Many of my friends and family members like to joke that I am an “old hippie” at heart. I guess I have to admit that I do like to live a laid back lifestyle and I consider communing with nature my happy place. Living a simple life just seems easier than dealing with the hustle and bustle of city life. I own a small cottage on the edge of town and I have lived there for the past thirty years or so. I knew it was time to make some changes and make the house more inticing to future buyers so I started with curb appeal. I cut back some of the overgrown vegetation that gave it that unkempt look. I never minded the natural look of things but I knew I would want to sell the place and retire to a warmer climate and I needed things to look new and fresh. A coat of paint and new porch were next. I continued inside with cosmetic changes but when a friend visited they asked about the guts of the house. I wasn’t sure what they meant until we started talking about wiring, plumbing and my heating and cooling system. They told me that those things were more important to prospective buyers than what color the walls were. When I met with the local HVAC dealer he suggested changing over to mini split units and removing all the old radiators that were in the house. He said that these units would be able to handle both heating and cooling more efficiently then the current heating system and window fans that I used. I never really liked the idea of air conditioning but I understood that it would increase my home’s value and help it sell faster.