5 Natural Home Fresheners You Can Make

September 24, 2018

Making your home smell delicious isn’t something you have to spend a lot of money on. Especially if you’ll be showing your home to potential buyers, or having an open house, you’ll want a fresh, clean scent to permeate your entire home so that it smells as great as it looks!

Here are five all-natural home fresheners that you can create yourself for a fraction of the cost of store-bought room fresheners, and without all the potentially harmful chemicals, too.

1. Lemon and rosemary

All you’ll need to create this fresh, clean scent is: a small stockpot, water, a few sprigs of rosemary, a lemon, and about a ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Fill your pot a little over halfway with water, add a sliced lemon, the rosemary sprigs, and the vanilla extract, and let it simmer on the stove and fill your home with a lovely scent. You can also place the mixture in jars with holes in the lids around the house, but you’ll want to change the solution every other day or so.

2. DIY reed diffuser

You’ve probably seen expensive reed diffusers in home stores. You can make one (or several) yourself very easily! The supplies you’ll need include a small vase, baby oil or mineral oil, essential oil of the fragrance you desire, and a few bamboo skewers or rattan diffusing sticks.

Fill the bottom of the jar with a half-inch of baby oil or mineral oil. Add the scented essential oil you’ve chosen (lemon and orange always smells clean, and lavender is very relaxing). Add your skewers or reed, and tie a ribbon bow around the vase for decoration. The oil will diffuse up the skewers or reeds, and will fill your home with your amazing essential oil fragrances!

3. Scented wood blocks

To make these easy and long-lasting fragrance diffusers, you’ll simply need some wood blocks, a small paint brush, and your choice of essential oil fragrances (or perfume oil). Cover the outside of the blocks in scented oil using the paintbrush, and let them sit overnight to absorb the oil fully. Wipe off the excess oil, and place these in inconspicuous places around the house (but make sure you place them on a small plate, jar lid, or any other glass or plastic container as the oil will leach onto any porous surfaces.) If you find your blocks need refreshing, simply “paint” them with more essential oil!

4. Au naturale orange candles

When we say natural – we mean natural! For these easy to make candles, you’ll need an orange (or oranges), a knife, any type of vegetable oil, and a candle lighter (not matches or a cigarette lighter). Cut the orange in half, and carefully run the knife around the edges of the orange to loosen the fruit. Remove the fruit, but be careful not to remove the inside stem – the white stem that sticks up from the orange’s center.

Once the inside of the orange is cleaned out, add oil to fill it just over halfway full. The stem will absorb the oil in about 45 minutes. Now you can “light” your orange.

The reason you’ll need a candle lighter is because it’s going to take a few minutes to dry the orange stem out enough for it to catch a flame. So hold the flame from the candle lighter to the stem, and just keep it there. Once it turns brown or black, it is ready to light. Keep trying to light it until it “catches”, and there you have it – an entirely homemade orange candle!

5. Easy refreshing room spray

Instead of buying bottles filled with chemicals you can’t even pronounce to refresh your rooms, why not make your own room spray out of completely natural ingredients? It’s easy, and you can create any scent you can imagine. We’re going to make lemon basil spray.

You’ll need: a 16 ounce spray bottle (you can use an old hairspray pump bottle, just make sure you rinse it out really well), ¾ cup of water, ½ cup of water, a tablespoon of vodka, 4 tablespoons of dried basil, a coffee filter and 5 drops of lemon essential oil.

In a small pot, bring the ½ cup of water to a boil and add the basil. Let that steep for four minutes. In a separate pot, bring the ¾ cup water to a boil. Line your funnel with the coffee filter, and place the funnel in the opened spray bottle. Pour the steeped basil water into the funnel, letting the coffee filter catch the basil. Now pour in the ¾ boiling water, vodka, and essential oil. Shake it up to mix, and then spray!

You can refresh this on a weekly basis using any essential oil and herbs you want, and you can also add extracts such as almond or vanilla – you’ll only need a few drops. Get creative and come up with deliciously scented room sprays of your own!

*Price Change in Leicester*

September 20, 2018

Nicely renovated large farm house style colonial on a tree lined country road is now reduced to  $294,999!

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 AND septic! Great yard! Great commuter location! 3 bedrooms, large general living space and over 1700 sq feet!

Gorgeous Rental in Millbury, MA

September 20, 2018

Single Family Rental Available November 15th! Lovely colonial home in Millbury 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, 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.

Group Showings Saturday 9/22 11am to 1pm – call to schedule your time!

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!

Why FALL Might Be The Best Time to Buy a Home!

September 19, 2018

A lot of people think the best time to buy a house is during the Spring market.

And, it is…

…in the sense that more houses are listed for sale in the Spring. <em>But,</em> there’s also a heck of a lot more buyers trying to buy those listings.

The thing is, some of the houses listed back in the Spring don’t end up selling. (Usually just because they were overpriced.)

Now, it isn’t like new listings don’t happen in the Fall. There’s always new listings coming on the market. But it’s not like, just because it’s Fall and not Spring, prices are necessarily going to fall. In other words, new listings aren’t likely to list for a lot lower than you would have seen in the Spring.

However, the homeowners who did list back in the Spring, are much more likely to be anxious (perhaps even desperate) to sell their home. They’ve created their own problem…they missed the boat by pricing too high.

Which is great news for you, if you’re looking to buy a home:

Less competition. (Many buyers stop looking at this time of year…for no good reason.)

Motivated sellers. (They’re sick of being on the market, and wondering why nobody bought their house.)

But it isn’t always easy to find those listings. They don’t wave a white flag, or lower their price to some ridiculous amount everyone would notice. If only it were that easy…
Just because someone listed their home back in the Spring doesn’t mean they’ll be all that negotiable.

There are certain things a great real estate agent will know to look for.

And I love rolling up my sleeves and finding the ones we can most likely negotiate the best deals on.

So, got anything you want me to roll up my sleeves and look for? Real estate deals won’t just fall in your lap, but I can certainly help you find one this Fall.

Bonus!
Want another reason to buy a home in the Fall?

You can take advantage of year-end sales to outfit your home!

Hardly anybody buys a home who doesn’t want (or need) to make improvements, however small. So why not coordinate your purchase with sales on items you’ll need? According to Consumer Reports, September is an ideal time for buying carpet and paint. In October lawn mowers go on sale, and the same goes for appliances and cookware in November.

**New Listing in Blackstone, MA!**

September 18, 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 backyard! Take an interactive 3-D tour by clicking the photo below! Can’t believe what you see? Come visit us and see! Open Houses scheduled for Thursday 9/20 5pm to 6:30pm, Saturday 9/22 and Sunday 9/23 12pm to 2pm!

Mold. UGH. Soooo Gross. Here’s How to Kill It Forever!

September 4, 2018

By: Stacey Freed

By the way, bleach doesn’t work. And don’t try to scrape it off, either.

Ugh. Mold. It’s ugly. It’s tenacious. It’s the uninvited guest that keeps visiting — no matter how rude you are to it. But, unwittingly, you may be setting up the perfect conditions for mold’s return: a food source, lots of moisture, and a pleasant temperature.

“You’ve got to eliminate one of those three legs of the stool so mold won’t grow,” says Pete Duncanson, director of system development for ServiceMaster Restore. “And it’s always easier to prevent than to remediate.”

Assuming you like warm showers and a comfy thermostat setting, there’s not much you can do about the temperature mold loves. But you can get rid of mold — and permanently prevent it — by controlling the other two factors: food and moisture. Here’s how.

Starve It Out:

Mold is a horror flick cliché. It’s everywhere. It’s alive. It spreads by spores floating in the air. And it can grow on any surface — porcelain, plastic, copper, silicone — as long as that surface is coated with organic matter.

“Mold doesn’t live on your shower walls or the grout or caulk; it actually lives on the deposited skin cells and soap residues (which have your skin cells in them),” Duncanson says. So. Gross. So, yes, if you want to get rid of mold you gotta break out the cleaning bucket. There’s no way around it. But the good news is that you don’t need toxic cleaners. Soap and water works just fine with some elbow grease, says Bob Justewicz, a director at the National Association of Mold Professionals.

But two warnings:

(1) Don’t bleach it. Online chat rooms and myriad websites might have you believe that bleach kills mold. Both professionals say it’s not true. “Bleach or peroxide removes the stain, but they don’t kill the mold,” Duncanson says.

(2) Don’t scrape it. Remember, mold is alive (it’s ALIVE!) and reproduces through microscopic spores. “If you brush [mold spores] with your hand, they just go into the air and look for new places to colonize,” Duncanson says.

What about those daily shower sprays? Will they work? They are of some benefit, says Duncanson, in that they help push mold’s food sources down the drain. But as a solo act, no, they won’t keep your bathroom clean.

Dry It Out:

How? Use your exhaust fan. “Running the fan any time the bathroom is in use is a good idea,” Duncanson says. “Then leave it on for 30 minutes after or at least as long as the shower ran.”

But make sure your fan actually exhausts outside through the roof or a side soffit and not into the attic. “If it’s going into the attic, you’re causing moisture to go into an unconditioned space, and you can cause mold growth there.”

No exhaust fan? “Any movement of air will help dry out the bathroom,” says Justewicz. “Even a desk fan on the vanity will help.”

After a shower, use a towel or squeegee to wipe down shower walls. Open the shower curtain to let it dry. Mop any water spills on the floor and counters. Avoid piling in too many shampoo and body wash bottles. They’re a perfect place for moisture and mold spores to hide.

Make It Stay Away:

Here are a few more tips if your bathroom mold seems especially strong-willed:

Re-caulk. Mold adores crevices — probably because it knows you can’t reach it there. If lots of mold has built up on your caulking, it’s probably because it’s spread deep into unseen spaces behind it. If so, re-caulking may solve the problem. Just be sure to follow these tips to keep the problem from getting worse:

• Once you’ve removed the compromised caulk, be sure to thoroughly clean and dry the area before putting down new caulk.
• Use caulk labeled specifically for the bathroom, which means it will be mold resistant.
• Let it cure for at least 24 hours (or as long as it needs to) before taking a shower or bath. If it’s not dry, it’ll allow moisture to creep back in, undoing all your hard work.

–Check everywhere for mold. If it keeps coming back, it may have a colony somewhere you haven’t found. Check behind the toilet and under the sink. Moist drywall and wallpaper are tasty treats for mold.

–Install a humidity monitor. Affordable at around $10, they can let you know when moisture is building before it turns into an indoor rain forest.

–Know when to get help. If it keeps coming back, or you see areas of mold the size of a quarter or bigger you want professional help. “You’re dealing with excessive moisture or a food source that needs to be controlled,” Duncanson says.

How to Get Rid of Bathroom Mold:

• Use soap and water, not bleach. Bleach only discolors it; it does not get rid of mold.
• Keep your bathroom as dry as possible. Use squeegees on shower walls and doors. Use an exhaust fan religiously. Wipe wet areas with dry towels.
• Recaulk your tile if necessary. Be sure to get caulk that is meant for humid and wet areas, like bathrooms.
• Get a humidity monitor to let you know when moisture is building up to mold-friendly levels.

9 Irritating Things About Summer Heat (and How to Nix Them)!

September 3, 2018

By: Nancy Mann Jackson

Like bugs. And leggy flowers. And sky-high energy bills.

Dog days of summer? More like the mosquito days. And super sweaty days. By the end of summer it can feel like bugs, grime, sweat, and heat have taken over your home. And you get to pay for it with high cooling bills. Ugh.

Here are the most annoying things about summer and how to get rid of them:

#1 Spiders and Ants:

When the days are long and hot, bugs get thirsty, just like we do. So they may be invading your home in search of water.

To cut them off from your homey oasis, you’ll need to make sure your doors and windows are sealed, but also check where pipes and wires enter your house for tight seals, too.

How to get rid of spiders:

Vacuum your home thoroughly, clear away any cobwebs, and throw away the vacuum bag. (Vacuums typically kill spiders, but their egg sacs are pretty hardy.)

Peppermint oil, diluted with water in a spray bottle, can also help drive away some spider species.

How to get rid of ants:

When you catch an ant on the march, you’ll need to do more than un-premeditated murder to halt the parade.

Ants leave a scent trail wherever they go, so clean the area with soap and water to knock out the parade route.

Then go after the whole colony with a cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of boric acid. Dip cotton balls in the mixture, and place them in dishes in areas where you’ve seen ants.

#2 Stinky Garbage

In late summer, everything is ripe — including your trash. Alas, garbage is garbage, but you can deodorize your trash can in a couple of ways:

• Make the night before the garbage truck comes “Clean-Out-the-Fridge Day” to minimize stinky leftovers piling up in the bag.
• Sprinkle a little baking soda in the bottom of each new liner, and add a bit more to the trash every morning. Tossing a dryer sheet in the bottom of every trash bag — even if it’s already been used in the dryer — can also help neutralize nasty odors.

#3 Hot Feet on the Patio or Deck:

Foot burns are the worst.

Soothe your soles. Add a pergola over your patio or deck, and you’ll increase your home’s value while protecting your bare feet.

Other options, such as a retractable canvas awning or a shade sail, can also do the trick while adding versatility and color to your outdoor space.

#4 Ugly, Leggy Plants:

By late summer, your plants may begin to look leggy, meaning they’re just long stems with a meek flower at the end.

Rather than looking foliage-full like they did a month or two ago, leggy plants look thin, spindly, and sad. Not so good for curb appeal.

Grab your clippers for an easy fix. Just cut back about half the stems two-thirds of the way to their base. Within a couple of weeks, those cut stems will be blooming with new flowers, and you can cut back the other half.

Your refreshed pots and beds should keep looking good (and getting enviable looks from neighbors) for a few more months.

#5 Mosquitoes:

Cheesy pun alert: Mosquitoes are the ultimate summer buzzkill. (We warned you.)

But it’s true: Nothing ruins outdoor fun faster than swarm of these pesky stingers.

Clogged gutters with standing water are basically a mosquito maternity ward, so keep them clear of debris at all times.

Look for other areas that contain standing water, and clean them regularly: the dog’s outdoor water bowl, the bird bath, and that wagon the kids left out before it rained.

Also, it may seem obvious, but: Install an outdoor fan! Mosquitoes are wimps when it comes to breezes.

#6 Pop-Up Thunderstorms:

Those pop-up summer storms can be a refreshing break from a hot spell. But when a freak storm leaves a large branch or tree in your yard — or worse, on your home or fence — it can be downright scary.

The good news is that when a tree — even your neighbor’s tree — lands on your home or other insured structure, your homeowner’s insurance should cover it.

If it simply landed in your yard and didn’t hit a structure, you’re likely on your own when it comes to removing the debris. In that case, take comfort in the fact that your house is safe.

#7 Sky-High Power Bills:

As summer heat rises, so do your utility bills.

To fight back against the annual assault of energy bills, start with the basics: Install a programmable thermostat — and program it. Get your AC maintained regularly to increase its efficiency, and replace the air filters regularly.

Beyond that, some creative cooling strategies can help you save even more. So turn off your central air, and employ these cheaper cooling techniques.

Here’s how to lower your power bill in the summer:

• Get a couple of cheaper window units for key rooms and use only when there. Like the bedroom when you’re sleeping, or one near the dog’s crate when you’re gone.
• You can also free yourself from AC completely, using fans.
• And during the daytime, when the sun is beating down, draw your blinds and curtains — a simple step that can drastically reduce the sun’s effect on your home’s indoor temp.

#8 HVAC Noise:

Who can enjoy the birds chirping and crickets cricketing with your AC whizzing all day?

Don’t sweat the noise pollution; take the opportunity to drown it out with something beautiful, like a water feature in your backyard. There’s nothing like the sound of rushing water to lull you into relaxing, forgetting the heat, and soaking up the last few weeks of summer.

Or just switch that baby off. Who needs to cool the house when you’re sipping ice tea on the patio?

#9 A Crunchy, Brown Lawn:

By late summer, we’re all wilting a bit. But when your once-lush lawn seems to have brown highlights — or a complete brown color wash — your home’s curb appeal will start drying up.

Brown grass isn’t always nature’s fault. Your brown grass may be the result of mowing your grass too short. Leave at least 1-3 inches of grass above the root so the grass can absorb enough water to combat the heat.

If your grass is browning because of drought, make sure your sprinklers are adjusted properly, and water less often for longer periods.

If you live in a drought-prone area, you may be better off removing most of your grass and opting for hardscaping or another drought-friendly groundcover.

What’s not to like about stone walls, gravel paths, or paved patios? Install enough of it, and you can ditch your lawn completely.

Renovated home for sale in Leicester!

September 3, 2018

Nicely renovated large farm house style colonial on a tree lined 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. 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! Now listed for just $299,999!

Check out the full listing HERE!

Check out the 3D tour HERE!