Check out our October newsletter!
A B R E A T H OF FRESH AIR
OCTOBER 2020
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208-459-3388
4 WAYS TO BEAT YOUR HEATING BILL (Start With a FREE Efficiency Test!)
October is here, which means we’re finally welcoming cool relief from a scorching summer; now, we just need to start preparing for the cold season ahead. Keeping your home warm in the fall and winter is essential, but it can be costly if you aren’t paying attention to your system. When people crank their heat up without giving it a second thought, I always say they’re just heating the birds. If your HVAC system isn’t up to par, that heat just dissipates outdoors where the birds might appreciate it, but your family and your wallet sure won’t!
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to save cash, keep that heat in your home, and have a system that runs efficiently.
1. Make sure your system has proper airflow so it can distribute air effectively. This means making sure your vents are clean and that you change your air filters every fewmonths. Also keep an eye out for any furniture that might be situated in front of a vent because it could be obstructing airflow and making your systemwork harder than it needs to. 2. Try to have proper humidity control in your home. When the weather gets cooler, adding humidity to the air — rather than continuously bumping up the temperature on a thermostat — is a great way to make a home feel warmer. Purchasing a separate humidifier to do the job can cut back on your heating costs. 3. Make sure you fully understand your system: Do you have an air conditioner paired with a furnace? Or, do you have a heat pump? An air conditioner can only cool your air, which is why it needs a furnace to supplement it and heat your air. A heat pump is capable of both cooling and heating your air, making it a great option for cutting down on propane costs (sometimes as much as 50%). Maybe it’s time to consider upgrading your system. 4. Installing a programmable thermostat or smart Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat can help you keep your house temperature regulated. Letting this kind of thermostat run the show can cut down on your heating costs significantly. If you do manually change the temperature,
try to not change it by more than 4 degrees; at that point it’ll cost you more energy to heat the house back up than it would have to just let the thermostat restore a comfortable temperature. The very best way to make sure your HVAC system is ready to do its job this season is by giving it the maintenance it needs. Once every year, you should have your air conditioning, furnace, and boiler checked out and tuned up by a professional service. This is the best way to keep your system performing at its peak efficiency, which is crucial for keeping your utility bills lower and keeping your system from failing. That’s why Rol Air is offering free efficiency tests this fall! We’ll send one of our technicians to your home to test your system’s efficiency and let you know exactly where your heating bills are being wasted. Our goal is to help you save, so give our office a call to schedule your free efficiency test and take the first step in keeping your heat for you and your family instead of giving it to the birds.
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It’s fall, which means social media will soon be saturated with pictures of your friends enjoying “classic” fall activities. Photos of leaf peeping, apple picking, and the occasional scarecrow run rampant. But rather than following the herd, you can make your family the trendsetter of unique fall activities! Here are a few outdoor endeavors your family will love. Get gardening. Fall is the time for harvest, but if you want to enjoy flowers in the spring, it’s also a time for planting. The cooler autumn air is easier on plants, but the soil is still warm enough for roots to grow before the ground freezes for winter. Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are all spring bulbs that need to be planted in the fall. Do a little research with your family to determine the best time to start planting in your area. GARDENING, GOLD, AND PHOTO SHOOTS 3 FUN FAMILY ACTIVITIES FOR FALL
It’s often overwhelming to shop for a new home because it’s nothing like shopping for a T-shirt or even a car — it’s a purchase that can last lifetimes. What do you look for first? Where can you start? Here are three things to pay attention to as you begin searching for the perfect home. Are You Ready for Your Dream Home? 3 SIGNS YOU’RE BUYING THE IDEAL PROPERTY FOR YOU
No. 1: The historical sale prices (on the prospective property and local properties) have been on a consistent uptrend.
Traditionally, one of the safest investments a person can make is in real estate. Economic recessions can often flip the national and local markets upside down. That’s why historical sale prices can tell you about the general growth of your specific local area. Simply comparing properties to those currently in neighboring cities, or even nationally, might not give a full picture of the location’s long- term desirability. The rise in historical prices are what matter in a time where communities are recovering at different rates.
No. 2: The neighborhood has an influx of jobs and growing household incomes.
While the recent economic circumstances have made drops in employment a national phenomenon, a recent steady influx of jobs can indicate a path to economic recovery. Also, it’s good to keep in mind that a neighborhood with healthy household incomes can boost the home prices for the entire neighborhood as a whole, since wealthier homeowners will maintain and renovate their property. Use the census data to find the median household income in a potential area.
Pan for gold. Here’s one that’s really off the beaten path: Take your family on an adventure panning for gold! Start by planning a road trip out to an old ghost town. Many of them have great tourist attractions that include gold panning. You probably won’t get rich, but it will still be a fun story. If you’re not able to make the trip, you can always create a gold panning operation at home! Visit MessForLess.net/ panning-for-gold-activity for a great step-by-step guide on how to go panning for gold in your own backyard. Plan a fall photo shoot. It’s time to freshen up those family pictures hanging around the house. The changing leaves provide a beautiful background for any family portrait. Better yet, the cooler temperatures mean that an outdoor photo shoot won’t be nearly as uncomfortable as it would be in the summer. You can take your pictures by the trees in the front yard or make a daytrip of it. What about pictures at the corn maze or pumpkin patch? It’s never too soon to start planning this year’s holiday card.
No. 3: The homeowners have access to great schools.
A Realtor.com survey once found that 91% of prospective homebuyers report school boundaries as important to their home search. With or without kids, many find that a home’s resale value is greatly affected by the available access to the best schools in an area. Identifying the best schools, though, takes some diligence. Factors include graduation and college admission rates, as well as SAT and Advanced Placement exam scores. What clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities are made available for kids? GreatSchools. org will list schools and compare their test results, but it isn’t the best representation of the opportunities and outcomes a child will experience.
There’s so much more for you to consider, but hopefully this gives you a great place to start! Best of luck house hunting!
Spend this fall outdoors and create great new memories with your family!
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Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
DON’T GET HUNG UP ON HANGING YOUR DECOR 10 Tips for Achieving the Perfect Look
3. Hang your pieces at eye level, around 55–60 inches from the floor. If you have high ceilings, you can increase that height by a few inches. 4. If you’re hanging something above a piece of furniture, put it about 4–6 inches above the furniture and choose pieces that are about two-thirds its width. 5. If you have a piece that’s loud or eccentric, put it front and center! Making it a focal point instead of hiding it in a corner makes it feel intentional instead of awkward. 6. Even if you’re creating a gallery wall, aim to display no more than five pieces to avoid overwhelming or cluttering the space.
If your living space harkens back to your college days of naked walls or too many movie posters, then it’s time to up your decor game. One of the best ways to polish a room and bring everything together is by hanging items on your walls. But if you’re not sure how to go about it, you can end up with multiple holes, peeling paint, or potentially crooked pieces that you’re not even sure look quite right. Instead, follow these 10 steps to achieve the aesthetic you want. 1. Lay your pieces on the floor and play with their arrangement. You’ll get exactly what you want without having to create more than one hole in the wall per piece. 2. To fill a horizontal space, hang two vertical pieces next to each other. To fill a vertical space, hang one horizontal piece on top of another.
one another. The goal is to make the pieces feel connected, not like they’re floating around separately. 8. Align pieces that aren’t the same size by their center point, not by the top or bottom of their frames.
9. If it’s safe to do so, hang each item by just one nail. This makes it much easier to get the piece level.
10. Hammer your nail into the wall at an angle, not straight in. The nail gets a more secure grip this way. When it comes to actually choosing your pieces, find what speaks to you or represents who you are. Decor can be a great conversation piece, and it’s essential to the ambiance of your home.
7. When hanging multiple pieces, space them 2–3 inches from
SPOOKY STRAWBERRY GHOSTS
TAKE A BREAK
Inspired by Candiquik.com
These adorable chocolate-dipped strawberry ghosts will be the stars of your Halloween party!
Ingredients
• 16 oz white chocolate, chopped • 24 strawberries
• 1 package mini dark chocolate chips
Directions
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate at 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove it and stir, then repeat the process until melted. 2. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. 3. One by one, dip the strawberries into the melted white chocolate and set them on the parchment. Allow the extra chocolate to pool to form a “tail” effect. 4. Before the chocolate coating fully cools, add three mini chocolate chips to each berry to form two eyes and a mouth. 5. Let chocolate set, then serve your spooky snacks!
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26069 2ND ST. W, ZIMMERMAN, MN 55398 763.515.6411 ROLAIRREPAIR.COM
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INSIDE Is Your HVAC System Ready for Cooler Weather? 3 Signs You’re Buying the Ideal Property for You
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3 Fun Family Activities for Fall
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How to Hang Wall Decor Perfectly
Spooky Strawberry Ghosts
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This Year’s Trending, Gorgeous ‘Fall Chic’ Homes
THIS YEAR’S TRENDING, GORGEOUS ‘FALL CHIC’ HOMES
Fall often conjures images of orange-red leaves and pumpkins, but when it comes to home decor, you don’t have to focus on the loud colors of autumn. You can turn your space into a modern fall wonderland without sacrificing comfort or style. For example, why not try going for a shabby chic look this year? There are many ways to create a cozy, clean, and unique aesthetic to ease your home into the fall season. Try placing pieces of white or gold distressed furniture, installing birch wood accents, or hanging old-fashioned, long draping curtains.
Now, if elegance is more of your aim, you don’t have to abandon fall colors. In fact, fall colors can be beautiful in a home space, especially when used in a minimal, modern way! Try decorating with vibrant throw blankets and pillows, adopting fall house plants, or hanging fall-themed photos.
Take a look at our favorite fall home spaces to get you started. Happy designing!
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