Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Almost everyone has a cell phone (to those of you who refuse to be controlled by your electronic devices, you’re better than the rest of us addicts). So have you ever considered how much electricity you use to charge your cell phone, iPod and digital camera? Well, if you want to reduce your dependency on electricity for these items, you can invest in the Brunton SolarRoll, which can charge these devices with the sun’s energy.

The SolarRoll is so powerful that it can even charge a car battery, and you can even link like units together. This gadget is also waterproof and can be rolled up for easy storage. It comes with a vehicle outlet and multi-linking cable, so you can charge your electronic devices even if you’re on the go.

This solar gadget can keep you twittering, texting, jamming and chatting in an eco-friendly way. Plus, you save all of that electricity you would normally use to charge all of these devices.

Dehumidifiers don’t have to be ugly, loud machines in the corner of the room. The LG LHD65EBL 65-pint capacity dehumidifier is stylish and sleek in comparison to older models that you might have taking up space in your basement.

Because basements can be damp areas, it’s best to keep a dehumidifier running. If you’re worried about using up too much electricity, choose an energy efficient one. This dehumidifier has an automatic shut-off system as well as the Energy Star approval. It weighs 54 pounds and measures 15.5” wide x 21.25” high x 13.375” deep.

Other features include two fans, removable bucket for easy disposal, built-in casters, automatic humidistat control, automatic defrost control, washable air filter, energy timer and LED display with touch pad button. During the summer time, it’s hard to tell what will happen in your basement if it rains too much or becomes horribly humid. You can protect your stored items and soft fabrics by reducing as much of the moisture in the basement as you can.

Something as simple as your dryer vent could be costing you money.

Essentially a dryer vent is a hole in your house. In the winter, a draft of cold air can enter right in through it.  And in the summer, hot air can also enter, increasing your costs of running an air conditioner.

Fortunately, there’s an inexpensive upgrade.  This “super-efficient” dryer vent seal is supposed to save you up to 10% in energy costs.  (10% seems a bit optimistic if you ask me, but certainly every little bit helps, and this device costs less than $35, so it looks like a worthwhile home improvement.)

It works a bit like a damper in a chimney.  The dryer vent seal stays shut until the dryer is turned on.  Thus this hole in your house that is usually there 24/7 is now only open when the dryer is in operation.

In addition to saving you money in energy costs, the vent seal keeps out bugs, birds, snakes, and other critters that might decide to wander in.

From the reviews on Amazon, it sounds like it is easy to install, and it can also be painted to match your house (hey, you don’t want to save money at the expense of curb appeal, do you?).