05.23.2001 :: Real Estate News
Things That Go Bump in the Night
by Dennis Polyniak

There is just no other thrill like the first night in your new home. Just knowing that all those years of hard work, the doing without so you could save a few bucks toward the down payment, the watching every penny, the missed vacations, it all just paid off. You are now a home owner, your credit rating just went up, your self esteem just went up, your pride is off the scale and you feel like you have finally become part of mainstream America. Well, you have, and you should be proud to have done what millions of others have done before you.

As you lay there in your new abode, in the middle of the night you marvel at the new surroundings, especially the sounds.

The furnace creaks, the water heater gurgles, the house settles as the night air cools it. You wonder if all is well or did we just buy a house that is falling apart? Well, all is probably okay and as you and your new home get accustomed to each other everything which at first concerned you will become a familiar array of sights and sounds the whole family will be longing for at the end of the day and the house will take on a personalty of its own, and become one of the family.

But just for fun let's look at what makes those sounds which were at first scary and have now become so familiar and even comforting. The banging sound from the furnace is the heat chamber expanding and contracting, and the gurgling or popping noise from the water heater is only a bit of sediment in the bottom of the tank witch can be eliminated by just draining it once every six months or so. The banging noise in the water pipes is only a little trapped air and that can be eliminated by turning on all the faucets at once for a moment or so. That will purge the pipes of any trapped air and eliminate the noise.

You will become accustom to the sounds of your home and you can rest assured the home warranty which covers your home will take care of any real problems that occur, your real estate agent saw to that when they ordered a warranty for you. They know that your comfort and peace of mind are more important than anything else, that's their business and they know how to do that for their clients.

When shopping for that special home you need to remember to choose a good agent. Graham fits that bill nicely and you can rest assured that he will have your best interest at heart, a true professional he wants all his clients to be happy and to send him referral business in the years to come. Graham uses Old Republic Home Protection to cover the problems which may arise in the days after purchase and I personally watch over Grahams clients as well.

So there you are laying there, listening to all those new sounds and marveling at the fact that you own them, each and every one. Sweet dreams new home owner.

Dennis Polyniak sells home warranties for Old Republic Home Protection. You can e-mail Dennis at dennisp@orhp.com with any topics you would like to see discussed or call him at 1.800.445.6999 x178.