If you are like so many of today's homeowners you may be considering greening up your home. Hey, why spend your own money to cut your carbon footprint when you can use free grants courtesy of the US government? After all, it is your tax dollars that you paid in!

Remember one thing and that's that grants are not loans, so they will not have to be paid back. However there are two basic factors that they will want you to provide them information on. Also understand that there may be a fair amount of paper work.

The government will want to know how much it will take bring your project to completion. That is how extensive is the the work that will need to be done to cut your utility costs. They are also going to want to know how much it is estimated that it will raise the value of your home.

What many people are unaware of and you may be one of them, is that grants for straight forward non-energy related home improvements are also available. One of the most common and easy to get is a grant to make your home wheel chair accessible.

In many of these cases they may require you to have a specified contractor do the work. However; this is in most cases your best option, as the contractors have been pre-certified to do the work and in many cases their fees are also set or capped.

In some rare cases, people have gotten free grants for home improvements after having their home declared a historical landmark. It's highly unlikely that this is something that you would qualify for but if you do, the amount of renovation and restorative work you can receive at no cost can be quite extensive.

You will not have to be concerned with your beacon score, or collateral or repayment terms, because there are none. The government is not worried about those factors either.

Many people apply for the free grants for home improvements when they are interested in larger home improvement projects. Like new heating or air conditioning units, weatherization or solar panels to conserve energy. These larger projects are the ones that interest homeowners in getting assistance with the bill, which usually comes back to the homeowner in the form of tax credits and decreased energy bills.

But, there are also straight forward grants, if you qualify, that you can get to upgrade your home and make it a safer, nicer place to live. As long as you have a solid plan on the reason for the money, you should be fine. But make sure you have thought it through. Talk to contractors and priced equipment. These will all need to be assessed in the grant application process.

And let's not forget that the government is encouraging homeowners to weatherize their homes in order to help lower the energy bills and conserve the earth in the long run. When considering weatherization, make sure you think of the front all the way to the back. Remember, it does not help to weatherize part of it; you need to do all of it.

These grant application processes can be tricky, but just be certain that you review everything. Read everything and if you have any questions, ask someone. It is very important you understand what you are applying for. Once you are awarded one of these free grants for home improvements, have fun with your renovation and enjoy the final product.