The last thing you want just before the winter holidays is for your heating to go out — but of course, that’s exactly what happened. Now, you need to move fast to replace your furnace fast, to keep your home warm and toasty during the most wonderful time of year. Of course, make sure to view website options of different furnace repair companies like Call The General before deciding you need a replacement – the issue could be fixable!

However, acting quickly should not be synonymous with acting rashly. Your furnace is a major component of your home, which means you need to be careful to select the system that suits you best — or else you’ll be rushing to replace your furnace again next winter.

Fuel Type

When most people use the word “furnace,” they are talking about a gas heater, which burns natural gas to heat the air that travels around their home. Gas furnaces are some of the most efficient central heating tools, especially because natural gas burns cleaner than coal and oil, which power most electricity plants across the United States. Plus, natural gas tends to be exceedingly affordable, making heating your home during the winter less of a budget-buster.

Still, you shouldn’t buy a gas furnace if you don’t already have a natural gas heating system in your home. In fact, you might not have a furnace at all. Many older homes use hot-water systems, which have radiators in each room to supply heat. If you live in a warmer climate, your home might have a less robust heating system, like a heat pump, which likely runs on electricity. You should do some research into what kind of fuel your heating system runs on, so you don’t waste time researching the wrong type of furnace.

Size

Size is an incredibly important factor in any heating and cooling equipment — and contrary to what you might expect, bigger isn’t always better. Obviously, a furnace that is too small for your home might not be able to keep your rooms adequately warm; on the other hand, a furnace that is too large will frequently cycle on and off, wasting fuel and energy and perhaps burning out sooner than expected.

If you know the size of your old furnace, and if you haven’t added any rooms onto your home, you can buy a system of identical size. Otherwise, it will be worth your time to bring a contractor onto your property to measure your property and calculate the necessary size of your furnace, in BTUs or tons. You shouldn’t trust a measurement given to you over the phone or by anyone who hasn’t visited your home; this calculation is complex and takes into consideration your square footage, the efficiency of doors and windows, insulation levels and more. It is best to be safe and pay more now for a truly expert opinion than waste your time and money on a unit that doesn’t suit your needs.

Features

It might be difficult for you to believe that furnaces come with different features. What, is your furnace going to have four-wheel drive and be able to run Microsoft Office? Though your furnace definitely won’t come with those kind of bells and whistles, there are differences in how furnaces are built, and choosing the right features will make your life easier.

Here are a few top features to seek out in natural gas furnaces, specifically:

· Two-stage valves. Valves control the flow of fuel, and having two-stage valves provides you more minute control over the air temperature in your home. At first, two-stage valves turn on high to provide fast heating, but the power slowly tapers to ensure rooms don’t get overheated.

· Sealed combustion. One of natural gas’s byproducts when burned is carbon monoxide, which is a colorless, odorless gas that is exceedingly toxic to humans and pets. Sealed combustion chambers ensure that no CO leaks into your home, keeping everyone safe.

· High-end filters. You should be replacing your HVAC’s air HEPA filters every few months, but you might also search for a furnace that comes with an electrostatic filter to trap even more particulates and keep your air clean.

Warranty

Finally, the last consideration you should make when buying a furnace is its warranty. If you have an older home, you should already have a home warranty in place to keep your entire HVAC system in good working order. If you don’t currently have one, you might want to check out providers in your area. Companies like First American operate in states across the country so, whether you live in Florida, Kentucky, or elsewhere, you’ll have the peace of mind that, should anything go wrong, local contractors can be called out to diagnose and address the problem. If you’d like to check for availability in your area, click for more info.  However, a new furnace should also come with a factory and/or retailer warranty covering parts and service for at least a few years, maybe more on more delicate components like heat exchangers. You might consider acquiring an extended warranty from a third-party warranty reseller, which offers lower rates for the same coverage.

You can get a furnace fast and cheap — but that doesn’t mean you can get the right furnace for your home without doing any research. Knowing what kind of furnace you want goes a long way toward ensuring you won’t have a similar catastrophe before the holidays next year, or even the year after that.

Buying a fixer-upper home is something that you do with the knowledge that you’re taking on a big project. You could be facing a huge challenge, with many different problems to tackle before you’re able to either live in the property or sell it on. Sometimes, it can be difficult to know where to start, but there are always certain things that you will probably want to tackle before you deal with anything else. If you’re finding it a challenge to find a fixer upper, you need to get your priorities right.The Electrics

Bad electrics in a property could be a massive problem. Firstly, they could be dangerous if you don’t fix any big problems. Electrics that are in poor condition could lead to fire, and then you might not have a property to fix up any longer. Even worse, it could put your life and the life of others in danger too. Apart from the dangerous aspect of it, poor electrics will cause a range of other problems. If everything is old, you might find that you can barely have two lights on at once without threatening to overload the electrics.

Image from Pexels – Pexels License

The Plumbing

As well as looking at the electrics, you will probably want to consider the plumbing. Older plumbing is often inefficient and it can be very noisy too. If you want to avoid problems like poor water pressure or clanking and groaning whenever you run water, you need to take a close look at the plumbing in your property. It’s also important to fix any problems, such as leaks or drips, or perhaps exposed pipes that need to be insulated. A good plumber can help you with any plumbing issues that you might come across.

The Roof

The roof of your property helps to protect the rest of it. Without the roof, you will struggle to keep the property warm and dry. With a fixer-upper, you will often find that not only do you need to make some repairs to the roof but you may even need to replace it completely. If you consult a roofing guide with advice on roofing repairs, you can work out whether a replacement might be necessary. A roof can last anywhere between 10 and 25 years, or sometimes longer, depending on the material used and the type of roof.

Any Structural Issues

Any structural problems that the property might have need to be addressed right away. In addition to the roof, you will also want to take a good look at the foundations to check that they are in good condition. You should watch out for any indications that there could be major structural issues, such as cracks in the walls or foundations. Ideally, these will be things that you check before buying the property so that you know if it’s worth investing your money on making the repairs.

When you get that fixer-upper, make sure you have the most important issues taken care of before doing anything else.

Are you thinking about moving home soon?

There are all kinds of reasons as to why you might be.

A house move could give you the opportunity to make a fresh start. You can position yourself nearer to your place of work or your children’s school. And especially if your current home is getting you down, for whatever reason, you will finally have the chance to live life anew in a better property.

But before you rush into any hasty decisions, there are some important questions you need to ask yourself first. While a house move could be a good idea, it might be that you need to wait a little while longer before speaking to a realtor and packing up your boxes.

#1: Can I afford to make the move?

If you’re currently struggling with money, it might be that a house move could be beneficial to you. By downsizing, you will have less to pay on your utility bills, and by moving to a new town, you might see a reduction in some of your taxes. 

However, moving home is an expensive process. Not only do you have a new mortgage to consider, but you also have to deal with legal fees, removal costs, and the expenses imposed upon you by your realtor. So, take a long hard look at your budget first. Research the expected costs of a house move. And use a house loan calculator to calculate the repayments you would be expected to make when looking at your mortgage options. 

If you can afford the move, then great. However, if money is tight and you would be better off making a few savings at home first, then hold fire until you are in a better financial position.

#2: What will I regret if I move?

Sometimes, moving home seems like a sensible idea. As we suggested earlier, you might have very good reasons for wanting to move. However, you need to weigh up the pros and cons of a house move, as you might be left with regrets later on.

Will you miss your neighbors? Is there anything about your current property that you will miss? Will you have to leave your current workplace when you move? Is there anything in your town that holds appeal for you, such as your church, your hobby groups, or your friends? These are just a few of the questions you might want to ask yourself. 

Of course, if you aren’t planning on moving very far, then you might have fewer regrets. And thanks to Facebook, Skype, etc., you don’t have to lose contact with people you know and love. However, it’s still worth thinking through the consequences of a house move, because when you have finally moved, you won’t be able to return to your previous property. 

#3: Can I increase my home’s value?

If your heart is set on moving, then so be it. However, to maximize the sale of your property, you might want to make a few alterations to increase the value of your home. So, you might want to get on top of any repairs that need doing before showing people around your home. You could add smart and energy-efficient features to your property to attract more buyers. And it might be that a little bit of remodeling will do much to increase value, perhaps by increasing the size of your bathroom or by creating an extra room within your home. 

Follow our previous link for some useful advice, and then continue your research to find other ways to raise your home’s value.

#4: What do I require from a house move?

Depending on your budget, you will have a lot of choices when it comes to deciding where to live. However, considering the expense of a house move, it is important that you set criteria for what you need before signing on any dotted lines of a contract. 

So, think about the location your home should be in. You might want to be near your place of work, for example. If you have a family, having close access to local schools might also be important to you. Then there are local amenities to consider, such as shopping malls, parks, and leisure facilities.

Think about the kind of house you want to live in too. You might need extra space if you have family moving with you. You might also need extra space if you intend to work from home, or if you want to use a part of your home for your hobbies. Alternatively, you might want to move into a smaller home if you are looking to reduce your expenses. You might also favor specific features in the property, such as those smart items we suggested earlier, if you’re looking for something modern, or if you want to save money.

Before beginning your house search then, write down your criteria for the must-have and nice-to-have features for the property and the location, and use that as a checklist to help you make the right choices. 

If you are planning on moving soon, then we wish you every success and happiness with your plans. But consider our questions first, as hopefully, they will help you make the right decisions for you and your family.

Thanks for reading.

Assets created by: OWYN

As a mom and as someone who loves to cook, I am always interested in food and diet trends.  In the last several years, there has been a trend toward vegetarian and vegan options for our food product choices at restaurants and grocery stores, as well as available recipe content. This trend is likely going to increase as people try to avoid weight gain during lockdown and become more aware of the damage that eating meat does to the environment.  OWYN is a great source of information on diet and exercise. They recently looked at the Google search trends for the last five years on vegetarian vs going vegan.

As we look at the map, there is an apparent growing trend in searches on veganism over vegetarianism.  I think this is not only because of the growing popularity of veganism, but also because many people simply don’t know what “vegan” means.  They don’t know the difference between the two terms. (I, myself, had to look up the word “vegan” in the past, because I heard the word a lot in the media, but I really didn’t the actual meaning of it.)  Vegan has also become a growing trend, as a lot of people have grown more concerned over their health but also over animal cruelty and the environment.

Let’s compare the two. A vegetarian is a person who doesn’t eat meat but WILL eat other animal products like milk and use other products derived from animals.  A vegan, however, should abstain from not only meat, but also animal products like milk, cheese, eggs, and butter.  And a strict vegan should not use other products derived from animals, including any health and beauty products.

I think that my idea that a lot of people simply aren’t familiar with the word “vegan,” shows up in my home state of Alabama.  The upward trend on searches for vegetarian in my state is only 7%, and yet the search for vegan is 500%.  This is interesting since my state is very much a “meat eating” state, and we don’t see a lot of vegan options available here.

Another interesting state to look at is Montana.  The trend on searches for vegetarian is -43%, and the trend on searches for vegan is 180%.

I also looked at Hawaii, (simply because my stepson lives there, and I know it’s very different from the home he has known). Hawaii saw on upward trend in both vegetarian and veganism.  The upward trend for vegetarian was 84% versus 194% for vegan.

Assets created by: OWYN

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Do you or anyone in your family eat a vegetarian or vegan diet? Do you see an upward trend toward veganism in your state?