This Friday at 2:30 - I'm becoming a Gilford Home Owner

[painthappy]

Completely excited. While we only live about an hour away in southern NH, this will be a great get away spot.

I realize the season is over - Need to call Fay's and have them winterize my boat soon, but what are some can't miss winter activities to look for up around the lake?

I see the pumpkin festival will be in Laconia this year. I'll get there for that. My daughter skis so I'll try and convince her to try Gunstock but she really likes our local Crotched mountain down here.

Anyhow. Any other tips I should know about, I'm all ears. Never bought a second place before. Will be happy when it's over. The bank has been great, the real estate brokers have been great. The paperwork? Not so much. Just tiresome after a while. I'm being told it's only going to get worse when buying/selling and we just snuck under the extra paperwork wire.

Been poking my nose at buying a place up there for years... This Friday it will finally become a reality!

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Congratulations! Welcome to the Lakes Region.

[pjard]

Gilford is great, you'll be spending more time up here than at your primary house....

[boat_guy64]

Congratulations.

We closed on our house 10 years ago in Meredith on a cold February day with anticipation of the following spring. As we walked down to the lake, we saw tons of snowmobiles and quickly figured out the trail system on and off of the lake. Then next year, I bought my first sled and I now enjoy the winter as much as the summer.

The difference is that in the winter, I can be to and on Winnisquam, Winnipesaukee, Waukewan, Squam and Newfound all on the same day.

The only downside.....My youngest is now in college so my wife has decided she no longer has to come home. She is living at the lake full time. I still have quite a few years until I can make that a reality for myself.

[ishoot308]

Congrats painthappy!!

Don't forget to go to the Ellacoya Barn & Grill on Mondays for their $5.00 burger with hand cut fries special. Best deal and best burger around! Also the Lyons Den for just all around great food and drinks!

Lots to be had in and around Gilford! You are going to love it!...we certainly do!!

Congrats again!

Dan

[MeredithMan]

Congrats on the new place. It sounds like you will be using it year round, so you may want to consider things like:

--keep the heat on and set at a low, (maybe 60...depends on your personal preference), temp when you are not there.

--weekly house checks to have someone come in and make sure the heat is on, no one has broken in, run the faucets/flush the toilets, etc (I pay $10 per weekly visit in the winter and it saved me a fortune this past winter when the guy discovered the house at 38 degrees! We were able to get things back on line before anything froze)

--keep the driveway plowed and entry shoveled

--Shut the water off when you are not there to avoid frozen pipes if the heat conks out

Of course, then there is the fun stuff like making the place your own by decorating, painting, buying new furniture, etc

Lots of cool things to do in the fall and winter. In addition to all the winter sports, there is the Christmas Lights at the NHMS from end Nov to New Years; Pond HOckey tournament; Ice Fishing Derby; Sandwich Fair, (this weekend); Pumpkin Fest; New Year's Eve Fireworks over Meredith; Spending the holidays at the new vaca house;

Best of luck with the new home!

[meredith weekender]

Congrats on the second home!!! You may want to think about an alarm system that lets you remotely monitor your heat and also can give you camera options to view your dock / boats. We automated the house 4 years ago and love it. When we leave Manchester in the winter to head north the heat gets turned up so it is nice and warm when we get there. The cameras allow us to view boars and watercraft in the summer but also make sure our bubbler is working in the winter. The heat alarm also lets you know when the heat gets below a desired setting. Worth the investment.

[sum-r breeze]

First and foremost CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are going to love having a place that's all yours. You will find while,expensive at first..after you get moved in and supplied up....you won't even pack to come to the lake. All your stuff will already be at the house. You can jump in the car and go. Last year I bought a phone controlled thermostat that you can raise and lower by phone. You can also call at any time and check the inside temperature of the house. This little gadget is worth it's weight in gold. You make the call a couple of hours before you leave from home, and by the time you get to the lake ...warm house. Awesome. The brand I used was ventastar.

The Breeze
wave 'cuz I'll be wavin' back

[Joebon]

MeredithMan, who do you use for $10 a week?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Leoskeys]

First and foremost CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are going to love having a place that's all yours. You will find while,expensive at first..after you get moved in and supplied up....you won't even pack to come to the lake. All your stuff will already be at the house. You can jump in the car and go. Last year I bought a phone controlled thermostat that you can raise and lower by phone. You can also call at any time and check the inside temperature of the house. This little gadget is worth it's weight in gold. You make the call a couple of hours before you leave from home, and by the time you get to the lake ...warm house. Awesome. The brand I used was ventastar.

The Breeze
wave 'cuz I'll be wavin' back

Love to hear more about the phone controlled thermostat. Is it controlled by your cell phone, or land line?

[GTO]

Completely excited. While we only live about an hour away in southern NH, this will be a great get away spot.

I realize the season is over - Need to call Fay's and have them winterize my boat soon, but what are some can't miss winter activities to look for up around the lake?

I see the pumpkin festival will be in Laconia this year. I'll get there for that. My daughter skis so I'll try and convince her to try Gunstock but she really likes our local Crotched mountain down here.

Anyhow. Any other tips I should know about, I'm all ears. Never bought a second place before. Will be happy when it's over. The bank has been great, the real estate brokers have been great. The paperwork? Not so much. Just tiresome after a while. I'm being told it's only going to get worse when buying/selling and we just snuck under the extra paperwork wire.

Been poking my nose at buying a place up there for years... This Friday it will finally become a reality!



Ski gunstocks New Year's Eve. Band inside, dj outside. Right before midnight they turn all the lights off on the mountain and the ski patrol come down with lit torches. When they reach the bottom, a great firework display shot off from the mountain

[wobbelbill]

Congratulations! For the past 10 years, we've used a product called an "Intermediate Freeze Alarm" (bought online) that hooks up to a landline phone. Called up to 3 phone numbers if temp went below a set temperature or if the power went out as well as having the ability for us to call in anytime and hear what temp was and the status of the power. I'd also be sure I had contingency plans in case of heating system issue or plumbing needing drained if heat issues couldn't be resolved- and that whoever you line up has a key in case you can't get back up in a worst case scenario. We did the weekend thing for 10 years, loved it and moved up fulltime in July! Congrats, good luck and enjoy the experience!

[ApS]

Anyhow. Any other tips I should know about, I'm all ears. Never bought a second place before.

Well, I've bought five! (But not all at the same time). :o

This is the very moment to promote your privacy issues, increase property values, and save energy costs by planting some fast-growing native trees.

A "Prepper" would include fruit trees in their plantings.

Hemlocks for privacy, and other "soft-wood" conifers should be planted on the north side of the property to reduce the worst of Winter's blasts. When you plant some, stagger them for best sun and growth—if you have the space. White Pines are easily transplanted when under a foot in height. They'll need a surprisingly large amount of room to prosper.

White Pines grow especially fast—especially with a little evergreen fertilizer and full sun. (They're the first to appear in the forests after a fire). Their needles "mat" to reduce surface rainwater runoff. But don't plant them where you park your car! :eek2:

Their dead branches and pine cones are excellent fire-starters for your wood stove.

BTW, a wood stove is a good backup for severe winters —if you don't have one, I'd install one.

.

[sum-r breeze]

Love to hear more about the phone controlled thermostat. Is it controlled by your cell phone, or land line?

You need a land line in the controlled home. You punch in your code (from any phone... cell or landline) and it asks you if you want the "comfort mode" or the "energy savings mode" It works great

The Breeze
Wave 'cuz I'll be wavin' Back

[Orion]

We've installed Lowes' Iris home automation and security in our home. It is a build-it-yourself-as you go system with wireless modules you add yourself for relatively low cost and all accessible over the web. The web service is free unless you want the premium services for $10/mo, but free would work for most people. It includes remote (over the web with phone app) controlled thermostats, cameras, motion detectors, window/door alarms, lighting, switches, outlets, water shut offs, sprinkler system, garage door openers, door locks, and much more. I've had it for over two years and it's been great (I have 32 devices). They are just releasing version 2.0 of their web interface this week, so make sure you get the newer model.

[GFP]

Can heat be controlled remotely if it is electric heat or just gas?

[Orion]

Can heat be controlled remotely if it is electric heat or just gas?

If you're asking about the Iris system, it has thermostats that replace standard 24V thermostats. There are also flood alarms and many of the devices (including some switches) actually report temperature in the room they're in. You can also set conditions to have the system text or call you when those conditions are met (temperature, doors/windows/intruder, floods, smoke, CO, motion, etc.)

[Island Girl]

On the cheap... Nest Thermostats ($200-$250 each)can be controlled from most any mobile device. Nest also sells webcams that can be accessed remotely. You can buy DLink $60-$200) ones as well. Neither of these have a monthly charge.

As long as you have power and a reliable internet connection these work well.

If you want to control any more than that, the whole home systems discussed here may be better.

[painthappy]

Thanks everyone! Spent Friday night up there and took most of the weekend getting it ready. No internet so I was unable to make a reply to the comments.

We're thinking of just keeping it no internet. This way our 12 year old will actually have to get outside and "do" things.

Congrats on the second home!!! You may want to think about an alarm system that lets you remotely monitor your heat and also can give you camera options to view your dock / boats. We automated the house 4 years ago and love it. When we leave Manchester in the winter to head north the heat gets turned up so it is nice and warm when we get there. The cameras allow us to view boars and watercraft in the summer but also make sure our bubbler is working in the winter. The heat alarm also lets you know when the heat gets below a desired setting. Worth the investment.


All of this is a great idea. I'm assuming I probably need wifi there then to make all of that work. Hmm... We were thinking of an alarm system (as we have at home, but that was purchased 10 years ago and things have come a long ways now). I wouldn't mind a way to at least turn up the heat before we got there. That would be a nice feature.

[feb]

No internet and one TV with basic cable turned into Wireless high speed, 3 flat screens, expanded basic, Netflix, and roku within a year with kids.

I tried but my sanity was more important ;>)

Welcome to the lakes region!