300, and the Wireless Camera costs around $150.

Similar wireless security cameras are available for X10 home automation systems.

DIY camera

You can turn a basic computer webcam into a surveillance system using free downloadable software from Yawcam and EyeSpyFX. You’re required to have your computer remain on, but once set up you can log in remotely from another computer—say, at work—and view streaming video of your home. Just position the camera at what you want to monitor.

Yawcam offers motion detection and can send a snapshot to your email when triggered, while EyeSpyFX lets you view footage from dedicated iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry apps.

An affordable webcam like Microsoft’s LifeCam VX-2000 costs about $30 or less.

By: Les Shu

Would you rather shoo bugs away naturally? Or take no prisoners with warfare?

We’ll help you do both (depending on your mood). That way, when you eat hot dogs, the bugs don’t eat you.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes have graduated from whining pests to West Nile disease-carrying stalkers. So getting rid of mosquitoes, and preventing them from hatching, should be a top priority. Try these tips.

Do-no-harm defense:

• Eliminate standing water—empty buckets and watering pails—where mosquitoes breed. Reduce puddles with a push broom.

• Attract bug-eating wild birds by growing sunflowers or filling bird feeders and birdbaths.

• Clean birdbaths and keep water moving with battery- or solar-powered wigglers.

• Spray oil of eucalyptus, which repels mosquitoes.

• Don’t wear perfume—it attracts mosquitoes.

• Light torches or citronella candles. Smoke repels mosquitoes.

Warfare:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which is trying to protect you from the West Nile virus, recommends applying insect repellent whenever you work or play outdoors. The CDC recommends:

• DEET: Still the most widely used and effective mosquito repellent, though not recommended for young children, and must be reapplied throughout the day. It also eats plastic, like your sunglasses or water bottle. (Ben’s 30% DEET Spray: $4)

• Picaridin: An ordorless DEET alternative that is less irritating and obnoxious, but not as long-lasting (8 hours vs. 11 hours). (Cutter Advanced Sport: $8)

Ants

Ants want to enjoy your barbecue, too. Here’s how to get rid of these uninvited guests.

Do-no-harm defense:

• Ants won’t cross lines made of chalk, salt, talc, baby powder, or cinnamon. They also shy away from bay leaves.

Warfare:

• Spread borax around ant hills and patio/deck perimeters. Ants will eat it, causing them to dry up.

• Try feeding them Cream of Wheat (while not a chemical, it does have the same effect), or another food that expands. It will explode their stomachs.

Bees and yellow jackets

Most bees won’t harm you unless you accidentally stumble over their nest. They’re good for your landscaping and the planet in general, so leave the bees be.

Yellow jackets, on the other hand, are stinger missiles. These common wasps can sting the same person or animal several times. They leave telltale pheromones that mark the victim for a mass attack from hive-mates.

Do-no-harm defense:

• Yellow jackets love protein foods, so cover your meal during prep time, and wrap or throw out leftovers.

• Cover garbage cans and quickly clean up after raccoons or dogs that get into your trash.

• Wasps won’t invade other wasps’ territory, so trick them into thinking your patio is already claimed: Fill a paper bag with newspaper and hang it from a tree.

• Make a trap with a soda bottle and fruit juice.

• Avoid wearing bright, flower-like colors that make you look like a giant flower.

Warfare:

• Chemically controlling yellow jackets requires finding the nest, which is risky. Baits, which wasps bring back to nests so you don’t have to visit, are a better bet. Mix protein—tuna, chicken, cat food—with insecticides such as fipronil.

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

“Especially on houses where the garage is front and center, the garage door absolutely has to look good,” says Casey McGrath, a real estate practitioner in Kitsap County, Wash. And it has to operate smoothly: Americans use the garage more than any other entry to the house, including the front door, according to a survey commissioned by window and door manufacturer JELD-WEN.

What a garage door costs

A new door should cost significantly less than the amount it may add to the value of your house. For a standard door in wood or steel, installed costs typically range between $550 and $1,650 for a single door, and $800 to $2,500 for a double door. But if you’re looking at a heavy-duty aluminum door, or a custom-made design in exotic wood, the cost could easily reach $10,000.

Depending on the style and precise dimensions, two single doors may or may not be any more expensive than one double door. A second door opener adds $150 to $250.

Types of garage doors

Garage doors come in four basic types: They may swing out, swing up, roll up, or slide to the side.

Swing-out carriage-house doors or sliding barn doors are a good choice if you need to keep the ceiling clear or if you want their distinctive look. Otherwise, the most popular option by far is the sectional roll-up door.

Before purchasing a roll-up door, measure the space between the top of the garage door opening and the ceiling or overhead framing. Standard tracks require headroom of about 14 inches. If you don’t have that, you can get low-headroom track, which costs about $100 more. There are also tracks specially made for garages with unusually high walls or cathedral ceilings.

Choosing the right style

It’s important to pick a door that suits the style of your house. If you live in a Craftsman bungalow, for example, you might want something that looks like the swing-out doors found on garages behind early Craftsman houses. Manufacturers of modern roll-up doors make them in styles that mimic the old swing doors, complete with faux strap hinges on the sides and a pair of handles flanking a deep groove in the center.

Most styles, whether traditional or contemporary, feature panels, trim, and other detailing. Doors with true frame-and-panel construction tend to be sturdier than those with decorative detail that is merely glued or nailed on. Many styles have glass panels on the top row, which looks inviting from the street and brings daylight inside. You can also find roll-up doors with shatterproof glass or frosted plastic in all the panels, for a more modern look.

Common garage door materials

Wood: Wood offers a charm and authenticity that other materials merely mimic. Wood doors can be made locally in whatever size you need, and they stand up well to bumps from basketballs. The downside is that they require frequent repainting or refinishing, especially if you live in a damp climate.

Wood doors range from midprice to very expensive, depending on whether they consist of a lightweight wooden frame filled with foam insulation and wrapped in a plywood or hardboard skin (the least expensive) or are true frame-and-panel doors made of durable mahogany, redwood, or cedar. Wood doors usually carry a short warranty, perhaps only one year.

Steel: Metal is a better choice than wood if you don’t want a lot of maintenance. Steel leads the pack because it is relatively inexpensive yet tough. Bare steel rusts, so you need to touch up scratches promptly, and steel also dents.

Minimize this risk by choosing doors with sturdy 24- or 25-gauge panels rather than 27- or 28-gauge (the higher the gauge number, the thinner the metal). Or consider a steel door with a fiberglass overlay, which resists dents and doesn’t rust. Fiberglass will need periodic repainting or restaining, though, because the color fades over time.

High-quality steel doors may have lifetime warranties on the hardware, laminations between the steel and any insulation, and factory-applied paint. Budget doors tend to have shorter warranties on some components, such as paint and springs.

Aluminum: Inexpensive aluminum doors, once common, have largely been replaced by sturdy versions with heavy-duty extruded frames and dent-resistant laminated panels. Rugged and rust-proof, these are a wonderful choice–if you can spend $10,000 or so on a garage door.

Less expensive aluminum doors have aluminum frames and panels made of other materials, such as high-density polyethylene. Because of its light weight, aluminum is a good choice if you have an extra-wide double door; it won’t put as much strain on the operating mechanism.

Insulation and energy savings

Considering the size of a garage door, it might seem obvious that you should invest in one that’s insulated. Because of its sandwich construction, an insulated door is more durable, and the enclosed back panel gives a garage interior a more finished look.

But the insulation won’t save energy unless you heat the garage or treat your attached garage as part of the “conditioned” part of your house. The federal Energy Star program recommends against doing this if you park cars, store lawn chemicals, or use solvents there because it could let dangerous fumes inside; it’s better to insulate only the shared wall and use that as the indoor-outdoor boundary.

In past years, you could get a federal tax credit for garage doors, but that break ended in 2010. Only house doors are eligible.

By: Jeanne Huber