Guides
Long-form, Connecticut-specific advice on hiring people to work on your home, keeping the house standing through our weather, and knowing what a fair price looks like.
Hiring · 9 min read
How to Hire a Contractor in Connecticut Without Regretting It
A practical, Connecticut-specific walkthrough of finding, vetting, comparing and contracting a home improvement pro — including the registration and paperwork rules that apply here.
Home care · 8 min read
The Connecticut Homeowner's Season-by-Season Maintenance Calendar
What to inspect, service and schedule each season in Connecticut's climate — from spring gutter checks through fall heating service and winter ice dam prevention.
Hiring · 7 min read
How to Verify a Connecticut Business's License, Registration and Insurance
A step-by-step guide to checking credentials before you hire anyone in Connecticut — which trades need licenses, what registration means, and how to read a certificate of insurance.
Money · 8 min read
Why Local Service Prices Vary So Much Across Connecticut
How to read an estimate, why the same job costs different amounts in Greenwich and Putnam, and how to tell a fair price from a bad one without simply picking the lowest bid.
Living here · 9 min read
Moving to Connecticut: How to Read a Town Before You Commit
Connecticut is governed town by town. A practical framework for evaluating any of the 169 towns — taxes, schools, services, commutes, utilities and the questions locals wish newcomers asked.
Home care · 8 min read
Getting a Connecticut Home Ready for a New England Winter
A complete pre-winter preparation guide: heating, insulation, ice dams, frozen pipes, generators, snow contracts and what to do in an outage.
Community · 7 min read
Why Hiring Local Actually Matters in Connecticut — and How to Do It Well
What happens to a dollar spent with a Connecticut small business, how to find genuinely local operators, and how to be the kind of customer that keeps them in business.
Hiring · 8 min read
Recognizing and Avoiding Home Service Scams in Connecticut
The specific scams that circulate in Connecticut — storm chasers, driveway paving crews, utility impersonators, deposit theft — how they work, and exactly what to do if you have been hit.