Posts made by author 'Badger Peabody & Smith Realty'

I'm visiting my parents down in Florida this week. They have been here for about fifteen years now and I still don't think my dad misses shoveling snow one bit! Personally, I'm looking forward to getting back to the white stuff. One thing I remember distinctly about when they first moved down here was the process of having their house built. The model homes and model "rooms" they walked through were simply amazing. Virtually every combination of color, materials, finishes, appliances and fixtures were available to see, touch and experience. We're not going to encourage that variety today, but we are going to talk about showing off your home's best features through staging. Let's get started.

I know we talk about this every couple of months but if you are new to the column this is vita...

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While visiting a friend of mine last week, I was sitting in the living room waiting for him to get home from work when the doorbell rang. As I was chatting with the woman on the front steps a voice chimed in. "Hi Carol. This is my friend, Jason. Come on in and get started. I'll be home soon".  It was my buddy. He was talking to both of us (and watching us) through the doorbell. Later in the week (again, waiting for him to get home) my friend turned on the air conditioning at the house (it was 35 degrees outside!) just to mess with me. Both of these trinkets controlled by his phone. We have arrived at an age of technology that most of us never even dreamed possible.

I mention the thermostat because it is just one of the many upgrades you can make to your home with a very re...

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Perhaps it was my childhood that instilled an appreciation of moving a lot, but I still enjoy the process to this day. I'm not crazy enough to enjoy the actual "moving" of all my stuff. That's no fun for anyone. But I do love the excitement of a new place, new sights, new smells, new restaurants and of course, new craft beers. What's not to love?

For some people, most likely those with excess baggage (also known as kids), moving is a much larger hassle. The last time I moved, I was able to fit everything I own into the back of my Tacoma. Of course I had to jettison a few items in order to make it all fit. But in the end the cat and I were comfortable and I only missed a few things.

Moving for whatever reason can certainly be stressful and full of anxiety (and hard work). Today I'd like to e...

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Well that was quick! I don't know about you but I got the feeling Thanksgiving snuck up on me this year. You certainly can't escape the incessant black Friday advertising, but I was hoping we'd have another week of peace before the commercial extravaganza that is Christmas was forced upon us. It's not that I don't enjoy the holidays, it is just the cash-grab from ever retailer in the country that rubs me the wrong way. For those of you who know me, I'll see you out on the trail! So far the wilderness is too far for them to conquer.

If the first wave of holiday revelers is currently making their way through your home you still have some time to tidy up before Christmas. Who knows? Maybe you could even recruit some of your more industrious guests to help out. Today we're going to tackle t...

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Perhaps it was the Patriots having a simply horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day, but it felt good to sink into the couch on Sunday and Pretend TB12 was someone else. (Maybe Eli!?) If you've been reading along over the last 8 years you likely know that I'm someone who lives for the outdoors. That said, there's nothing I love more after a day on the slopes or in the woods than a hot shower and plopping down on the couch for some racing, football or UFC. I'm easy to please. Today we're going to talk a bit about a shift in the housing arena and where we're choosing to plop!

We've talked about the disappearance (or obsolescence) of the formal dining room. Kitchen bars and more casual dining settings are taking over for their convenience and wide ranging utility. Now it seems we're...

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