One of the biggest surprises for first-time homeowners is just how expensive owning a home can be. The monthly mortgage payment is just the beginning – once you add on insurance, utilities, repairs and maintenance, and taxes, it seems that half of your paycheck is gone before it even reaches the bank. With that in…
Brrrr, It’s Cold in Here! Time to Replace Your Home’s Insulation
Winter in Michigan is cold. Is that breaking news to you? Probably not. Even those who have only lived in the Grand Rapids area for a single year understand just how cold the weather can be in December, January, and February. To ride out the winter comfortably, most residents in West Michigan spend a lot…
Homeowner’s Guide to Winter Preparation – Part 2
In the first post of our ‘Homeowner’s Guide to Winter Preparation’ series, we discussed the importance of insulation in keeping your Grand Rapids area home warm in the winter. While insulation is certainly a crucial part of the equation, there are a number of other factors at play. Specifically, air sealing, windows, and HVAC tune-ups…
Homeowner’s Guide to Winter Preparation – Part 1
You don’t need us to tell you that fall has arrived – you surely noticed for yourself when you stepped outside this morning for the first time. It won’t be long before these brisk autumn days turn into frigid winter nights, so it would be wise to make sure your home is ready for the…
5 Tips to Enjoy Your Patio This Fall
Summer is a welcomed but fleeting break from the cold here in the Grand Rapids area. We bask, barbecue, burn and try to enjoy every minute of our short but gorgeous Michigan summers. Patios, sunrooms, and 3-season rooms are one of best ways to extend our outdoor enjoyment and they are also one of the…
It’s Not Too Early to Think About Insulation
Though summer is still with us (for a few weeks more, anyway), it’s not to early for West Michigan homeowners to start thinking about those cold winter months. Was your home drafty and chilly last winter? How are you going to make your home more comfortable this season? Local insulation specialists will do a thorough…
Asbestos in the Home: To Worry or Not to Worry?
Asbestos is a common fear amongst homeowners, yet we’ve found that many don’t quite understand what it is, and what should be done about it. Truth be told, asbestos can be deadly — but in most cases, you don’t even need to worry about it. How’s that possible? Read on. What is asbestos? Asbestos is…
Time to Hire That Home Project Out? Ask These Questions Before Signing with a Contractor.
If there’s any professional in this world that get as bad a rap with adults as dentists do with children, it’s contractors. “They’re late!” “They nickel-and-dime ‘ya!” “They lied to us!” … and so on. But before we share the full list of grievances we strive to avoid here at GreenFIT Homes, know this: nearly…
What Are Your Insulation Options?
Insulation. Thrilling? Not to most. But when it comes down to comfort and energy use in your home, insulation is the name of the game. The basic function of insulation is simple: to stop airflow between the indoors and out. In the summer, it means keeping hot air out, and in winter, it means keeping…
Are You Ready for Winter? A Checklist to Prepare
Cooler temperatures, gusty winds, and changing leaves mean a beautiful October is in full bloom. Which can only lead in one direction: winter. Last winter, we saw a very atypical season, where the number of days with a high temperature below 20 degrees far surpassed the decade of winters before — and all before…