My dad has been such a big help with renovations. He worked in construction before retiring a few years ago, so he knows his way around a house. If I didn’t have my father to rely on, I wouldn’t have bought this place. The thought of dealing with contractors on my own is too stressful. I bought a craftsman style, two bedroom bungalow. It’s within walking distance to the town center. I was lucky to find something in my price range in this location. It’s a part of town always in demand with home buyers. If it weren’t for all the repairs needed, I’m certain this house would have gone for much more and I’d still be looking. As it is, the cost of repairs are adding up fast. Some renovations are getting pushed to next year so I can get the heating and cooling system upgraded first. The house came with an older heat pump that uses a type of coolant that’s been phased out. You can still get it, but the price has skyrocketed. Dad and I felt it best to prioritize changing out the old heat pump for a new one. Newer heat pumps use less expensive coolant making the cost to run them much cheaper. Besides, older models don’t work as efficiently as newer models, which always ends up costing money. Heat pumps are actually a really efficient choice for heating and cooling your home because the same heat pump can complete both tasks, saving you from buying and maintaining a separate furnace and air conditioner. A heat pump moves the hot air from inside the house to outside, to cool the house, or from the outside in, to heat the house. I looked at other options but a new heat pump seemed best to me.