My husband and I just bought our very first home together 3 weeks ago.
We are still in the honeymoon phase of our homeownership, but I think we’re being pretty realistic about all the challenges coming our way. We knew, for example, that there are a ton of renovations to do before we consider the house fully-livable. There were some big issues, such as getting the roof repaired and installing a new heating system. We also had a lot of cosmetic issues to deal with, such as painting and recovering the ugly floors. We decided to get started on some of the smaller projects, since it would be many months before heating was necessary, and made a trip to the Home Depot for paint and flooring options. During the drive we started talking about what HVAC company to contact for our eventual heating system overhaul. We decided that we would hire at least 3 contractors to provide detailed central heating quotes. We also wanted to make sure we were getting the most highly energy efficient systems on the market, so it would be important to find an environmentally friendly ventilation expert. We knew we couldn’t afford anything too grandiose for our heating system, but we would make due with whatever furnace system we could buy. When we got back home and started our smaller home repairs, we were in for a big surprise. We pulled up the nasty old carpet in our living room and found beautiful floorboards. A few hours later, I found a strange dial hidden in the closet while painting. When I turned the knob, the floor abruptly started warming up! Talk about luck… our new home had been equipped with radiant heated flooring all along!