Posts in category 'Home Improvement'

I've previously mentioned my adorable 300 square foot cabin that I called home for a couple of years over in Lincoln. The one thing that always really bugged me was the poor insulation. It didn't bother me (necessarily) because of the increased heating costs; it was mostly the lack of light. In an effort to help sure the place up a bit (and stop the curtains from blowing in the wind…with the windows closed!) I added plastic to the inside and outside of the windows. This made a huge difference in the overall comfort of my home but sacrificed any sort of natural light coming in. It wasn't "dark" but it was not all that bright on even the sunniest of days.

I say all that simply to say that lighting, especially natural light if you ca...

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Some things are better-appreciated first-hand. For the past couple weeks, I've been "trekking" my way up to 17,598 feet above sea level. At one point, we ventured up a nearby peak that topped us out at 18,514 feet. The lung-busting lack of oxygen is simply (and literally) breathtaking. We moved at a snail's pace and even that was exhausting. All that said, the hundred or so miles hiked to and from Everest base camp were filled with trials, challenges, illness, excitement, and relief.

I say all that simply to say (in a not-so-subtle segue) that those things that challenge us and push us to our limits are very often worth the extra effort. We have talked before about the challenges of selling a

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We finally bit the proverbial bullet and got some new replacement windows. I'll warn you right up front that there's about 65,000 different brands, installers, manufacturers and salesmen out there all vying for your money. Do your homework. Talk to a few folks who have had their windows replaced. And take your time deciding. I won't name names here, but the company we chose did a good enough job. They represented themselves mostly honestly. And the quality of the windows is adequate. It may sound like I'm upset with them, but I think the best word is "underwhelmed". I have to keep reminding myself that what comes out of a salesmen's mouth is almost never what the actual end-result will be.

If you happen to be an honest salesperson and are offended by the abov...

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I sit and type this article in a finished basement/home-office. A couple years ago we re-painted the walls, updated the full bathroom and finished the floors with that cement etching paint stuff. Now it looks like a workout room/office and "counts" as additional square feet. One mistake the previous owners made was including a closet down here so now we have to count it as a bedroom, but that aside the extra space is invaluable.

Basement remodels are one of the top projects you can do in your home that will provide a significant return on investment or "ROI". Lots of projects are valuable to you as the owner and may let you enjoy the home more while you are there. That does not mean that those projects will pay off when it comes time to sell. Today we're going to exp...

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Don't kid yourself. If you think I'm crazy enough to write an article about what women want, you must think I either: (a) have a death wish, or (b) don't want my job writing this article anymore. The truth is I thoroughly enjoyed that movie with Mel Gibson back in 2000. I believe that any guy would love to have that power if only for a few days. But what about today's sellers? I know there are a ton of agents out there that would love to educate their buyers on a few things. None of these are earth-shattering revelations, but most are tough to hear, easy to fix and a little dose of reality. All of them are things I believe most North Conway NH home sellers...

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