We have information about Refinancing posted in the mortgage section.
We have several programs offered by Sweet Home Services now. All of these can be ordered now (ordering info below). The programs were designed around requests we have received from our audience. They are:
- HomeWorks: teach you about caring for your home in your home
- Design Sense-meet with you in your home to decide what to do to help you Love Where You Live
- Green Screen-Infrared Thermal Camera shows energy leaks and receive a plan on how to fix the problems
Here are the programs described in more detail
HomeWorks cost $99
Do you know everything you need to about taking care of your home? Few people do anymore. But, without proper care and maintenance the value of your home will drop quickly. HomeWorks was created by Sweet Home Minnesota to help people get smart about their own home. Don’t waste your time going to some generic class or staring at your computer screen waiting for a do it yourself video to download.
A HomeWorks consultant will meet with you in your home to teach you about your home and what steps you should be doing to take the best care of it. For example, when was the last time you changed your furnace filter? You will learn about your heating and cooling systems—at least enough to keep them from breaking down anytime soon. Here is what else you get as part of your HomeWorks consultation:
- The consultant will also inspect your home for any signs of potential problems, so you can prevent little issues from turning into big monster problem head aches.
- They will review steps you can take to save you money on energy costs
- You will receive a maintenance calendar that you will be able to rely on to know when you should be doing certain things for your home.
- You will receive a personalized HomeWorks Home Care Guide with photos of your home and examples of what to do to take of it.
To order this program you can call 888-832-2117 or fill out the Sweet Home Service Request Form
Design Sense cost $125
Know that it’s time to change something up in your home but not sure what? Or what to do about it? Are you afraid of pumping money into something that won’t increase the value of your home when you go to sell it in the future? You should be, it’s a common mistake. We can help you stop wasting money by making the wrong upgrades to your home–things that don’t increase the value of your home.
Our Design Sense pros have a unique blend of style and real estate value know how. They will guide you away from bad decisions like pouring too much money into kitchen counter tops that will never get enough value back to justify the cost, or put a new tile floor in your bathroom that looks outdated before the grout dries.
Common things home owners want help with:
- how to change a kitchen without breaking the bank
- updating the look of a bathroom
- changing flooring
- picking paint colors for room or what faux painting techniques to use to make a room stand out
- the best way to finish a basement to increase a home’s value
You will work with your Design Sense Consultant to decide on what work you want to have done, then they will help you get bids from contractors for the necessary work and help you choose one that will take great care of you. You can choose how involved you want them to be.
To order this program you can call 888-832-2117 or fill out the Sweet Home Service Request Form
Green Screen cost $199, and a professional inspection of your heating and cooling system for $95
We will have a trained professional come to your home to use a Infrared Thermal Imaging System (ITIS) to determine where your home is leaking energy. Then a consultant will show you the steps you can take to solve the problems revealed by the camera. You will be able to tell what areas need the most attention because the thermal images show different colors based on how bad it is (hint: Red is Bad).
After reviewing the problem areas, we will get you bids on what it would cost to repair the areas. At that point, you can choose to do nothing, choose to fix some of the problems, or get it all fixed.
You will also be told what repairs would be eligible to paid for by the Fix Up Fund program and which repairs would also be eligible for the energy rebate program from the State of Minnesota.
To order any of these programs you can call 888-832-2117 or fill out the Sweet Home Service Request Form
Updates on 2/07/2010
Lots of new things on the site this week, here’s what you’ll see on this page:
- Tell us what makes your city sweet: Divulging Divas and Dudes needed
- Get feedback: How sweet (or sour) is your space?
- Get Your “Group-On” Group Coupon–Save up to $100 (and the Environment)
- Do You Know What’s Your Score? Find out the truth about your credit score
What Makes Your City Sweet? Divulging Divas and Dudes Needed
We want our audience to have the best information about the different cities or neighborhoods they might consider moving to. What better way to get the straight skinny than to have people who actually live there give us the sweet scoop. The first ten worthwhile entries will win a Sweet Home Minnesota T-shirt–the first of their kind!
If you are interested in being a “Divulging Diva or Dude,” send us an email to audience@sweethomemn.com and give us an example of a couple sentences you would write. We will then select some people to help write about the different areas of the Twin Cities. You should try to answer the following questions:
- What is/are the most interesting thing(s) about your city or town?
- What is/are the most beautiful thing(s) about your city or town?
- What is/are the most convenient thing(s) about your city or town?
- What is/are the most homey or comforting thing(s) about your city or town?
- Is there some interesting history to your city or town that enriches lifestyle there?
- In your own words, tell us what you love about where you live.
How Sweet(or Sour) is Your Space? Need Ideas for Your Home?
Do you like feedback and ideas? Here’s the ultimate feedback experience for your home. Go to this page on our website, send us a photo of the room you’re thinking about changing and what kind of budget you have to work with.
We will post these for other audience members to check out and comment on. A winner will be chosen to receive a free professional in-home consultation about what you could do with that space.
Soon we will be announcing additional prizes, so get your pictures in and the budget you have to work with for fix up.
I just met with a decorating center yesterday and we put together several things to change the way a kitchen can look, all for less than $800. Would you like a new feel for a room in your home?
Get Your “Group-On” Group Coupon–Save up to $100 (and the Environment)
The moment I heard about the “Groupon” idea I loved it. Here’s how it works, we offer you a special discount on a service. But, there’s one catch–a certain number of people have to sign up for the discount to kick in. (You can cancel at no cost if the discount doesn’t kick in).
Here’s our first deal for the Group-On:
We normally offer our Green Screen Infra-Red Thermal Scanning and Energy Audit for $200. If 5 people sign up for this by Sunday 1/31 at 9:00 pm (our time) you can get this service for $125. A $75 savings! If more than 5 sign up during that time frame–they all get the savings. In fact, if 15 people sign up we’ll drop the price down to $110 (This only applies to new requests). If 30 people sign up we’ll make the price $100 for the whole group.
Do You Know What’s Your Score? Don’t Let Your Home Buying Dreams Come Tumbling Down
Credit Scores, also called FICO scores, are often the most important thing in determining whether or not you get approved for credit, and what kind of interest rates you will be charged. We have partnered with MyFICO.com (the people who created credit scores!) to offer you ways to get the inside scoop on your score.
