We bought a fixer-upper, which the previous owners told us needed repair for most things, but we didn’t need to worry about the furnace.
So we did every other renovation and upgrade, knowing that we didn’t have any heating repair, just some minor heating maintenance and ductwork cleaning.
We did as planned until we got to the part where we needed the heating dealer to send us one of their home services HVAC techs for a brief consultation and inspection of the heating device. I had never wished for a heat pump or any other ductless option in the heating industry like I did when the HVAC serviceman told us that the duct sealing on the heating technology was poorly done and, in some parts, too damaged. The previous owner had done the sealing using regular duct tape, loosely holding the ducts hiding extensive damages. We needed to replace the ducts entirely. We were only lucky that we had an emergency fund that had been untouched when we did the other upgrades and renovation works; otherwise, we wouldn’t have afforded the repairs and changes that needed to be done. In the middle of the heating drama, we visited the HVAC business, where we saw smart thermostats, which were much more efficient than the digital thermostat the house had. Our emergency budget let us splurge a little on the thermostat, saving us from some future repair work. We learned the hard way, and should we ever find ourselves buying another fixer-upper, I’m not taking anyone’s word that everything is okay and operational. I will add everything to the budget. I would rather we have extra money to work with afterward.