Yeah, I thought about some kind of pressure test, but from what I could tell, it would have taken some extensive repair work just to put the system back to a loop of some kind worthy of being tested. So, it's too late now anyway. The Base Board is gone. It really was a mess, and if I ever want to, I could always add some clean new radiators or base boards to the rooms that need it. That being said, I have a decision to make: Option #1 - Variable Speed Air Handler Model#FE4ANF003Twith a 3-Ton, 16 SEER 2 Stage Heat Pump with Air Conditioneing Unit Model#286BNA036. Option #2 - Variable Speed Air Handler Model#FE4ANF005Twith a 3-Ton,20 SEER Inverter Heat Pump with Air Conditioneing Unit Model#280ANV036 Both Systems Equiped with Evolution Zone Controls for 2-Zone Heating and Cooling System. 15 KW Heat Strip ect. Option to add Humidifier and Media Filter +$1,000. The installer did an operating cost analysis and it showed the Extreme System (20 SEER) being just a bit better in cooling, but $900/year less in heating. Which to I pick?

There are several lighting manufacturers that do "transitional" fixtures. It takes time to go through the catalogs and see if something "fits" to your liking. I have always done the lighting based on furniture, not the house. The reason for this is that you need to put your own stamp on the house. I for one have turned traditional homes on the outside into contemporary-transitional on the inside. You may want to check out Hudson Valley Lighting for transitional lighting. Also you can check out Kichler Lighting, Meyda (known for tiffanies they have expanded their line), Quorom International. These are just a few but there are many of them out there. My suggestion would be to check out a local lighting showroom to see what they have and look at their catalogs. If you feel they are too expensive, then try getting the fixture on line. You would be surprised what gems are in catalogs that you would normally pass over. This would also give you a feel for what is actually out there to purchase. The Home Depots don't have the depth that a lighting showroom will have. Here is a link that might be useful: Hudson Valley Lighting

Your new home is quite handsome -- clean lines, nice materials, looks comfortable and sheltering. As much as I like Frank Lloyd Wright and his Cherokee Red, your red overwhelms the house. A soft gray blue or gray green would work better with the cream brick, the tan roof, and any landscaping you might do. Since the garage dominates the house facade, I'd save up for a nicer garage door style. It's not a cheap fix, but would add a lot to your home in terms of looks and perhaps value too. Don't get anything fussy, but something with clean, strong lines that could work with a contemporary home. A more contemporary door would be good too. Other than that, just better landscaping! Those old yews block the entry & your pretty picture window.

Great! If the roof is brown, you have a world of colors to choose from. In that case, I would chose a color for the trim and then paint the garage door that same color. The house door can then be another color to bring attention and help it stand out. Do you want to paint your trim every several years, or are you wanting to cover the trim with vinyl and aluminum? That is the first question you have to decide. The second choice greatly narrows your color choices. If you decide on paint, Chose a color family (like dark taupes or bronzes or ivory or hunter greens or turquoise...) and get paint samples at the local paint stores and paint some poster boards. You just live with them next to the house and roof on non-rainy days and see what you like. I once painted stripes of color on the wood of a house we were going to side. Neighbors walking by were asked to vote! Are you gardeners? Are you interested in taking care of annual flowers (water once or twice a day, fertilize occasionally, keep weed-free), or learning about perennials or bulbs? If you want to learn, you can actually make a garden bed that always has either a bulb or perennial in bloom. Or, you could go low-maintenance with shrubs and mulch. Again, your zone and your house's orientation (NSEW) is needed for anyone to give you advice on plants. I am with those who think that your bushes are way too old and overgrown. Maybe you can keep one or two that are green all the way to the bottom and don't look all shaved down. Use those as a backdrop and go from there. Are you interested in putting in any hardscape? If the window next to the door does not come down too low, it might look nice to have a bench there. Is there a concrete slab area behind the bushes there? if yes, you can use containers to add colorful annuals. If you want to garden, you can make garden beds in front of the front door area. Little fences or a raised bed made with landscaping stone are all options. Over where the room comes out further than the porch, there is a nice bush near the corner that may be in good enough shape to keep. Not the one by the downspout, the one in the front. (I would remove all of the bushes to the left of that one.) If there is a matching bush in good condition on the other side of that room, I might leave them both, but remove the ones in the middle, so the other two have room. You might be able to put a trellis under the window and train a flowering vine to spread side-to-side and fill some of that space on the wall. A few low plants around the tall bushes and in front of the vine, and you are done in that area. With a taupe roof and creamy brick, you have a pallatte limited only by your wallet, skills, and imagination!