During the inspections, there were numerous items that we became aware of that needed attention on a priority basis. Not the least of these items was heat! The house has a relatively new (1997) oil fired hot water furnace with a domestic hot water coil. The first floor had two zones of hot water baseboard heat. The second floor, however, had one zone, but it was never connected to the furnace! Part of the second floor had never been finished by the prior owner, and was without heat. However, we would not be using that portion of the house for some time, so all we really needed to do was connect the supply and return lines to the upstairs radiators, install a thermostat, and we would be set. Amazingly, it actually went that smoothly. Jim had installed 80% of the hot water baseboard heat in our prior house, so already had the skills and tools to complete this system. Everyone, especially Jean, was very happy to have heat in the bedrooms.

Other items attacked this month were more unpacking, organizing placement of stuff in storage and in the living spaces, and cleaning. The house had been lived in by the caretaker for over 10 years, however, he had physical limitations that prevented him from doing much other than keeping the place heated and secure. There was a ton of garbage that was left by the prior owner that we had removed by a local hauler. We had lots of outdoor deck furniture that had to be stored for the winter, especially since we no longer had a deck!