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There are two kinds of newer homes - after WWII. Custom built and "spec" built. The custom built is better. The spec built will have minimum everything to meet codes.
Too many homes are built with builder not knowing how to properly ventilate the roof. Drive around in winter time after snow and view all of the icicles hanging from the roof. Those are candidates for roof leaks.
Many now pay someone to go and shovel the roof of snow. Others have to use a long roof rake to remove the snow from edges of roof.
The smart ones have metal roofs. No issues with a metal roof. But very expensive. Look into cost of snow blowers. Don't cheap out on this. Get a name brand with the larger engine.
Dirt road versus paved road. Do you have an AWD/4WD vehicle. Many get by with FWD but make sure to have good tires. Going to live on or near a hill? Give this one some thought.
Then we get into water in the basement. Avoid any that show signs of previous water in basement.
Be ready to embrace winter - skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, sledding... Otherwise it is a long cold dark winter. Do you have kids? If so, the school systems will be an important factor as they vary from town to town. As your wife is a pediatrician, most jobs will be in the lower third of the state (my wife is a med tech and works at a local hospital).
The bride and I both grew up in Boston and moved up here for my job 22 years ago. Raised the family here and saved by being able to send our kids to public school, no income tax (5.1% in MA), no sales tax (6.25% in MA), lower car insurance rates, and less expensive housing. We are an hour from Boston without traffic (Red Sox, museums, the North End), a half hour to a ski slope, 45 minutes to the beach...
If you have never had winter, it wouldn't be wise to assume you can deal with it no problem. Same with someone from New England going to SC. Maybe the first year is fine, but by year two the "honeymoon" of winter may have wore off. I would do as previous posters have and spend a week in Jan or Feb and really try to understand what it would be like to deal with these winters. I hope you do like it, and move to NH!
As previous posters said be prepared for the maintenance with snow. Roofs, snowblowers, large heating bills (prob like large electric bills due to AC use), driving in it (life goes on when it snows, it doesnt stop) etc..
I relocated here at the end of July this past year from Florida.
No regrets - I'm loving it.
I love the change of seasons. I missed that terribly in Florida. And it's wonderful to know that even a rough winter won't be forever. Unlike Florida, where the heat and humidity are forever. And ever. And ever.
Winter is cold. Winter is a lot of work you won't be used to. In the colder months, everything you do out of the house will take more time to get ready to do so. But: if you dress appropriately (and make sure you have a balaclava aka ski mask!), it is so refreshing and invigorating to be outside traipsing in the snow or whatever outdoor activity you are doing. Lots of winter "stuff" you'll need to get - snow tires, shovels, snowblower, winter clothing and outdoor wear/boots, etc. Lots of home preparation goes into getting ready for winter.
Heating costs are much more expensive than southern a/c costs. Be prepared for that. (However, my drop in homeowners insurance and car insurance covers that.) Disclaimer: I bought an old 1820 house. Walls seem decently insulated, windows are new double-paned made to look old and are draft-free. However, my original wide-plank soft pine floors are awfully drafty with many gaps. That is an issue I'll decide how I want to handle in the warmer months, but for now, I stuffed some of that flexible rope caulk between boards where I could and threw additional large area rugs over the major problem areas, which helped a lot. I heat with multiple direct vent propane heaters, have a 500 gallon propane tank in my yard, and also have a wood stove. I only bought 4 cords of wood last summer and I thought that looked like it would last me 10 years. Until I started burning it. I think I will buy 8 cords next year and rely more on my wood stove, now that I've got the hang of it and am more comfortable using it, than the heaters if I can.
I have metal roofs. Yes the snow comes down by itself but it's like an avalanche. Literally. Heavy wet snow and ice come shooting down fast. You have to be careful with that. I had to make little winter portable guard fences to block my dogs from going near the roof area when I let them outside.
Snow tires are a must. Not only do they work really well, but for your peace of mind. As long as you drive cautiously, you should have no problems. From my experience so far, New Hampshire takes very good care of its roads in the winter.
Rural NH is a learning experience. In my area, everyone has their own septic and own wells, all of which require some basic understanding of how they work, routine maintenance, and possibly some slight behavior modification.
I am up kind of on the fringe of the Lakes Region (northeast of Winnipesaukee) and the foothills of the White Mountain region, walking distance from the Maine border - a rural, mostly forested area. Thirty minutes tops down to Rochester with all the shopping you could hope for and big box stores. My town has the necessities and then some - small hardware store, dollar store, groceries, Dunkin Donuts, pharmacy, casual simple eateries (but good), little local businesses, tire place, gas stations, post office, etc, although spread out over a large area. There are lots of quaint old buildings, as most towns have here. I do advise you to familiarize yourself with all of the NH regions as they are distinctly different geographically and socially.
I second the suggestion to make sure any house/home you are considering already has internet. Also watch cell phone reception. Verizon seems to be the way to go here, everything else is spotty at best.
Regarding airports, of course if you are in the southern part of the state, you have an easy drive to Manchester and the southeastern portion has multiple options to get to Boston. I found, from my area, Portland, Maine's Portland International Jetport is a great option and is actually closer to me than Manchester. Scenic and easy drive from my neck of the woods.
Biggest "complaints": Worrying about my pipes in below freezing winter, worrying about driving on black ice, and my road is busier than I expected, even after having visited it several times. Oh well.
Lots to do here if you are into outdoor activities, for all seasons. The people are very nice and polite and welcoming. I highly recommend New Hampshire.
I would say definitely do a long visit a few times to decide. We moved in June 2016 and left last month back out to California. New Hampshire wasn’t for us for many reasons. We lived in Amherst. I will miss Portsmouth for sure. I wished I could have lived there. I found southern NH to be quite expensive and the winters to be harsh. Our family doesn’t really enjoy winter sports.
I do miss the less traffic. Best of luck deciding. I really did wished it worked out.
My daughter's husband got a job in Nashua and they bought a home in Windham, NH. They used to live in Binghamton, NY and Southern NH offered them cultural opportunities in Boston which Binghamton did not. They are there 7 months now and are adjusting to NH. It's a pretty area, but one must drive to conveniences. Up side they are young so they can adapt fast. The winters are very cold and snowy for sure. Bedford and Amherst are great towns also.
We are planning an initial scouting trip up there this fall (first of several). My wife is transitioning out of the Navy and that's the earliest we can make it work. So, I figure we might as well try to have the trip coincide with seeing some of the leaf change.
Now, I know it's a total roll of the dice and highly variable from year to year, but if you had to pick one week out of the year to visit and hope to see peak colors, when would that be? Even if we miss peak, anything should be phenomenal compared to what we get down here. The general consensus from online foliage maps is somewhere around the last week of September.
What part of the state are you looking in? The foliage peaks earlier the farther north you go, and it depends a lot on the weather and how dry/wet the summer has been. Late Sept in the north to mid-late Oct in the south. Having said that, if I had to pick some dates out of my hat, I'd shoot for Oct 5-10. YMMV.
What part of the state are you looking in? The foliage peaks earlier the farther north you go, and it depends a lot on the weather and how dry/wet the summer has been. Late Sept in the north to mid-late Oct in the south. Having said that, if I had to pick some dates out of my hat, I'd shoot for Oct 5-10. YMMV.
I concur. Traditionally, Columbus Day weekend is peak.
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