Posts in category 'Home Improvement'

It was a sunny 4^th of July and another gorgeous summer day. My friend waited for his 2 young daughters to finish up in their upstairs bathroom and the family of four exited the house and walked across the street for a neighborhood barbeque. What better way to spend a holiday than with friends, food and fun. When they returned home, the fun immediately stopped. While they were enjoying the neighbor's Slip-N-Slide in the back yard, they had their very own being created down the main stairs of the house. 

It was a simple little thing. After the toilet flushed, something went askew with the inner workings and something got plugged. The second my friend and his family walked out the door, the water began over-flowing and continued to do so for the entire day while they were a mere 50 y...

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I have been working out of a home office for over 7 years now. These spaces have ranged from an empty alcove on the 2nd floor to a ridiculously expansive half of a basement. In the latter, I literally had to throw down a couple rugs just to din the echoes! In every space, I have tried to make it comfortable. I have to admit they were not always the most professional spaces though. Client meetings were always done "off-site".

Today I'd like to explore a few ways you can make the most of your home office. With family, friends, kids, pets and a whole slew of other distractions thrown in the mix, it is not always easy to create a productive space. And if you are like me you can't just sit at the dining room table or plop down on the couch in order to get some actual work done. The space needs to be conducive...

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O.K. To be completely honest, I just wanted to use that word in an article title. As much as I enjoy droning on about reducing clutter and being more organized, that's not what we're about today. We won't even be talking about all the benefits of a de-cluttered kitchen for sellers and for your own sanity. Today we'll assume that your cabinets are, in fact, a cacophony and we'll cover a few ways to quiet the noise a bit and get you more control.

We have all spent time in a "new-to-us" kitchen. Whether visiting friends or relatives, crashing at an Air BnB or even just that first morning in your new apartment, condo or home. It is challenging to get your bearings, know where to find all the necessary ingredients and utensils and even be confident that you will have everything you need to create your culinary m...

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There is truly nothing more exciting (in the world of real estate) than buying your first home. My experience was a bit askew since my first "home" was a duplex. But when I built my first home and spent that first night in it, it was an experience I'll never forget. The feelings of independence, ownership, pride and self-reliance all swirled around my head that night. Other first time buyers have expressed feelings of being grounded, stable and secure. All in all, it is a big step in your "adulting" life and one that could change your perspective for good.

The process of getting to the closing table, especially for first-timers can be wrought with obstacles and hurdles that can start to feel dau...

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300 square feet is not the most expansive amount of living space one could possibly have. That said, it worked well for me for a couple years and I saved a ton of money while living there. When I finally built my home up the road (over the hill in Lincoln) my brother joked that I'd be found in the fetal position, on the bathroom floor, unable to cope with all the extra space. Turns out he was wrong. It has been my experience that we tend to "expand" into the space we have. As I write this, I'm sitting in my basement office (that doubles as our workout room) that is larger than that first cabin I lived in. There is literally no reason for me to have this much space for an office, but the room was empty so I claimed it.

While there is likely a high percentage of folks reading this that are living...

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