Angie's List Easy Tips to Live Green

Angie's ListEasy Tips to Live Green A 2007 poll of Angie's List members found 94 percent say the environment is important to them. Three-fourths of poll respondents participate in curbside recycling. Of those, two-thirds pay nothing, while just 2 percent pay $35 or more per year.It would be great to purchase a hybrid car or install solar panels, but we can't all make big changes like that. There are some simple ways to live green. If your community offers curbside recycling, take advantage of it. If not, find the nearest drop-off location.Here are Angie's List 13 unique eco-friendly tips to help make a difference.1. Add blown-in cellulose insulation to your attic to improve your home's heating and cooling. It's made from recycled, formaldehyde-free newsprint. 2. Use a rain barrel to collect water from your roof to water your garden. 3. Buy water-based paints with low volatile organic compound levels (VOC). Basically, the less glossy the paint, the fewer VOC's it contains. 4. Buy minimally packaged goods. Less packaging can reduce your garbage. 5. Check your mulch level. If it's low (fewer than 2 inches) calculate the area you want to cover in square feet and then in depth. Multiply the two numbers, then divide that number by 324. This is the number of cubic yards you'll need to buy. 6. Install an efficient showerhead. This is an excellent way to save money on your water bill. 7. Cut energy consumed by your appliances by buying Energy Star ones (www.energystar.gov). They meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy. 8. Use cloth napkins/towels instead of napkins/paper towels. 9. Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. 10. Reuse plastic bags or buy canvas bags at the grocery store. 11. Join a toy library and give old toys to other families. 12. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand such as opening cans, hanging clothes to dry, etc. 13. Print or copy on both sides of the paper

Angie's List (Angie's List, www.angieslist.com)

Angie’s List (www.Angieslist.com) Tips: Home Inspections

Angie’s List poll revealed almost two-thirds of AngiesList members have been involved in a home inspection within the last two years. Sixty-eight percent found their inspector through their real estate agent. The cost of an inspection depends on a number of factors including the size of the house, its age, and other services such as septic and radon testing. Nearly three out of five Angie’s List members say they spent over $300 for a home inspection.

A home inspection is an important step in the home buying process. According to a recent nationwide poll of Angie’s List members, 30 percent said their home inspector’s oversights ended up becoming a major expense down the road. Some of the costly mistakes included mold, asbestos, termites, leaking roofs, even rats on one member’s property!

Home inspections are typically the “last look” a buyer will get before making what will be their largest single investment. That’s why it’s important to take the time to find a qualified, experienced professional who is going to do a comprehensive inspection that you can rely on.

Drawing on the real-life experiences and feedback from its more than 500,000 members in 124 cities across the U.S., AngiesList has put together its own list to help consumers:

Angie’s List Tips:

• Always do your homework: Angie’s List can provide you with experiences
  other members have had with local home inspectors. Check your home inspector’s
  credentials. Ask to see proof of state certification or proof of membership in
  either the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) www.nahi.org or the
  American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) www.ashi.org Keep in mind that the
  home inspector industry is not regulated in some states, so proof of
  professional membership may be your best indication of an inspector’s
  qualifications.


• Check their experience: Both NAHI and ASHI require a minimum of 250
  inspections, however most experienced professionals will say it’s better to
  find someone who’s performed at least 1,000 inspections and has at least
  three-to-five years of full-time experience.


• Are they insured? Do they have general liability and errors and omission
  (E&O) insurance? Ask to see physical proof of coverage before you commit.


• Get involved: While it’s not required that you attend the inspection, it’s
  a good idea that you’re there to ask the inspector any questions about areas
  that need repair. Typically, a home inspection takes about two to four hours.


• Know what an inspector should be looking for. This includes structural
  problems; roof damage; fire hazards, such as improperly vented chimney flues;
  electrical safety issues, including old wiring; and problems with plumbing and
  major appliances, like the HVAC system and hot water heater.


• Ask to see the home inspection report: Many inspectors provide the report
  the same day as the inspection. The report should be thorough and easy to
  understand. If the inspector notices problems with the house, it doesn’t mean
  you shouldn’t buy it – you’ll know in advance what to expect and the seller
  may agree to fix those repairs.


• Home inspections aren’t just necessary for old homes: Newer homes can have
  just as many problems as an older home. And, if you are building a home,
  inspections at key points during construction should be a part of the process.
  
  

Angie's List

About Angie’s List

Angie’s List is a word of mouth network for consumers. Operating in over 120 cities across the country, AngiesList is comprised of more than 500,000 members. Members use the Angieslis to find companies via reports other members have shared about that company. Angies List is supported by members adding reports – around 15,000 a month to be exact! Members can submit and consult reports in a couple of ways - by calling the Angie’s List call center or by convenient 24 hour access on http://www.angieslist.com/.

Angie’s List reports are all checked by live human beings for accuracy and most importantly, to ensure the report is valid. AngiesList members have the opportunity to rate a company on the following factors: price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality, and professionalism. The rating system is just like a grade school report card. Letter grades A-F are given for each of these categories. There’s also space on the Angie’s List report card for members to give, in their own words, a detailed description of the work performed and their overall impressions. Once the report is given a stamp of approval it’s entered in the database for members to see.

Plumbers to pet sitters, roofers to party rentals, Angie’s List takes the leg work out of the ask- your- neighbor approach and provides you with thousands of neighbors’ opinion that you can access on your computer at http://www.angieslist.com/ or by calling an Angie’s List neighborhood specialist.

Angie’s List Benefits

Angie’s List takes the ask-your-neighbor approach to the next level. Instead of the handful of neighbors you may seek advice from; AngiesList connects you with thousands of neighbors who’ve submitted reports on hundreds of companies ranging from plumbers to bicycle repair shops.

Angie’s List membership is around $10 a month and annual memberships are offered for additional savings. Benefits of an Angie’s List membership include 24 hour access to the List at http://www.angieslist.com/, ability to talk to a live person by calling our neighborhood specialists, 6 days a week, a monthly subscription to the award-winning magazine, AngiesList and access to the complaint resolution process.

Angie’s List for Home Improvement

Angie’s List members use the Angies List to find all sorts of home improvement contractors. Whether you’re considering a dramatic attic conversion or a small weekend project, Angie’s List members have access to over 250 categories on the List ranging from architects to pest control, from reception halls to window repair. Members can access AngiesList by calling a neighborhood specialist or going to the web at http://www.angieslist.com/.

Angie’s List members use the List to save time, money and the headache of finding a reliable trustworthy service provider. The AngiesList works like a grade school report card. Members rate their experiences on an A-F scale – A being “Excellent,” F being “Lousy”. The review is broken down into categories: Price, Quality, Responsiveness, Punctuality and Professionalism. The review is then checked by a data verification specialist and posted for other Angie’s List members to view. Angie’s List members can check the List by phone or via the web at http://www.angieslist.com/.

Angie’s List Success History

About AngiesList :

Knowing that the frustrations she and her friends had finding good contractors were not unique, in 1995, Angie Hicks literally set out door-to-door in Columbus, OH, recruiting members and collecting reports from friends and neighbors. Taking the “ask-your-neighbor” approach to a higher level, Angie used the detailed feedback from members as the basis for providing up-to-date, reliable, unbiased ratings and reviews on local services.

Angie, after the first year, with more than 1,000 members throughout Columbus had laid the foundation for what would become one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. Over these last 12 years, she has led the List’s expansion from a 100 square foot office to an operation that now covers more than 120 major cities across the U.S. and serves more than 500,000 consumers. It was also placed for three years in a row – 2002, 2003 and 2004 – among the Inc. 500 by Inc. Angies List magazine, a list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the nation. All the while, Angie’s keen sense of business and common sense have helped Angie’s List remain a locally-focused service that members say they wouldn’t live without. Over the years, consumers have come to trust Angie to help make the hiring process easier, as well as raise the level of service they can expect from local companies and contractors.

A working mother herself, Angie has ensured Angie’s List continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing, dynamic needs of today’s families and homeowners. She knows that Angie’s List members are challenged each day to fit work, family and at-home time into already busy schedules. With this in mind, Angie’s List puts reliable information and resources at the fingertips of its members, so they can access it anytime they need help finding a good contractor or service company – whether it’s for a major home renovation, an emergency car repair, or even find a clown for their kid’s birthday party.

With more consumers across the U.S. turning to Angie’s List each day, Angie regularly contributes to national and local consumer news stories across the country, including for CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Redbook, Real Simple, USA Weekend, Parade magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

Angie holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from DePauw University, in Greencastle, IN.

How Angie’s List works

Here’s how AngiesList works:

• Get the real scoop. Each month Angies List receives nearly 15,000 reviews
  on local companies from consumers across the U.S. In their reviews, members
  describe their project and the work done. Angie’s List also grade the company
  – A, B, C, D or F, just like a report card – in six areas: overall experience,
  price, quality of work, responsiveness, punctuality and professionalism.
  


• The best part is in the details. What makes Angie’s List unique is that
  not only can members find out which companies were rated highest by other
  consumers, Angie’s List also get the detailed comments and reviews. They’ll
  quickly find out things like whether the contractor cleaned up after
  themselves, how much the job cost and how they handled the inevitable changes
  that often come with home improvement.
  


• It’s consumer driven and reliable. Companies can’t put themselves on the
  List, nor can they pay to be put on the List. With more than 15,000 reviews
  coming in every month from Angie’s List members, consumers can get the most
  current information available on a AngiesList.
  


• And there’s more. Angie’s List membership comes with unlimited access to
  the List and a subscription to AngiesList magazine, which includes stories,
  tips and information on home and consumer topics. Members also have access to
  the Angie’s List complaint resolution service.
  


• A leader in data integrity. Because Angie’s List relies on its members’
  experiences, reviews can’t be submitted anonymously. This holds the consumers
  accountable for the reports and makes the List trustworthy. Additionally,
  members can only report on a specific company once every six months, ensuring
  no one can “stack the deck” in favor of or against a company. Since there are
  always two sides to every story, companies can respond to reviews, helping
  make sure that members get all the information they need to make a hiring
  decision. Finally, all reviews submitted by members go through a team of
  Angie’s List staff who look for any irregularities or red flags.
  

Angie's List (www.Angieslist.com) History

Angie's List Foundation History:

Knowing that the frustrations she and her friends had finding good contractors were not unique, in 1995, Angie Hicks (Founder of Angieslist.com) literally set out door-to-door in Columbus, OH, recruiting members and collecting reports from friends and neighbors. Taking the “ask-your-neighbor” approach to a higher level, Angie used the detailed feedback from members as the basis for providing up-to-date, reliable, unbiased ratings and reviews on local services.

Angie after the first year, with more than 1,000 members throughout Columbus, Angie had laid the foundation for what would become one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. Over these last 12 years, she has led the list’s expansion from a 100 square foot office to an operation that now covers more than 120 major cities across the U.S., serves more than 500,000 consumers and was placed for three years in a row – 2002, 2003 and 2004 – among the Inc.500 by Inc. magazine, a list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the nation. All the while, Angie’s keen sense of business and common sense have helped Angie’s List remain a locally-focused service that members say they wouldn’t live without. Over the years, consumers have come to trust Angie to help make the hiring process easier, as well as raise the level of service they can expect from local companies and contractors.

A working mother herself, Angie has ensured Angie’s List continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing, dynamic needs of today’s families and homeowners. She knows that Angie’s List members are challenged each day to fit work, family and at-home time into already busy schedules. With this in mind, Angie’s List puts reliable information and resources at the fingertips of its members, so they can access it anytime they need help finding a good contractor or service company – whether it’s for a major home renovation, an emergency car repair, or even find a clown for their kid’s birthday party.

With more consumers across the U.S. turning to Angie’s List each day, Angie regularly contributes to national and local consumer news stories across the country, including for CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Redbook, Real Simple, USA Weekend, Parade magazine and the Wall Street Journal.Angie holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from DePauw University, in Greencastle, IN.

Angies List | Angie's List | Angieslist.com

Angie's List

A word-of-mouth network for consumersAngie's List is a growing collection of homeowners' real-life experiences with local service companies. The people who join Angie's List are like you — looking for a way to find trustworthy companies that perform high-quality work.
More than 500,000 members across 124 cities use Angie's List...

Get the real scoop: Angie's List members submit more than 15,000 reports each month about the companies they've hired. View a sample report. They describe their project (including the cost), and grade the company's response time, prices and quality of work - good or bad. In reading the reviews, you'll know if a crew was conscious of children and pets, cleaned up after themselves, or just totally botched the job.> How it works

Keeping it honest: Because Angie's List relies on its members' experiences, reviews aren't submitted anonymously. Of course members' information is kept confidential on the List, but reports are made available to the companies who have been reviewed. Since there are always two sides to every story, companies can respond to reviews, helping make sure that members get all the information they need to make a hiring decision. Additionally, members can only report on a specific company once every six months, ensuring no one can "stack the deck" in favor of or against a company. Finally, all reviews submitted by members go through a team of Angie's List staff who look for any irregularities or red flags. Occasionally, we can catch service companies reporting on their own businesses. Those companies are reprimanded and the reports are promptly and permanently removed from the List.> List of services rated in your area.

Consumers Support Angie's List: Companies don't pay to be on Angie's ListAngie's List is a consumer-driven service and is supported by our members. Members pay a monthly or annual membership fee to access the ratings on the List.> Membership fees

As a member of Angie's List, you'll receive:

•24-hour access to the reports and reviews at AngiesList.com•Real-live support through our award-winning call center•Angie's List MagazineAn email version will be delivered to members with complimentary memberships. Paying members also receive a hard copy in the mail.•Access to our Complaint Resolution ProcessIf you don't receive the quality of work that you expected from a service company, give us a call and we'll work to resolve the situation on your behalf.•Coupons and discounts from highly rated service companies.

Power in numbers: Through Angie's List, you have the ability to quickly and easily tell thousands of other Angie's List members about your experiences with a company. That's really great news for the companies that do quality work - and not so great news for the companies that don't. So when contractors know that you're an Angie's List member, we've found that you're more likely to get a quick call back, the crews show up on time and work is completed faster.> Member Testimonials