Thursday, March 20, was the first day of spring, though in some parts of the country, it hardly felt like it. And this week there’s a Nor’easter bearing down on the East Coast that’s predicted to drop up to 18 inches of snow, according to The Weather Channel. And, if last April is anything to go by, Old Man Winter may have a few tricks left up his sleeve.

While the rough winter weather is seemingly winding down — at least in some parts of the country — your customers probably have not yet forgotten the rough winter the country had in almost all parts of the country. So, for you performance contractors, now seems an ideal time to talk to homeowners about preparing for the upcoming summer season as well as next winter by putting in new a/c and/or heating equipment as well as insulating or putting in new insulation. Even if you’re not a home-performance contractor, when you go on those shoulder period calls, you might feel it makes sense to check on how the heating equipment is functioning. It’s also time to get those air conditioners ready for cooling season and let the customers know now if something needs fixing or replacing rather than when they want to start using their heating equipment in the fall.

And, since its tax season, and people are starting to get refunds back, some might have a little extra money to spend on home improvements, such as new HVAC equipment and/or new insulation that will save them money in the future while making them comfortable now.