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Home Improvement

our august 2023 box and a giveaway

I’m happy to announce our August box giveaway! This Box is all about the French love of food and cooking and will be curated around the theme, Bon Apétit.

Good food is such a central and vital part of our everyday life here. Sitting down to eat is not only for sustenance. A meal is a moment to rest, to reflect, to talk, to exchange… and all too often here to start thinking about the next meal!

As with many homes around the world, the kitchen is the heart of the household. A place to prepare food, and also

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16/06/2023

Renovation

Buying and fixing up a house with one loan

Buying a home that requires a little TLC can often be cheaper than buying a home that doesn’t need any work, but paying for those repairs can be difficult. Luckily, if you’re a member of the military or served in the past, there’s a great way for you to finance renovations.

If you’re eligible for a VA loan, you can purchase and repair a fixer-upper with a VA rehab (also called a VA renovation) loan, which lets you roll repair costs into your mortgage.

What is a VA renovation loan?

A VA renovation loan is a type of mortgage that

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16/06/2023

Home Improvement

Home improvement issues were the 2nd biggest source of complaints in 2022

Home Improvement

Here’s how to file one in Massachusetts — and how to avoid getting into that mess in the first place.

The Globe’s Ask the Remodeler writer offers tips for vetting contractors. Adobe Stock

For the seventh year in a row, auto sales and repair complaints ranked first in the 2022 consumer complaint survey report, conducted by the Consumer Federation of America.

Home improvement/contractor issues and consumer debt/credit rank second and third, respectively.

Here’s what to know if you want to file a complaint in Massachusetts.

Start at the Attorney General’s Office. There, you can file a consumer complaint

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15/06/2023

Home Improvement

The Art of Slow Living & 5 Tips

The Art of Slow Living

When we went to Europe for the very first time- my husband and I noticed that there was a very different feeling in the way time seemed to flow there. That first morning, we were up before dawn ready to go get coffee and start exploring – but Paris was ready to sleep in for a few more hours. We spent the first few days in Paris learning to slow ourselves down a bit. And I say learning– because it was learning. It was a new thing to not just jump out of bed

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14/06/2023

Home Improvement

The Little-Known Secret to Turning Your Lawn Green Literally Overnight

When you’re selling your house, it’s no secret that curb appeal is the key to making a great first impression.

Spiffing up your landscaping and creating appealing outdoor spaces are two top ways to boost your home’s curb appeal. But what if you have brown spots, brown hedges, or even an entirely brown lawn—and the first open house is next week?

Well, there’s a short-term fix that can turn your yard green overnight: turf paint.

“Lawn paint is a water-based, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly solution specifically formulated to give the grass a vibrant green color,” says Gene Caballero, founder

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14/06/2023

House Renovation

What expenses can you deduct when renovating a rental property?

Rental property owners can typically deduct property taxes, insurance, interest, condo fees, repairs, utilities and other related costs. A rental property can even run at a loss allowing the taxpayer to claim deductions against their other sources of income.

Rental properties: Current vs capital expenses

There is a distinction between repairs and renovations for a rental property, Shawn. Repairs are referred to as current expenses, meaning they are deductible in the year incurred. Renovations are capital expenses that cannot be deducted immediately but can reduce your capital gain upon sale.

According to the Canada Revenue Agency:

A current expense is

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14/06/2023

House Design

The Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2023: Tour the Most Inspiring Interiors

The Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2023, now open and on view through May 21, celebrates several full-circle moments. The 11,000-square-foot Stewart House, within which 32 design firms have reimagined the interiors, also hosted the 19th annual Showcase House some four decades ago. As it turns out, the Marston & Maybury–designed residence has been in possession of the same family ever since.

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Much like the designer showcase, which was founded in 1965 and is considered one of the country’s oldest home and garden tours, the

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14/06/2023

Home Improvement

How to trim lavender topiaries to keep them beautiful

Oh those little potted lavender topiaries are such charmers aren’t they? Planted in little pots and lined up on the table or simply tucked anywhere you want a little bit of whimsy and charm. I adore them and I know so many of you do too. And every time I share them- I get a lot of questions about how to keep them looking good. Aka- when they get a bit wild and crazy- what do you do to make them beautiful again. I gave our topiaries a trim last weekend and so, today, sharing a bit more about how

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12/06/2023