Get a new house and don’t move.

In today’s real estate market a lot of people are choosing to stay put if they can.  Others have to stay where they are because they still have their income and are “upside down” in their mortgage.  Staying put isn’t always bad.  You might get to know your neighbors better and you might get to travel a little more.  Moving is really a hassle when you think about it.

My wife and I have bought and sold several homes.  We move about every two and a half years since we buy houses that need work.  After they are cleaned up and livable, we invite our friends over, then quickly get bored and move.  This time we are moving because of family and business obligations.  One of the things that we learned when considering to sell our first house was “Fix it up like you are going to sell it”.

New Windows, Make your home feel new
New Milgard Windows

The idea here is that you get a house that people would like to own.  You get rid of your clutter, fix the leaky faucets that are driving you nuts and shazam, you are living in a new house.  Growing up in Southern California, my parents ran the A/C non stop in the summer and heat non stop in the  winter.  I could never figure it out.  Then when we bought our third house which was considerably larger than the first two we got it.  With older single pane windows that had gaps as much as a quarter inch the house was like trying to hold in cold air with swiss cheese.  You could feel the breeze every time you walked by a window.

As we were preparing the house to sell, the Realtor introduced us to John at Milgard windows.  He was a rep that lived in the area, not a window salesman.  He convinced us that new double pane vinyl replacement windows were the only way to go.  We went with it and agreed to put new windows all around in our 1953 model home.  He found us a local window contractor who also lived in the area, and within two weeks we had a new home.

This wasn’t like a new kitchen where the rest of the house is the same.  This was a different house.  Every room felt different.  The windows were replaced mid June and the first thing we noticed is we didn’t notice the A/C running.  Everyone that lived in the area remarked at how quiet it was, you couldn’t hear the dogs, birds or squirrels outside.  We quickly noticed how much better we slept.  We took the house of the market and ended up staying for two more years, all because of windows.

I was reminded of Milgard windows this week when I was staying at the Ayres Hotel in Costa Mesa visiting my friends at TruSpeed Motor Cars.  I got a room overlooking the freeway less than a half mile from the end of the runway at John Wayne Airport and the room was still very quiet.  When I looked at the windows, there was the Milgard logo.   I don’t know anything about windows, and I don’t know if Milgard is any better or worse than any other double pane brand of window, I just smiled and laid down for a good nights rest.

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