Posts in category 'Home Improvement'

Looking back, I have lived with around 14 different people in my life. That includes family, friends, girlfriends, and roommates (who became friends). Recently my current roomie and I were having a conversation about the layout of the house (as well as other houses we have lived in) and came up with an interesting conclusion. Bigger is not always better and "open" is not always the best option. Today I'm going to ramble on a bit about the ideas (pros and cons) of the open-concept floor plan. Perhaps it will give you some points to ponder if you're considering knocking down that wall.

In the 80's and before, homes tended to have lots of separation throughout the floor plan. I recall growing up in our standard "cape" home and was always (slightly) annoyed that there was this big "thing" right in the middle of...

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OK, "locality" is a bit of a stretch. "Location" seemed too broad but you know how much I love alliteration. The idea is to love your home and keep loving it through the impending winter chill. This week I attacked my bedroom/office. Honestly there was no real reason for it. I was pretty happy with the layout. It was pure boredom. It was time for a new look and I just purchased a shiny new laptop. I figured I should go ahead and change things up in the office while I was at it. Not to mention I really didn't feel like working on a Monday morning.

Change is a funny thing. I really like my "routine" most days. Grind the coffee beans. Do some yoga. Have some breakfast. And take my coffee down to the office and get started. Going on vacation obviously throws that pattern out the window and I love it. A little...

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I feel very fortunate to have a home with more than enough space for my roommate and I. During this pandemic, we are both working from home, but can honestly go almost the full day without seeing or hearing each other. Throw in the garage and backyard and we each have our own little escapes. All that said, the one area where we both end up connecting is the back deck. We just added one of those tables with the propane fire pit in the middle and we have a pretty comfy couch. Last year we added an umbrella to make the morning sun a little more bearable, as well as a cafe table for two. It's wonderful to get "outside" without having to go out where all the scary people are!

Regardless of the size of your home, you are likely still itching to get outside. Today I'd like to talk about a few neat ideas you can utilize to make y...

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Last week we focused on some design ideas inside the house. This week we're moving up and out! I was fortunate enough to design and build my house (with a contractor!) with a pretty blank slate. Aside from budgetary concerns, which of course there were, I had the flexibility to move walls around, raise or lower window heights and configure the bathroom (100 different times!). The experience of walking around the flooring deck once it had been added to the foundation was great. I then started measuring, laying down dividers, trying to imagine being in the "space", and then measuring some more. It was awesome. Today let's talk about a few of the lessons I learned along the way and maybe you'll be able to use some of these when you start laying out your new home.

Design for the buyers. If you've been reading along for a w...

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The one thing I know for sure about relationships is I don't know much about relationships. Sitting on the precipice of a half-century, I'm still single. If I'm being completely honest, I'm pretty happy with that. I have had some good relationships and I'm still working on that magic formula that leads to one that stands the test of time. Sure it has a lot to do with the people IN the relationship, but as I get older (and hopefully a smidge wiser) I'm learning that you really do need to give it some attention. Like so many plants that have passed through my life, if you ignore them and neglect feeding/nurturing them, they will wither and die.

If you have been reading along for a few weeks, months or even years (wow!) you know that this little article is intended to be focused on real estate. So while I am excited about what...

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