Posts made by author 'Paige O. Roberts'

I recently ran into someone I hadn't seen in awhile. I was surprised to see this person in the local grocery store, since last I knew, they lived a few hours south in Massachusetts. When I asked if they were visiting, they informed me they were actually staying up north with relatives while trying to find a house to buy before wintertime. As we continued talking, they explained they weren't yet working with a lender or a realtor, and expressed some doubt and frustrations with their timeline and search. I think they felt the process would be easier than it has been. I also think they were looking for me to offer up some advice, though I didn't feel I had much I could give or that I'm qualified to give it.

Buying a house for the first time is such an exciting experience, but all the unknown and new territory can feel unfamiliar and stressful. There are a lot...

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We have reached that point in the year where fall begins to make itself known. There is a nip in the air as evenings set in, and if you look closely, a few trees are already beginning to change their colors. I love this time of year so much, but it serves as my warning sign of what's to come, and my to-do list starts writing itself. It feels like it was just weeks ago that I was cleaning up the yard from the long winter, and now I'm reminded that it's almost time to prepare the house for it once again.

One of my most prioritized tasks in the fall is making sure I take the time to prep and seal the house to prevent any critters from making it their home for the winter. I also schedule my annual late summer service to treat for lady beetles....

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We're in the midst of a heatwave, and it's making it next to impossible to spend any significant amount of time outside, but honestly, I'm struggling to spend time indoors as well. My house is old, and the building where my business is located is old too, and they both rely on window air conditioners to keep them cool this time of year. Although the window air conditioners try their best, when it's this hot outside, by the middle of the day the air inside will feel almost as hot as the air outside, both at my house and at my store. It's brutal, to say the least.

I've been considering having mini-splits installed in my house for quite some time, but each year I put it off; then summer rolls around, and I find myself in an August heatwave agai...

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Never did I think that I think I would pay so much attention to front porches, but here I am. Without intention, I find myself scrutinizing every house I drive past with a porch attached. Does it wrap around the whole house? Is it screened-in? How big is it? What's the railing situation? Stairs?

My house had a front porch until it didn't; it was more like a platform than a porch, as it was never intended to be permanent. It had a few steps off the sides, no railings. It served me well, but after a decade or so, it started to fail. Last fall, it began to pull away from the house and took some of the siding off with it. We replaced it with a much smaller porch, more like a landing pad for the stairs leading in and out of the front door. Altho...

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I recently conquered a lifelong fear of mine—well, a fear I've had at least as long as I've had a driver's license—and that was driving myself into the ever-intimidating city of Boston. I scored tickets to a concert at Fenway Park, but my initial excitement was quickly replaced by crippling anxiety over making the drive. For weeks, I'd start to get excited for the concert only to have it replaced by a pit in my stomach as I thought about the twists and turns of Boston streets. My brain even tossed in a few stressful driving dreams to top it all off, but the day finally arrived, so I put on my bravest face, loaded up the GPS, and made the trek.

I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Did I take...

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