MLB

We're refinancing our home, and through our bank hired Kasparian Appraisals and Consulting. We were assigned to Meredith, who was very flexible when our household had to cancel as a result of a week-long flu. Once we rescheduled, she was prompt, courteous, and explained so much to us about the appraisal project. Meredith was personable and very well-informed, and we would recommend her and her company.

We were driving down Route 9 and saw a sign in front of Nick's Rug, advertising bound remnants for area carpets. We stopped in, and a VERY nice gentleman showed us the options (around 100 choices), and we were really pleased with the quality, variety, and value. We selected an area rug for our living room, and a smaller piece for our sons' room. These are remnants that were bound on the edges, and we were able to get a VERY high quality, plush carpet for a really good price. If we need carpets in the future we'll go there!

We are buying a home and the seller died, so very little is known about the home's condition. Joel from Tiger Home Inspection arrived before our scheduled appointment and did some o the exterior review before we even met. He was very patient and explained every detail. We were able to go back to the seller's estate lawyer and discuss various issues not only with the inspection report, but also with the knowledge Joel gave us through his explanations. From the urnace in the basement to the insulation in the attic, Joel showed me everything about the house. I cannot recommend Joel enough.

Upscale ConsignMint has a wide variety of items for resale. The furniture and houseware selection was much larger than I expected. I'd heard about the store's clothing choices, but was surprised when I found a piece of art that worked well for our home, and then a bookcase that met our needs. The staff was pleasant, and although it was a busy time, took the time to answer my questions. I'd recommended this store as a place to go for used/resale items not only to save money, but to find really unique items.

We went to MAKI to get a selection of wood that we needed for some home projects--replacing part of a door frame, shoring up a deck, and shoring up a support beam in our basement. The service was great, prices are good, and they really do have a wide selection of construction materials--much better than the "big box" stores.

We were amazed by the huge store and the variety of choices for office furniture at ROI Industries. When we needed to outfit our home office, we didn't want to buy brand new furniture for 2 reasons: 1) we didn't want to have to assemble it and 2) we wanted to save some money. A friend recommended ROI, and we went there in search of two desks and filing cabinets. The clerks were extremely helpful in determining our needs and showing us inventory that met our specific functional needs for work, including chairs that would adapt to keyboard differences. In the end we bought a desk, chair, two tables, and a filing cabinet for just under $250, an amazing bargain. I'll go there again when I need more home office items.

Building 19 and 1/5 has a wide selection of household goods, from books to kitchenwares to furniture. You never know what you'll find when you go, because they seem to be a clearinghouse for all sorts of discount items. We went to get two kitchen chairs to match our kitchen table, and sure enough, after thoroughly searching the store, we found exactly what we needed at an affordable price. The clerks weren't very helpful--this is a do-it-yourself type of store--but that's exactly what we expected going in.

We went to Idylwilde Farms first for their astounding selection of food--fresh organic produce, specialty gourmet foods, and more. We then discovered the garden center side--potted mums and plants, garden supplies, and more. We purchased a number of potted plants and some small garden supplies, such as buckets and a bag of mulch. The service was excellent and it's one-stop shopping: garden supplies AND wonderful groceries, all in one spot.

I needed to buy some small tools for a minor bathroom repair. The store was sparsely occupied by service people--it was very hard to find anyone to help me with my simple question, although it was not a particularly busy time of day. Once I found someone, the clerk was unsure of the answer to my question, but did take the time to call another store to get more information so that I could buy the appropriate tools.

When I painted a screened porch and two rooms in my house, Economy Paint Supply was recommended to me by various neighbors and friends. The couple who owned the shop were wonderful in explaining the intricacy of the different paints I would need, the color blends that would be complimentary, and so forth. I went into the store amazed by the variety of wallpapers, borders, and paints that they offer in such a tiny store. It's easy to miss this gem on North Main Street, but I strongly recommend not only the Benjamin Moore brand, but their service as well. The colors worked beautifully for all three rooms.

We were painting the entire interior of our new home, and needed wall paint in various colors, ceiling paint, and trim paint. The clerk helped me select good quality paints, determined which paint companies sold larger volume cans (and therefore saved me money), and mixed the exact color paint I needed. The personal service was so much better than at big box stores, and the clerk helped load everything into my car for me. Excellent service!

We went to buy a new washer and dryer when our current ones has computer chip problems. The salesperson at MCM showed us all the different kinds of washers and dryers and explained the difference between front loaders, stackables, and European waser/dryers in one machine. We bought an Amana washer and dryer set and the delivery was smooth and simple.

WEBS is the warehouse for their online and retail operations, and for anyone who is interested in weaving, knitting, crocheting, and other home arts, WEBS can't be missed. You can wander the warehouse aisles and find amazing bargains, and I've been able to make dish towels, blankets, sweaters, door stoppers, and more using yard purchased there. The store is very kid-friendly (although you have to keep a careful eye on the kids) and they offer additional discounts based on volume purchases.

I wanted to make some custom duvet covers for my bed and to send to an orphanage in Eastern Europe. The women in the sewing center at Joann were so smart about the best fabrics, stitches, batting, and other issues that would affect the look and the wear of the duvet cover. They pointed me to sale items, helped to determine the right amount of material, and made my project a success.

We rented a storage space for $55 per month for 12 months. The staff at Ideal Movers and Storage was very professional, and answered any questions we had about access, dryness, and theft issues. We were able to access our storage place using an access code, and the items were always dry, although they were on ground level and in a garage. When we ended our rental they did not try to charge us for extra time, as some storage facilities often do. They were very honest and we would use them again.

The car detailing weexpected did not come through, although the staff worked very hard to remove a specific--and difficult--stain. I found pencils and dirt still in crevices in my car, which I would not expect to find after a professional detailing. While I believe I got my money's worth, and they worked very hard to remove the stubborn stain, compared to other detailing jobs I've had done, this was mediocre. On the other hand, we've rented trucks from Potter's and have been extremely pleased by the price and service--I highly recommend the rental, but not the detailing.

We are about to sell our house and need an appraisal for the sale. We've never had a house appraised before, and went to FSI Appraisals based on word of mouth recommendations. Shirley called to schedule the appointment, appeared on time, and was extremely efficient. She asked me about home improvements made on the house, climbed into our loft space, and answered my many questions about the process. At every step she was extremely professional and personable.

My sons begged me to get a pet. Dogs and cats are out because of pet allergies in the family. We looked at buying fish or reptiles. When we arrived at Dave's a very nice, young clerk answered every single question in a friendly, knowledgeable manner. He treated my 8 year old and 5 year old with great respect, answered their questions and listened attentively to their comments, and gave us information sheets on the various aquariums and animals. We selected two Hermit crabs, and a new clerk helped us with an aquarium purchase and all of the needed supplies for the crabs. Two weeks later we received a follow-up card from Dave's with a $5 coupon and telling us to come in if we had questions about our new pets. I was very impressed and we will do all of our pet shopping at Dave's.

I drove from Leominster to Shrewsbury to check out the Christmas Tree Shops because so many people raved about them. I was expecting lower-end products but was pleasantly surprised to find really good quality decorations and a great deal of gourmet food! The store was full but not crowded, and I was surprised by how quickly the cashier lines went! The decorations worked well in our home and outside as well. I'll shop there again.

I went to Michael's Arts and Crafts to get wooden numbers and paint for painting a custom home number for my house. The store was full of clearance materials--this was after Christmas--and everything was disorganized. I had specific questions about paint but could not find a clerk anywhere, even when I went to the cashier. I finally found a clerk to help, and she was wonderful. I bought the needed items, but wish there had been more staff present to assist customers.

When our windows failed but were covered under warranty, Leader Home Center received the delivery and the contract for installation. The installers were excellent, but noted that one of the windows was incorrect--it should have been tempered glass and was not. They promised to contact us and order a new one, but never did.

We needed a carpet cleaner to deal with a washing machine flood. Taylor Rental Center was open early, and we were able to walk away with the carpet cleaner on the spot. The machine worked well, there were no complications, and we saved the carpeting in the basement.

We called Minuteman Pest Control shortly after moving into our house. Our 5 year old was stung twice when standing on our tiny 6x8 deck, and we realized there was a nest under it. We picked Minuteman Pest Control out of the phone book, and the service person came that day. He discovered an enormous nest under our deck--at least 18 inches long--and came back a second day to destroy it properly. We were very appreciative of his hard--and dangerous--work.

We needed to have our basement family room carpeted, and Summerlin Floors provided us with excellent service. When I went to the showroom I was given plenty of room to look, but also plenty of attention. A nice balance. Installation was quick, on time, and clean. The price was a great value for the work, and I love the carpet!

Annie's Garden Center is small but thorough. They have a great selection of organic mulch, vermiculite, and other square foot gardening materials. We had hard time finding a clerk for checkout, but otherwise the store was great.

Risa Goldman from Simply Organized came to our home office after we purchased a few hours of her time during a charity auction. The time she spent with us, understanding our specific home office needs, our habits, and our goals, was so amazing that we hired her to come back a second time. She taught up enduring principles for organization and for the psychology behind disorganization. We highly recommend her.

When we went to buy our house, our real estate agent gave us three business cards for three different home inspectors. We called all three, and chose Woodland Home Inspections because they were the most professional. Rock Woodland did a great job inspecting our home, and we got a fair understanding of the issues--and lack of issues--in the 100 year old house. I would highly recommended Woodland Home Inspection to anyone considering buying a home.

Our first carpeting experience with Little's Florring was so positive that we called them a second time for a second room. The owner came to our house to do an estimate, and worked with us to create the best pricing scheme possible. His installers were quick, on time, and cleaned up after the project. The quality, friendliness, and fair pricing impressed us.

Twice we've used Osterman for our propane tank. We only use gas for our kitchen stove, so we only need a fillup every 18 months or so. Both times we've called their office, we've been quoted a specific price, and when the gas delivery person arrives, they fill the tank and THEN present us with a bill for $.25 to $1.49 more *per gallon* than we were quoted over the phone. We're then told to call the home office if we have a complaint. The first time it happened, the difference was a few dollars, but the second time it happened the difference was over $50, and repeated calls to Osterman went ignored. The only positive--they did same-day delivery of gas, and the driver was nice.

Air Solutions in Southampton was the only certified duct cleaning and sanitizing company we could find in the area, and they were willing to travel from Southampton to Amherst. Dave came to our home, used a flexible camera to show us the conditions of our ducts, and recommended hard piping our dryer vent to reduce electric bills and humidity in our home, as well as reducing fire hazards. He was quick, efficient, and did an excellent job overall.

When our heating bills doubled in one month, and our system's red warning light started blinking, we were stumped. Oour geothermal coil system is very unique, and requires a specialized technician. We were told that the nearest technician was located in Troy, New York, and a service call would be prohibitively expensive. Neighbors recommended Deerfield Valley Heating and Cooling, and they sent a specialist. It took two service calls, but he finally isolated the problem--a freon leak in our system--and made the repairs. The technician was reliable, helped educate us about our system, and did a great job overall.

We moved into a new house and inherited the former owner's washer and dryer. As if on cue, the washer stopped working three weeks after we moved in. As it was a Kenmore brand, we called Sears for a service call. The repairman was friendly enough, but told us that it was a simple rebooting issue. He rebooted the computer, charged us $50, and started the machine. The next time we tried to use it, the machine malfunctioned and flooded. When we called Sears to ask them to return and repair their mistake, we were refused service.

J&J Upholsterers did an outstanding job on two separate chairs for us. My husband's aunt used them to reupholster two recliners, and she recommended them highly. We hired them first to reupholster an old Morris chair, and the quality was so good that we hired them to do a secoond piece, an old recliner. They brought fabric samples to the house, charged for labor and fabric separately, explained the process, picked up the chair, and even delivered the second chair to our new home after picking it up at our old home during a move! The quality is excellent, and their customer service and rates were appealing.

We experienced a six inch flood in our basement, and the water rose high enough to destroy the burner for our furnace. After waking at 3am to a 50 degree house in early, snowy March, we called Spadafore Oil. They sent a repair person right away; he said he responded quickly in part because he knew we had a toddler in our home. The water had receded once the repairman arrived, and he determined that the burner was destroyed, but the furnace was intact. The repairman was able to start the furnace, left to go to Spadafore Oil's offices to locate a part, and returned that day to replace the burner. We strongly recommend Spadafore Oil not just for oil service but for furnace and emergency repairs.

We had a tree in our yard that was threatening to fall on the house. After getting estimates from three area companies, Olympic Tree offered the best price and was able to do the work immediately. We were pleased with the quality of the work, the safety and care taken, the clean-up, and Olympic Tree's willness to chip the branches and leave the mulch at our request. In addition, when we had issues with another tree, Olympic Tree told us to see if the tree was on city property; it was, and the city took care of it, saving us hundreds of dollars we expected to pay. Olympic Tree's integrity and honesty makes them worth a strong recommendation as well.