Small-town living had its charm.
My sister and I had inherited a small one-story building from our grandparents on the street where most businesses were. My whole life was in the city, so I left it to my sister, who had a soft spot for the town. The best part was that it was a one-story building which meant that she could open her shop on the lower floor and live on the upper floor. There was also a country house, but it was a half-hour drive to the town in good weather, and that could double or triple during winter. The country house and the business building had an electric heating system, but the townhouse had radiant floor heating powered by an electric heater. On the other hand, the country had an air-source electric heat pump installation. The first order of business before my sister set up her clothing boutique was to look for a heating business so that a heating technician to make sure that the heating equipment was in good working condition. When the HVAC serviceman came, I was present, and he reported that he had to perform heater maintenance. My sister also had to buy a wireless thermostat from the HVAC supplier because the old one was analog and failed at its temperature control job. She also wanted a zone control system like the one she had in the city because this and other energy-saving tips she had learned would reduce her energy bill. My sister found no need to buy a HEPA filter because the air in the country was much cleaner than in the city. After the HVAC professional finished working on the heating device, we cleaned the place, so it was great.