New Listing and Open House in Clinton, MA!

October 9, 2018

Are you tired of looking at houses that are just not the “right one”? Here you are! This young raised ranch on the southern side of Clinton is in a nice neighborhood location of newer homes with quick highway access. The large yard with custom patio and pergola offers you an outside oasis with plenty of trees and privacy. There is also a fenced in side yard for the kids and pets!

The main level has 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. The lower level is ready for your imagination! The custom mud room provides plenty of space for storage and items from either the driveway or the garage.

The open room can be a 4th bedroom / office / family room / den or media room as the laundry area is separate and there is rough plumbing for a 3rd full bath. In law potential? Teenage hang out heaven? Out of town guests? You have the flexibility here.

Join us for the market entrance open houses on Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 1:30pm!

Can’t make it in person? Click the photo below to take a 3-D tour!

Keep your Pet-Friendly Home Clean While it’s on the Market

October 8, 2018

Oof. Houses that smell or look like pets have lived in them are just harder to sell.

Here’s how to de-dog your house before putting it on the market — and how to keep it that way while you sell.

Did you know that I am a Certified Pet Friendly Real Estate Agent?

Contact me with any questions! I can help you find the perfect home for you and your animals-including Emotional Support and Service Animals.

Now for some great tips!

#1 Steam Clean Everything Fabric

“Job number one is to take care of the soft surfaces in your house,” says Melissa Maker, star of an eponymous YouTube channel and owner of a Toronto cleaning service. “They hold odors and hair like nothing else.”

This includes carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and even the drapes, she says. Pets rub against drapes, getting oils, odors, and fur on the fabric. Send curtains out for a professional cleaning.

#2 Spot Clean Furniture Daily

If you’re like many pet owners, trying to keep your dog off the couch completely isn’t worth the effort. Instead, cover your freshly-cleaned furniture with throws or pet covers, and wash them at least once a week. Vacuum rugs and carpets every day. Pet smells sink in fast.

For quick hair removal before a showing, wipe down the couch with rubber gloves. The hair comes right off.

#3 Clean Tile-Floor Grout

 

Tile resists dog stains, but grout is porous and sucks them up like a sponge. “I had a cat who had an accident on a tile floor, and the pee seeped into the grout,” Maker says. Steam clean grout to lift old smells and stains. If your grout is really cruddy, hire a pro to chip out the old grout and put in new — or DIY it if you have the skills.

#4 Get an Air Purifier Tower

To you, it smells like home. But your HVAC has been circulating the same hair and dander again and again (especially in hot and cold weather when the windows are closed).

Add an air purifier tower with a HEPA filter; it pulls hair and dander out of the air before they even reach your HVAC.

Most air ducts don’t need to be cleaned, especially if you change filters regularly. But if dander and fur seem to be taking over, hire a duct-cleaning company before putting your home on the market.

#5 Use Enzymatic Cleaners

They’re the special forces of odor busters. Enzymatic cleaners are made of beneficial bacteria that eat stains and odors. They’re formulated to stamp out a specific type of stain, so a cleanser that targets urine won’t be the same as one for vomit.

“They’re cultivated for a specific mess,” Maker says. Apply them liberally to stains regardless of how old they are, before listing your house.

#6 Get Rid of Scratch Marks

 

Pet toenails leave telltale marks on doors and walls. For walls and doors made of synthetic materials, you’ll just need to paint over the marks. For a wooden door, use wood-filler pen can fill in the scratches. For hardwood floors, rub out small scratches with steel wool or fine sandpaper followed by mineral spirits, wood filler, and polyurethane. For major damage, refinishing the hardwood is a good investment with a stellar 100% ROI.

#7 Groom Your Pet

 

Get your pet groomed by a pro before you list your house. You can do it yourself, but a pro can get more hair and dander off than you can — plus, all that gunk is better off in the groomer’s drain than yours.

Brush your furry friend regularly (outside, preferably) while your house is on the market. Any hair you get off on a brush is hair that won’t end up on your sofa or in your rugs.

#8 Absorb Odors With Charcoal

Charcoal pulls moisture and odors out of the air. You can get inconspicuous little bags of it to hang in places your pets love most. Or, just strategically stash some charcoal briquettes around the house.

Just be sure to get the ones that aren’t presoaked with lighter fluid.

#9 Get a Sniff Test

You’ve scrubbed everything, and you think your house smells like a dog has never set foot in the door. Get a second opinion as to whether the odors are gone, Maker says. “You may be noseblind. Ask your agent to walk through and give you an honest opinion.”

Open House in Leicester, MA

October 4, 2018

Nicely renovated large farm house style colonial on a tree lined country road is now ready for you! Come see why at our open house this Saturday, October 6 from noon until 1:30pm.

Large rooms and high ceilings provide a light and airy flow to this house. Great outdoor space with a wrap around farmer’s porch, flat yard and 3 bay garage. Updated kitchen includes granite counters, mud room/pantry, stainless steel appliances and propane cook stove.

The living room has newly refinished parquet wood floor, a fireplace with gas insert, beamed wood ceiling and entrance to the deck. Dining room features newly refinished hardwoods, a pellet stove and is bright with multiple front windows! Master bedroom has a dedicated staircase and cathedral ceilings with decorative window. 2 additional bedrooms are also generously sized. NEW well! NEW septic! Great yard! Great commuter location! 3 bedrooms, large general living space and over 1700 sq feet!

Can’t make it in person? Check out a 3-D Interactive tour by clicking the photo below!

Open House and Price Change in Blackstone, MA!

October 4, 2018

Who doesn’t love an antique style cape in New England in the fall? In a picturesque setting in Blackstone on 1.83 acres with wraparound porch and barn style garage this is will be the house you fall in love with! With a generous price reduction to $344,999 you can’t miss the opportunity to take a look first hand! Come visit us at our open house this Sunday, October 7 from noon until 1:30.

The first floor layout is perfect for entertaining or just staying home featuring a large eat-in kitchen, full dining room with hardwoods and front to back living room. Three bedrooms in the upper level with optional fourth (no closet) with adorable built-ins and plenty of closet space. Enjoy the 3 season screened- in room off the farmer’s porch that overlooks the back yard and barn. Huge two and a half bay garage (1,152 sq ft) with steel beams so there are no column supports has room for all your items! Unfinished loft area above the garage bays can be your new workshop/office/hobby room. This home has so much to offer!

Can’t make the open house? Click the picture below to take an interactive 3-D tour!

Mailboxes That Will Make You Wonder!

October 3, 2018

Being a postman may have the rare, exciting occasion. For the most part, though, walking the same old route and seeing the same old mailboxes over and over can’t be that stimulating. Postmen of the world, rejoice! There are some people who have decided to personalize their mailboxes. When you run across some of these, your day is sure to feel more entertaining.

1. “Say ahhhhhhh.”

2. In case you prefer your mail “well done”.

3. “Hand over all the checks! You can keep the bills.”

4. My guess is this resident gets regular packages from Colorado.

5. This mailbox apparently has a crush on the mailman.

6. “Please be gentle. Wait, where is your glove?!”

7. “Aloha! No bills please.”

 

8. The periscope mailbox is perfect for that underground bunker.

9. Every mailman’s favorite stop (if only it worked).

10. Dude, your mailboxes could use some wax.

11. So, this is what a bee feels like.

12. This mail route can be a hard drive sometimes.

13. Apparently the long lost female member of The Blue Group has a new gig.

14. Don’t get bit!

15. Take my mail. I dare ya!

16. Grateful Dead mailbox is always feeling a peaceful vibe.

17. Junk mail will be promptly bulldozed.

18. This troll-doll totem wards off evil spirits (and collection notices).

19. The friendliest mailbox in the neighborhood.

20. “You must choose. But choose wisely…”

21. Warning: Placing bills in this mailbox may result in electrocution!

22. Apparently, Ghost Rider mailbox has a new girlfriend. Throw the guy a bone!

23. Kermit just hasn’t been the same since the operation.

24. Please feed all junk mail to the propeller.

Hope you were able to get a giggle out of this for your Wednesday blues!

Rental available in Millbury, MA

October 2, 2018 — 2 Comments

Single Family Rental Available November 15th!

Lovely colonial home in featuring a large cathedral ceiling family room with fireplace, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths is now available for rent! Additional 4th bedroom off the Master makes a great nursery or office.

Large flat back yard, deck and 2 car garage. Commuter friendly location with quick access to shopping, Mass Pike, Rte 9, UMass Memorial but on a wooded side street. Oil heat, central a/c, solar panels for low energy costs and appliances included.

Tenant to supply credit report with application. NOTE: This rental requires first, last and security in full. Tenant to supply credit report with application. Minimum credit score that will be considered is 650. No exceptions.

Gorgeous Colonial in Leicester, MA

October 2, 2018

Nicely renovated large farm house colonial on a country road is now ready for you!

Large rooms and high ceilings provide a light and airy flow to this house. Great outdoor space with a wrap around farmer’s porch, flat yard and 3 bay garage. Updated kitchen includes granite counters, mud room/pantry, stainless steel appliances and propane cook stove. The living room has newly refinished parquet wood floor, a fireplace with gas insert, beamed wood ceiling and entrance to the deck.

Dining room features newly refinished hardwoods, a pellet stove and is bright with multiple front windows! Master bedroom has a dedicated staircase and cathedral ceilings with decorative window. Two additional bedrooms are also generously sized. NEW well! NEW septic! Great yard! Great commuter location! Three bedrooms and a large general living space!

Take a 3-D interactive tour by clicking the photo below!

Great listing in Blackstone, MA

October 2, 2018

This home has so much to offer! Who doesn’t love a cape in New England in the fall? In a picturesque setting in Blackstone on nearly two acres with WRAP-AROUND PORCH and barn style garage this will be the house you fall in love with!

Enjoy the 3 season screened- in room off the farmer’s porch that overlooks the back yard and barn. The first floor layout is perfect for entertaining or just staying home featuring a large eat-in kitchen, full dining room with hardwoods and front to back living room. Three bedrooms in the upper level with optional fourth (no closet) with adorable built-ins and plenty of closet space.  Over-sized two and a half bay garage (1,152 sq ft) with steel beam so there are no column supports has room for all your items! Unfinished loft area above the garage bays can be your new workshop/office/hobby room.

Come visit us and see! Too far to travel? Take an interactive 3-D tour here!

The 16 Incredibly Useful Rules Every Organized House Follows

September 28, 2018

Here’s the thing you may have noticed about houses: They don’t clean themselves.

Which is unfortunate, because if houses cleaned themselves you could spend less time cleaning yours, and more time doing something more fun, like watching “The Golden Girls,” because dang, that’s actually a great show.

A few simple daily habits could make it seem like you’ve got a self-cleaning house.

Rules like …

#1 Dedicate 20 Minutes a Day Every Day

You don’t need to set aside 20 hours one day to get things in order. You only need 20 minutes every day.

Focus on tackling clutter in just one room. You might only pare down a single drawer or shelf, but “it will make you feel accomplished at the end of the day, and at the end of a week, you will see how much you can declutter,” says professional organizer Helena Alkhas.

 

#2 Follow a “One-Minute” Rule

Small tasks add up quickly when you’re saving them to do all at once. So if it takes less than a minute to complete, do it immediately.

Put that cup in the dishwasher rather than the sink.

Break down that Amazon box for recycling right after you unbox your goodie.

(Hot tip: Want a reminder of how much you can get done in a minute? Next time your coffee goes cold, pop it in the microwave for a minute, and just stand there. For the whole minute. It’s kind of a long time.)

#3 Start a Load of Laundry Before Work

If you have a full load in the hamper, toss it in while you’re getting ready for work. By the time you leave, it will be ready for the dryer.

When you get home, you’ll already feel ahead of schedule with just a little fluffing and folding to do. 

#4 Always Leave a Room With Something in Hand

Whatever room you’re in, chances are there’s a toy, cup, blanket or T-shirt that needs to be delivered back to another room.

Oh hey, conveniently, you’re always walking into other rooms. Why not pickup a hitchhiker or two?

Every time you leave a room, take a quick scan for anything that belongs where you’re going, and you’ll start habitually keeping clutter under control.

#5 Deal With Your Mail Every Time You Bring It In

With so much of your important mail going straight to your inbox, sometimes you’ve got days of fliers and junk mail to wade through every time you make it to the USPS mailbox.

To banish paper clutter from your home — and make sure you catch anything actually worth reading — immediately sort through your mail, recycling the nonsense and putting the keepers in an assigned spot.

#6 Scan and Trash Weekly

You don’t really have to choose between forgetting what time the reception starts and stumbling over your cousin’s wedding invite for three months.

Thanks to this fancy technology stuff, you can clear out all receipts, invitations, insurance documents, and other important paperwork.

Take a few minutes every weekend to scan and save everything, then toss it all it the recycling. With smartphone apps like Genius Scan, you always have the tools in the palm of your hand.

#7 Tidy Up During Downtime

In the five minutes it takes to nuke your lunch, you can unload and possibly reload the dishwasher, or wipe off the countertops and appliances. You’ll be surprised how much order you can restore to your home during these normally wasted waiting-on-something moments.

#8 Make Your Bed as Soon as You Get Up

There’s a reason the Marines start the day with this simple task — also known as “wake and make.”

According to retired Admiral William H. McRaven, author of “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life … and Maybe the World,” “It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.”

#9 Do Chores in the Same Order

Whether you’re cleaning on a Saturday or Wednesday, your mind (and body) will move more quickly from vacuuming to mopping to dusting if you check chores off in the same order — making it easier to keep your home tidy and clean.

Headphones and a throwback playlist are a recommended, but not required, part of the routine.

#10 Spot-Clean Bathrooms Nightly

Just as clutter attracts clutter, bathroom funk quickly multiplies.

Stock every bathroom with Lysol wipes and you can quickly and easily clean the countertop and toilet when you brush your teeth or help the kids get ready for bed, Alkhas says.

While wiping, you’ll naturally put away the floss, hair ties, and other clutter in your path.

#11 Stop Dirt and Clutter at the Door

Establish a house rule that shoes, bags, jackets, and “pocket items” — your keys, sunglasses, wallet, and phone — are stowed in a drop zone at the door.

Make this easy to enforce by assigning one hook and open shelf for every member of the family — double that for those with lots of extracurriculars, Alkhas says.

 

#12 Clean Out the Fridge Weekly

Don’t let moldy leftovers take over shelf space and your mind.

The night before your garbage day, “wipe off the shelves and clean out anything that has no chance of being eaten,” Alkhas says. You’ll get a clearer view of your food options and open up space for ingredients needed in the coming week.

#13 Empty the Dishwasher Every Morning

The conquest of a homemade dinner (OK, a “home-prepared” dinner, most days) feels short-lived when you’re left with a mountain of dishes and no place to put them.

Take a couple minutes every morning to empty the dishwasher and you’ll stay ahead of the game.

#14 Conduct a Nightly Tidy-Up

Every night, take a laundry basket on a tour of your house and pick up anything that’s out of place. “You don’t have to put it away now. If you want, plan to do it on Saturday and it won’t take much time at all,” Alkhas says.

If there are more than two people in your household, separate the day’s clutter into assigned baskets for each family member to put away daily or weekly.

With this routine, Alkas adds, “you’ll wake up to a living room that’s decluttered and a kitchen that is tidy, and you can start your day fresh.”

#15 Follow a Clean-Out Schedule for Your Storage Areas

Just because it’s hidden behind a cupboard door doesn’t mean it’s exempt from clutter status.

Establish a schedule, perhaps every month, to rid a specific storage space of its dead weight — like expired food in the pantry, excess gadgets in a kitchen drawer, or the cupboard holding the gazillion ragged dishtowels you’ve had since your tiny college studio apartment. (It’s time to let those go.)

#16 Keep Everyone Involved

When one person leaves a dish in the sink, it paves a slippery slope for others to follow suit.

So have a “The Brady Bunch”-style family meeting to make sure everyone understands their responsibilities and chores for maintaining order in the home. Serve brownies. They’ll show up.

Great listing in Blackstone, MA!

September 25, 2018

Who doesn’t love an antique style cape in New England in the fall? In a picturesque setting in Blackstone on 1.83 acres with wraparound porch and barn style garage this is will be the house you fall in love with!  Enjoy the 3 season screened- in room off the farmer’s porch that overlooks the back yard and barn. Over-sized two and a half bay garage has room for all your items! Unfinished loft area above the garage bays can be your new workshop/office/hobby room. This home has so much to offer! Check out the dining room!

Take an interactive 3-D tour by clicking the photo below! Can’t believe what you see? Call or text 617*899*2146 to set up a time to see!