Getting a New Boiler

Every year we come up with a list of projects we need to carry out on our house in order to keep it properly maintained. We go through enough home inspections to know that we need to keep on top of maintenance issues so they don’t cause larger, more expensive problems down the line. This year one of our projects was going to be replacing the boiler. It’s an older gas boiler that was put

Boiler vs. Furnace

Do you know if your house has a boiler or a furnace? Don’t be too concerned if you don’t, we find most people tend to use the word “furnace” to describe the mechanical unit that heats their home and they really have no idea whether it’s a furnace or a boiler. But wouldn’t it be nice to know the difference? And then you could use the right term the next time you’re talking to your

Preparing for Winter?

Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about winter. Nobody knows when the freezing temperatures or snow will arrive this season … it could be next week or not until next year. Night time temperatures are dropping to the point where we might need to turn the heat on soon. And don’t forget about the big snow storm we got last year at the end of October. Here are three quick maintenance

Preparing for the Spring

Winter is an excellent opportunity to begin thinking about the spring real estate market. Although there is a lot going on, taking a little time here and there to create a plan, and set some portions in motion, could make a big difference when you’re energized early in the new year. We sat down in front of the warm fire last night and came up with four ideas for getting ready for the spring. These

Federal Tax Credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency

Another federal tax credit is about to expire, though this one isn’t getting nearly the amount of publicity as the home buyer tax credit. The credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency is an effort to reward homeowners who make energy-related improvements on their property. Through the end of 2010, the government is offering a tax credit of 30% of costs up to $1,500 for small scale residential projects. The energystar.gov website gives a nice overview of