Want more tips, reminders, and ideas for planning your new home or remodeling project? The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner's Planning Guide to Building a Functional Home will do the trick.

“With dozens of “how to build your new home” books available, what could be left out? Plenty, as author DeCarlo shows in her practical approach to topics often left out, forgotten, or given scant attention. Readers will thank her for raising subjects to consider in the earliest stages of planning a new home.”
-- Carol Smith, Author of "Building Your Home: An Insiders Guide"

I’ve spoken with so many families who spent a year or two of their lives and a large sum of money building or remodeling their home only to move in with a list of “I wish I would haves”. Why does this happen? Because there is an information void in the residential construction industry. Homeowners are missing the tips, reminders, and education needed to thoroughly plan their project.

Unfortunately there aren’t enough hours in the day for anyone, including the builder, architect, designer, or me, to sit down and tell you what you need to know. Nonetheless, this information void needs to be filled.

That’s why, back in October of 2006, I began creating The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner's Planning Guide to Building a Functional Home. Two years, 400 pages, 400 photographs and over 900 tips later, it's finally here! All the hours and hours and hours of researching the web have been done for you. This comprehensive Guide provides the education, tips, and reminders you need to navigate successfully through the residential construction process.

With this tool you’ll be able to anticipate and deal with a myriad of critical details at the beginning of your construction project. Using this tactic will greatly reduce the number of change orders (and corresponding expenditures) during the project, while at the same time resulting in a home that fits your family’s unique needs.

If you save the cost of a single change order, The Difference is in the Details will have paid for itself many times over! To peruse the Table of Contents, view sample tips, and learn about my free bonus offer, see www.DifferenceInTheDetails.com

Three New Products that Make Life Easier

As most of you know, I’m all for including products that add function and convenience to the design of your new or remodeled home. Here are a few more such products to consider.

Pullout Vacuum: The Vroom is a powerful new cleanup accessory that’s designed to complement your central vacuum system (or it can be purchased as a standalone unit, as shown in photo below). Photos courtesy of H-P Products Inc.

Next time you’re faced with cleaning up pet food, crumbs, flour, broken glass, or any other dry ingredient, there’s no need to get out the broom. Just pull out the Vroom hose from under the sink and dispose of the spill. (The hose, which is available in lengths of up to 24 feet, retracts into the under-sink unit when not in use.)

Visit www.VroomYourRoom.com for more info.

Energy-Use Monitor: Have you ever noticed that when we humans monitor our spending or eating habits, we tend to spend or eat less? The Energy Detective tm (TED) lets us apply the same principle to energy use. This electronic auditor provides a read-out of exactly how much energy your house is using at any given moment.

Because one of the builders in my area incorporates TED into each of his green homes, I’ve seen this unit in action. The manufacturer notes installation is quick and easy, taking an electrician or qualified homeowner no more than 10 or 15 minutes. And TED requires no additional wiring, which makes it a great option for both new construction and remodeling projects. At $140.00 for the base product, TED reflects energy changes as slight as those generated by turning on a light switch. Perhaps with this level of increased energy awareness, your kids will get excited about turning those switches off when they leave a room!

For more information about TED and how it can save money for your family, visit www.TheEnergyDetective.com for more info.

Rotating Outlet: Here’s one of those ideas that may make us wonder why we didn’t think of it.

Have you ever tried to plug two chargers into the same two-plug outlet, only to find that it just wasn’t possible?

360 Electrical has solved this problem. For the first time in history, the sockets in your wall outlets can actually rotate 360°, providing the flexibility needed to make full use of both outlets at the same time.

For even greater flexibility, the company offers a 4-outlet rotating adaptor that plugs into an existing grounded outlet—no additional wiring necessary.

Visit www.360Electrical.com to access their store locator, or purchase their products on line.

IS THERE A SUBJECT YOU'D LIKE ME TO COVER? Let me know by sending an email to tracy@tracystips.net.

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Tracy DeCarlo, author of "The Difference is in the Details" publishes the idea-packed, monthly e-zine "Tracy's Home Building Tips." If you're ready to learn how to plan a more durable, energy-efficient, and easy-to-live-in home, get your FR*EE tips now at www.DetailedSolutions.net.

Tracy DeCarlo owner of Detailed Solutions, Inc. and One Stop Green Home Certification, has more than fourteen years' experience in the residential construction industry. As a Home Building Function Analyst, Certified Green Professional, Green Certifying Agent, and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, Tracy addresses the functional aspects of home construction, design, and usage, including items such as energy efficiency, disaster mitigation, air quality, aging in place, green building, plumbing, electrical, lighting, and storage.

By working with homeowners to focus on their daily habits and preferences, she helps them create living spaces that support and compliment their lifestyles, while at the same time teaching techniques to manage the bottom line.

I’d love to hear from you:

• What topics would you most like to see covered in upcoming issues of "Tracy's Home Building Tips"?

• How has this e-zine helped you to improve your design or avoid change order charges?

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Tracy DeCarlo, Detailed Solutions, Inc.

P.O. Box 161644

Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, United States

Phone 407-814-2328

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