Home Tips of the Month

It’s hard to believe how few homeowners have annual pest inspections. Pest inspections are inexpensive, especially when one considers the cost of repairs from termites, carpenter ants, etc. Carpenter ants love wet wood; we have a lot of rain in the Boston area; your house is a magnet for carpenter ants. Termites live in the ground and “visit” your house and garage via sand tubes, which are very hard to see. If you live in a wood frame house, your house could be “attacked” by carpenter bees. When you plan your annual home maintenance, do add a pest inspection to your list.

I haven’t done this before but I wanted to share with you the names of a few people/companies whose service, work, products have been outstanding in my interactions with them:

Gibbons Electric – Stephen is the owner. 

781-648-7771

Bloom – shades, blinds, plantation shutters

694 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown

Alex Carpia Flooring – for installation of engineered wood (can’t use traditional wood on concrete floors) 

617-606-8108

Daniel Tringale – wood flooring installation 

781-861-7343

Nam Floors – he’s a magician at repairing wood flooring 

617-861-5607

Hub Leather and Repairs – they revive your leather furniture and repair any areas where the leather has flaked 

617-489-0315

If/when you call any of these, please use my name. I don’t get any compensation, but you’ll get better/quicker service. Contractors appreciate broker referrals.

Please remove English ivy from your trees (and garden) and pass the word along to your friends, family, and neighbors. English ivy is an invasive species, strangling and killing our beautiful trees. Besides being lovely to look and an awesome product of Nature, the leaves help to purify the air.

Best,

Bonny

 




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Home Tips of the Month

When the inside of your microwave is messy with stuck-on food, spray it with Fantastik; put the microwave on High for 1 minute; and wipe it clean with a wet sponge or cloth. Oh so easy! 
 
Through trial and error, I think I have found the best way to make a cut lemon last. The most important part is to cut a wedge or slice to suit your needs (don’t make a slit in the lemon and squeeze some juice and put the lemon back in the refrigerator). To store the cut lemon, just put it, as is, in the vegetable crisper until you want to use it again. If there is a long time between uses, you  might need to slice a thin section off the surface; but the lemon could last for weeks with this procedure. It doesn’t work with limes.
 
If you look around your house and would like to divest of some items for a simpler, less cluttered lifestyle, I’d be glad to email you my list of sources for selling or donating your artwork, furnishings, books, clothing. The list also includes sources for people to haul your junk. 
 
When putting flowers in a vase, cut the bottom of the stems on the diagonal; remove any leaves below the water line; have warm water at an upper level in the vase and continue to add as the water evaporates. Your flowers should last longer.
 
Please remove English ivy from your trees (and garden) and pass the word along to your friends, family, and neighbors. English ivy is an invasive species, strangling and killing our beautiful trees. Besides being lovely to look as an awesome product of Nature, the leaves help to purify the air.
 
 
Happy Spring!
 
Very best,
Bonny



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34-36 Frederick Street, Belmont 02478

Well-located, 2-unit house in Belmont, near transportation, shops, restaurants, a Stop & Shop. Pequoisette Park at the bottom of the street has a children’s playground, tennis courts, a soccer field, basketball court and lots of space for active children and adults to have fun. Belmont’s impressive school system is a magnet for renters, and buying a 2-unit house is a great way to get a foothold into the Town. The house has cute curb appeal with happy trim colors and a nice front porch, perched high enough above the street to give privacy. Each apartment has a porch in the back and enjoyment of the fenced yard. Classic 5/6 floor plan has spacious living rooms with piano windows and dining rooms with built-in china cabinets and plate rail molding; each room has window bays.The bathroom is conveniently located between the 2 bedrooms. L-shaped eat-in-kitchens have good cabinetry storage and a door leading to the back porch for outdoor dining. Storage & w/d in basement. 2-car parking.




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773 Concord Avenue, Unit 406, Cambridge 02138

This lovely penthouse residence is flooded with light from abundant large windows with long private views. You will enjoy serene, south-facing views of Fresh Pond Conservation and Little Pond, as well as spectacular sunsets from the west. The spacious open floor plan provides you with so many options for decorating and furniture placement. It’s a party-perfect layout to entertain your friends while watching a game on the tube or seated at the long bar, watching you play chef. The kitchen is well equipped with stainless steel appliances: a gas range, refrigerator with French doors, dishwasher and disposal. You won’t have claustrophobia living here, with the high ceilings and oversized rooms. The master bedroom has a wall of windows, a walk-in closet, a second closet, and lovely en suite bathroom. The second bedroom is presently used as an office. For a third bedroom/guest room, the office with French doors doubles nicely. AC, in-unit w/d; garage parking. Near the T; bus; amenities.



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42 Madison Avenue, Unit 1, Cambridge 02140

Delightful 5 room, 2 bedroom condominium with an expansive living area perfect for parties or stay-at-home evenings, with lots of wall space for your flat screen TV and bookcases. Wonderfully located, you would be near the bike path, the Alewife or Davis Square T’s, shopping, restaurants, cinema and Rtes 2/16 if that’s the way you go to work. The open plan has been cleverly designed so that you have your own office nook, discreetly placed to hide copier, shredder, etc. The renovated semi-open kitchen, with SS Bosch dishwasher, has warm wood cabinetry and quartz counters with an impressive amount of cabinet storage in the main part of the kitchen and along the extended wall. Dining out of doors, relaxing with drinks, enjoying a good book is a breeze here. Just step out onto your private porch, overlooking the oversized common yard, and enjoy the tranquility of it all. There is a private washer and dryer and good storage in the basement. 3-unit association, all owner-occupied. Near T’s.




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