Bill Primavera's (williamprimavera) Blog

Between a childhood in South Philadelphia and an early adulthood spent in Boston and Brooklyn Heights, I never had much exposure to birds or birdwatching (unless sharing the sidewalk with flocks of pigeons counts).   But now, after decades of living in a leafy suburb, the birds of our region have...

Last month, residents of Mount Vernon breathed a sigh of relief as a long-abandoned home in their city was finally torn down. The building had stood empty for four years, and was then damaged by fire two years ago. Finally, the high winds and snow accumulation from the recent winter storm caused ...

As we settle into the year 2016, it’s time for the Home Guru to report on the closing of the fourth quarter of the housing market in 2015 and to take a look into his crystal ball and see how experts say it might behave in the months ahead.Closing out 2015: Just in are the results of the last thre...

In the early days of our marriage, my wife and I lived in a small New York City studio apartment, and we had to make the most of what space we had. Some of our neighbors opened up floor space by sleeping on Murphy beds that folded up vertically into the wall. We opted instead to purchase an extra...

As I observe holiday wreaths dotting the front doors of homes, I am reminded that I’ve written about how important the condition of the front door is when it comes to the sale of a home. I thought about that recently when I opened a couple of doors for showings where the owners might have benefit...

Come holiday time, my wife Margaret and I have always engaged in a practice I suspect many homeowners share: in addition to buying gifts for each other, we also buy gifts “for the home.” Over the course of our marriage, these have ranged from practical choices, such as new appliances, to objet d’...

Every year, just as wintry weather arrives, I receive a call or email from the first supplier I ever used when moving to Westchester, Dave Goldberg of Dave Goldberg Plumbing and Heating, making sure that I remind readers to prepare for the frigid months ahead. This year, he expanded his email wit...

While I wear the mantle of The Home Guru, I get practically all of my ideas and advice from others who are specialists in their fields. But most times, the spark of an idea comes right at home, faced with a chore to be done or some small improvement to make life easier or more enjoyable. And freq...

Steps. Some people seek to avoid them in their housing choices, preferring one-level living, while others insist on having sleeping quarters on a second level. And, the reasons for either preference can be quite different.When I was very young, maybe five or six years old, I had a recurring dream...

Normally built-ins are utilized to transform dead zones into functional space, such as under stairs or windows, or between fireplaces and corners, but with our most recent project, there were a couple of other objectives to achieve besides organization, storage and display.Because my wife and I w...