Posts made by author 'Badger Peabody & Smith Realty'

We all approach big purchases in our own (sometimes) methodical ways. Sometimes we research the snot out of the item before laying down our cash. We weigh the different brands, models, features and specifications to see which will fit our needs and budget. Other times we simply make an impulsive purchase based on our needs in the "here and now". I've certainly used both of those methods and almost always have a better result with the former. (Except when it comes to chocolate! There's always a need for that!)

When it comes to purchasing a home, an investment of that size calls for a bit of research. Even if you are desperate to get into a home, slowing down a bit can make a big difference in your overall happiness with the property. Today we're going to dig into this a little bit and focu...

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Since June of last year, we have seen an increase in the inventory of homes for sale month per month. Every spring and summer, the inventory increases because people want to sell their home. For those with children, they may want to be in their new home for the beginning of the school year.

If you are one of those sellers, you may find these 4 tips helpful in getting your home sold more quickly.

1. Make buyers feel at home

Declutter your home! Pack away all personal items like pictures, awards, and sentimental belongings. Make them feel like they belong in this house! According to the Profile of Home Staging by the National Association of Realtors,

"83% of buyers' agents said staging a home made it easier for a...

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It's no secret that I love the outdoors. Whenever possible I am out on the road, trail, water or slopes simply enjoying NOT being in front of a computer. This time of year we are apparently in the midst of "growing season" for my lawn because I'm mowing it twice a week. We also have some rather robust weeds sprinkled around the front of the house and, because I like a less "abandoned home" look, I tend to work at keeping those under control. Besides some other basic chores to keep the flies away, our house is pretty self-sustaining.

This is the time of year when people like me get hair-brained ideas about a remodeling project. For some reason, we can't leave well enough alone and feel the need to upgrade, improve or simply re-do something to better suit our needs. Today I'm speaki...

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Although I've only experienced the joy of these services once, if you can swing it, hiring a moving company to relocate all of your stuff is simply awesome. You are only left with the packing up (which some also offer as an add-on service) and boxing of your items and the rest is left to them. In our case they not only brought the items to the house, they would deliver each item (with our direction) to each room of the home. Obviously marking the boxes ahead of time is a pretty important step. If you decide to treat yourself to this luxury, I wanted to offer a few suggestions to keep yourself (and your stuff) safe from damage.

This advice really goes for any type of service work, but try to avoid paying too big of a deposit up front. Using the strategy of more carrot than stick, it would seem...

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To be fair, I'm not expecting you to actually read to your home. There is also no need for it to go to college and learn Latin. What we're going to talk about today is making your home a little smarter by adding some technology to the mix. The objective is to make our homes (and the systems therein) work "for" us and not just be a monthly channel for outgoing money. Last week I watched myself turn off a lightswitch (in a room nobody was actually IN) and heard myself say "Is anybody in here? I guess not. I'll turn off the light". Just like I had heard echoing in our home as a teenager. It turns out we really DO become our parents. ( Happy Father's Day, Dad!)

It is no secret that HVAC is one of the more expensive systems in a home. We certainly see our share of temperature extremes in N...

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