What Is Matter?

Smart home devices give homeowners a lot of control over the way that their homes function, allowing things like lighting control, home security, and even home automation to be as simple as interacting with an app or using voice controls. Depending on the devices used, you can save money and gain greater peace of mind while also having a bit of fun with your home. One thing that isn’t fun, though, is all the work that is sometimes required to set everything up and get it all working together on the same network.

The problem is that there are a number of different manufacturers of smart devices, and until recently, they have largely created their own ecosystems. Sure, they all work with Alexa or Google Home, but in order to set them up you have to use the manufacturer’s preferred app and do everything the way that the specific manufacturer wants it done. This can be confusing and frustrating, especially if you have to make changes down the line. This may be changing soon, though.

Enter Matter

You may have heard reference to “Matter” in connection to smart home devices recently, but maybe you don’t know exactly what it is or what it does. What exactly is Matter and why does it matter? Simply put, Matter is a new universal standard for smart home devices that intends to simplify both setup and maintenance of your smart home.

Basically, Matter is a set of guidelines that smart home devices will have to meet in order to become certified as Matter-compatible. It was created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, a group of companies and industry members that work on development profiles and application standards that manufacturers can follow to make sure that their devices are compatible with anything else that meets connectivity requirements. Now that the Matter standard is finalized, manufacturers have specific targets to work toward to ensure that their products are all compatible with each other out of the box.

How Will Matter Help?

The biggest headache with home automation in the past has been different devices not always wanting to work well together. This makes creating routines more difficult, and in some cases required homeowners to use third-party platforms or hacky workarounds just to get something close to what they wanted from their devices. Matter will help to make these incompatibilities a thing of the past.

Because everything that’s Matter certified will meet the same operational standards, the compatibility of devices from different manufacturers should be nearly universal. Homeowners won’t have to spend extra to make sure that all of their products are from the same manufacturer or spend time researching just to find the devices they need that use an app they already have installed. Matter-certified devices will work together flawlessly regardless of who makes them.

This isn’t the only benefit to Matter, either. One other problem in the past has been that not all devices were compatible with every digital assistant, so there were cases of things working well for Alexa or Google Home but not for Siri, or working well with Apple products but not Google. Because major companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple all support the standard, though, you won’t even have to worry about whether the device you’re buying is compatible with your preferred digital assistant. All Matter-certified devices should work with any ecosystem you prefer.

Getting Matter

Some Matter-certified devices are already rolling out to stores, and more will be on the way soon. Anything that meets the Matter standard will be labeled as such, and in time it will probably be harder to find non-compliant devices than those that support the new standard. For now, it’s a matter of keeping your eyes peeled to find those that are labeled as Matter certified.

Fortunately, HomeKeepr can help with this. We can help you find smart home installers in your area that should know exactly what Matter-certified devices are available and offer you professional installation and configuration as well. Creating a HomeKeepr account is free, so sign up today to get started with your Matter-compatible smart home.

 

North America Is First in Smart Homes

Smart homes are increasingly popular these days, with an estimated 175 million smart homes in operation around the world as of 2022. In this year alone, it’s estimated that smart home devices have generated nearly $91 billion in revenue, and it’s projected that this amount is going to grow significantly over the next few years. In fact, the projected compound annual growth rate of the smart home industry’s revenue between 2020 and 2025 is an astonishing 25 percent.

While smart homes are popular around the world, the real peak of their popularity is in North America. It’s estimated that the North American market will account for a full 40% of the smart home market by next year, with the United States making up a good portion of that market share. To give you an idea of how big of a share this is, the combined number of smart homes in all of Europe (which contains 45 countries and has seen heavy smart home adoption in the UK, France, and Germany) is around 84 million, while there are around 63 million in the US alone.

The Smart Home Trend

Despite some people being nervous about the possibility of smart devices driving more targeted ads or being used for nefarious purposes, it’s clear that the popularity of smart homes is not diminishing. The use of smart devices can help people stay organized, saving time and making it easier to keep appointments and other critical functions. These devices can also help you save money, with some additions like smart thermostats helping homeowners to save as much as 50 percent on their energy use. Some insurance companies even offer rate reductions on homeowner’s insurance specifically for smart security systems.

Having a smart home can also help to sweeten the pot if you’re looking to sell as well. Around 86% of millennials would consider paying more for a home that had smart devices installed, and even around 9% of baby boomers admit that they already own smart speakers or similar devices. Even if you don’t have full smart systems and thousands of dollars of equipment in place, you can still attract the attention of potential buyers by placing emphasis on the smart devices that you do have in your listing.

Smarten Up Your House

There are a lot of ways that you can add automation and other smart home functionality to your home. For many homeowners, adding a smart speaker with a digital assistant, and a few easy additions such as smart light bulbs for voice-controlled lighting, may be as far as they take it. Others might add smart thermostats and climate control, leak detection sensors on their pipes, and maybe a few other smart devices to give them control over things like the TV. Still others might go all the way and add things like smart cameras, a full security system, and even smart door locks and window sensors to make their homes safe and secure.

It’s important to keep in mind that while the average all-in smart home installation can cost up to $4,000, even if you choose to go in that direction, it’s not a step that you have to take all at once. Some basic smart home functionality can be had for $100 or less, and even with a few hundred dollars’ worth of investment, you can see significant savings in things like energy costs. Smart thermostats alone tend to pay for themselves within two years, and adding smart LED lighting and other energy-saving smart features can increase the savings even more.

Do You Want a Smart Home?

If having a smart home sounds nice but you aren’t sure what you should get, don’t worry… HomeKeepr is here to help. We can help you connect with smart home installers and other pros who will guide you to choosing exactly what you need for your home. Best of all, creating a HomeKeepr account is free, so sign up today and get started toward the smart home of your dreams.

 

Evicting Animals From Your Chimney

Having a mouse in the house can be a real pain. The little thing runs around, gets into everything, and generally causes chaos. And that’s just one little mouse. What happens when you have a much larger animal, or a nest of animals, in a harder-to-control area like a chimney?

Unfortunately, unwanted animals in chimneys are a pretty common problem for homeowners, especially if the chimney isn’t used often. Some are difficult to evict because they’re very dug in once you notice them, others because there are specific laws about how and when they can be removed.

What Kinds of Animals Enter Chimneys?

When it comes to chimneys, there are a whole host of creatures that might come inside. Generally, you’re going to encounter animals that aren’t terribly afraid of people and that are either very good at climbing or very good at flying. For example, birds often make nests in unused chimneys.

Other animals commonly found in chimneys include raccoons, squirrels, and bats. If your chimney has a damper (most modern chimneys do, but older chimneys may not), you may not even know they’re in there, since the damper should be creating a tight seal that would minimize noise. However, if you open the damper, evidence of the animals may fall down into your fireplace, as well as any animals (often babies) that were hanging out on top of the damper at that moment.

Evicting Animals From Your Chimney

Although some people still suggest smoking out animals that are in your chimney, we live in far more enlightened times. Smoking out animals is a great way to ultimately smoke yourself out, or even start a flu fire. Rather than trying this method, you can do a few different things to encourage the animals to move along.

Remember that if the animals have young that are too small to carry themselves out of your chimney, they may not be able to leave just yet, no matter how annoying you get. Check for breeding seasons for the animals you suspect are your problem before proceeding. A few are federally or locally protected, in which case your window for eviction is limited.

For most animals, chimneys are nice places to raise a family because they’re quiet, dark, and safe. Your goal is going to be to disrupt this. You can turn the lights on by dropping a caged work light attached to an extension cord about half way down your chimney. Leave it on all the time until the animal is gone. Often, lighting the place is plenty of motivation to convince an animal to leave.

If they need more motivation, play loud music into the chimney from below for prolonged periods. Again, if they have young babies, this is unlikely to work simply because the babies can’t be moved yet. Time your eviction and rave accordingly.

Preventing Chimney Animals

Once you’ve got the animals out of your chimney, you have to make sure they don’t come back. Usually, this means repairing or replacing your chimney cap, if you had one to begin with. Over time, chimney caps can take damage from bad weather, high winds, activities of animals, and even DIY chimney repair.

Because animals will likely continue to seek your home out, since something about it was pretty appealing to the first batch that moved in, also check that your attic is secured with screens, caulk, and expanding foam. Without the chimney available, those same animals will seek alternative routes, and attics are awfully cozy spots.

In addition, you can help yourself with bird or bat problems by installing appropriate housing nearby. Bat houses, for example, don’t attract bats, but they will house bats in your area and prevent them from seeking your home instead.

Cleaning Up After Animals in Your Chimney

Evicting animals from your chimney is not the end of the story, unfortunately. You also need to clean the chimney to eradicate any sources of parasites or disease that might be present. This is not difficult to do, but it can be hard to know if you’ve really cleaned the whole chimney without professional help.

Many pros recommend starting a big fire in the fireplace, if your chimney is safe to build a fire under. A very hot fire can raise the temperatures in the chimney high enough to destroy any potential parasites, as well as disease-causing microbes, that may be present from the animal’s occupancy.

If you can’t start a fire, hire a chimney sweep. Make sure they know the reason that you need your chimney cleaned so they can ensure that they don’t blow bits of detritus into your home, putting you at risk of disease.

 

Should You Sell Your Home in the Fall?

Spring is the most popular time to sell a home, yet there are some advantages to getting your house on the market in the autumn months. Although you may feel you have missed out by not putting your house on the market in the spring, the fall months for selling your home could be a feather in your cap. Look at the following four benefits to selling your home in the fall, along with tips for leveraging those to find a buyer.

Demographics Most Likely to Buy in the Fall

Serious homebuyers for this time are often millennials, empty-nesters, or relocated employees without children. Without having to consider a new school year, they are more apt to buy before the end of the year to lock in mortgage rates, avoid the hassle of a move in the winter weather, or get settled in a new location for their job before the start of a new year.

Less Inventory—Less Competition

Homes listed for sale are generally lower in autumn, so you are not competing as much with other buyers. While sellers are more susceptible to the pressure of buyers’ demands during the peak season, you have a better chance of attracting buyers to your home and getting them to accept your selling price during a slower period.

TIP: Get professional assistance with pricing your home and the right strategy for selling during the off-season

Seasonal Attractiveness

The fall brings vibrant colors, a cooler temperature, and more choices for décor. The heat and humidity of summer have mostly passed, and the new season of harvest and festivals lures people out into the environment. It is a time when people may want to make a big purchasing decision before the rush of the holidays and the end of the year.

Improve the curb appeal of your home and stage the inside. You can do this in the following ways:
1. Clean and De-clutter
2. Replace dim lighting
3. Add flowers
4. Paint and caulk
5. Purchase new pillows, curtains, and candles
6. Re-arrange your furniture for better social interaction
7. Use gas or electric fireplaces for ambiance
8. Don’t overdo decorations.
9. Photograph the property while you still have natural lighting.

Quicker Closing

Since the fall tends to be an off-peak season with fewer home sales and real estate transactions, your closing should go quicker and with less stress. You should be able to book with mortgage lenders, home inspectors, attorneys, and other vendors related to your home’s sale without delay or hassle.

There is never a right or wrong season to sell your home. Although spring may lure many enthusiastic families into wanting to buy in the warm weather, the fall can be equally enticing for others. You’ll find that many are motivated during this time to buy because they want to settle in before the winter and holiday season. Still, whatever season you decide to sell, it’s always important to prepare your home adequately and know the strategies to attract the aptest buyers.

 

Radiant Barriers Help Insulation Do More

We all know the old song and dance: insulate and weatherproof your home to maximize your utility dollars. Filling all the gaps and keeping all the climate-controlled air where it should be is a huge part of creating a home that’s not only comfortable, but efficient. Or so we’ve been told. The truth is that there’s another step in the process that many homeowners are overlooking, and it’s both easy to install and inexpensive: a special kind of foil called a radiant barrier.

What are Radiant Barriers?

Radiant barriers aren’t much to look at. In fact, they pretty much just look like really heavy foil like you’d use on your grill or on top of a casserole dish. But they make up for looks in performance. According to Energy.gov, a website produced by the US Department of Energy, radiant barriers can reduce cooling costs by up to 10% in sunny climates, and may even allow a homeowner to install a smaller air conditioning system, saving additional money over the longer term.

They work by reducing the radiant heat that comes into an attic or other space. When roofing materials get hot from sun exposure, that heat eventually transfers into the attic via radiation. So, to slow or even stop this process, a barrier that’s designed to reflect that radiant heat back out of the attic is necessary.

Many houses lack radiant barriers, either because it wasn’t invented when they were built and no one thought to add it later, or because the climate where they were built was once considerably cooler than it is now. That doesn’t mean you can’t add one, though.

Installing Radiant Barriers

Installing a radiant barrier is not a difficult process, but it can be a time-consuming and messy one. After all, you’ll need to be in your attic for prolonged periods, working with a sort of heavy foil material that can be cumbersome for a single person to manage. But it’s definitely possible as an advanced DIY project.

When you install a radiant barrier, it’s really important to not only pay attention to which side is up on the barrier material, so the proper side faces the roof, but that you install it in such a way that it won’t be contaminated with things like dust and other debris. The more dust and material that collects on a radiant barrier, the less effective it will be.

In the past, some people have installed radiant barriers on top of their insulation, but this has proven to be a poor way of installing the material. Instead of the wanted effect of cooling the attic, in these homes, the radiant barrier instead interferes with the insulation’s ability to work properly. Since they also tend to act as a moisture barrier, radiant barriers can also trap moisture inside attic insulation, causing all kinds of other problems.

When installing a radiant barrier, hanging it along the contours of the attic roof or rafters is your best bet, but you’ll need to let the material droop slightly between attachment points to create a 1-inch air gap between the material and the bottom of the roof. You can also choose insulation with a radiant barrier built-in, called reflective insulation, where the barrier acts as the facing material.

Safety With Radiant Barrier Materials

Because radiant barriers are made of metal foil, they will conduct electricity. Many homeowners don’t consider this when installing them and may overlook serious hazards like contact with bare wire or old wire with failing insulation. Electricity can cause serious injuries or damage to homes, especially if the contact is prolonged and widespread, like it would be when accidentally electrifying an entire attic’s worth of foil.

When to Call a Pro…

If you’re not sure you’re ready to install a radiant barrier yourself, or you’re concerned about getting it just right, it might be better to hire a professional to get the job done. Where will you find such a person? Why, HomeKeepr, of course! Just log in and ask for a recommendation for the best insulation installer in your area, and before you know it, you’ll be reaping the benefits of an attic with excellent protection against radiant heat.

Don't Be Afraid of Todays Housing Market

 Buying a Home With a Rental Unit

Buying a home can be full of difficult decisions, and as housing prices climb, maybe even more difficult financial planning. For people looking for a different way to help pay for their mortgage every month, choosing a home with an attached rental unit might just provide the monthly bump that makes that payment a little easier to accomplish.

What Is an Attached Rental Unit?

An attached rental unit, formally called an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), is typically a smaller living space adjacent to a main home. It might be a tiny house in the backyard, or something more like self-contained mother-in-law quarters attached to the house. It can even be a small apartment over the garage. There aren’t a lot of rules about what an ADU has to be, except that it should be fully autonomous.

The reason for autonomy is that this is what it takes to really have solid rental income potential from a secondary dwelling on a regular lot. Imagine if you were renting an apartment somewhere, you’d certainly want to have your own kitchen and bathroom, wouldn’t you? It’s difficult to rent units without these features, so typically, they’re part of any successful ADU.

Benefits to Having an ADU

Having a rental can be a lot of work, but there are also a lot of benefits to having an ADU on your lot. Not only does the rent from an ADU help pay the mortgage every month, it can also act as flexible space for whatever life might throw at you down the way.

For example, when you first buy your home, maybe you really need help with the mortgage payment, so you use the ADU as a long-term rental unit with a tenant who has signed a year-long lease. This tenant not only pays the utilities for that unit, but they also help out with the mortgage by paying rent. It’s a great situation while you’re trying to pay down your mortgage and ramp up your income.

As time goes by, you might get tired of dealing with a long-term tenant, but you can still use that unit for short-term tenancy, if allowed by your neighborhood and city. Airbnb, for example, gives you the option to rent by the day or week, so you never have to stick with a tenant for too long. You can turn off being a landlord for a few weeks and go on vacation yourself without having to worry.

If AirBnB isn’t your thing, your ADU can still be used by your college-aged child or aging family member. Remember, these are essentially self-contained apartments, so they should provide a great deal of privacy and autonomy to anyone living inside. ADUs have long been favored by people with aging parents, hence the former popular nickname “mother-in-law quarters.”

Financing a Home With a Rental Unit

If you’re looking for a house with a rental unit, you may also wonder how you’re going to finance it. Do you need a special kind of loan or is this edging into the realm of commercial financing? Not at all. Most mortgages will allow you to purchase a property that has up to four units on it. That’s a lot to handle if you’ve never had a rental, but a single ADU is pretty easy upkeep.

All you need to do is choose a property that you like and ensure that it will pass any requirements from your lender (your Realtor can help with this). Certain programs may have specific inspections, such as FHA, VA, or USDA, so you definitely want to let your lender know that you’re looking for a property with an ADU before you commit to your loan.

Ready to Finance Your Home and ADU?

Well, you’re going to need a good lender who isn’t shy about writing loans on properties that might be a little less than typical. Your HomeKeepr community can help you find them! Just ask for a recommendation for the best lenders in your area and before you know it, you’ll have a home of your own, and a small rental unit to help pay the extra bills.

Already have that ADU in play? HomeKeepr can also help you maintain it. The list of home pros that are members of the community is staggering and your Realtor can help you figure out exactly what kind of professional you’ll need to get the ball rolling.