Ed reviews available system details, service records and costs, then talks through the home with you. A walkthrough, when agreed, helps connect the records to everyday life.
Each person’s perspective.
He asks what each stakeholder enjoys, worries about and carries responsibility for. Different priorities belong in the conversation—even when you share an address.
Your definition of success.
Together, you choose priorities, the support needed and how you want to hear from Ed. The agreed scope reflects your home, budget and preferences; reviews help adjust it as life changes.
HELP ED UNDERSTAND WHAT MATTERS
A starting point. Not a pass-or-fail test.
Two short checks, one about time and money and one about how home feels. Each helps you decide whether Lightwell & Ledger fits, and gives Ed a clear picture of what matters to you before you talk.
No email required. Answers stay on this page and are never sent to Ed. Refreshing or leaving the page clears them.
Home Value CheckTime, upkeep, projects & what your home is gaining · about 3 minutes
Lightwell & LedgerHome Value Check
What is your home really costing you?
Six short questions, about three minutes. You'll see how much time your home takes, what that time is worth, and whether an independent advisor makes sense for you. If it doesn't, we'll tell you.
01
Your home
Start with the house
Rough figures are fine. You can come back and adjust anything.
Approximate home value
$1M$8M+
Year built
Older homes have more systems that have been replaced at different times, and more history nobody wrote down.
1850New construction
Years you've owned it
Just moved in30+ years
02
Your time
The hours nobody counts
Count everything: researching, calling contractors, getting quotes, waiting at home for appointments, chasing invoices, and lying awake about the roof. Most people guess low.
Hours a month your home takes today
None16+ hours
Hours a month you'd happily give it
The difference between these two numbers is the burden you're carrying.
As little as possibleI enjoy it
What an hour of your time is worth
Think of your collective household income divided by annual working hours, your individual professional rate, or what you'd pay to get an evening back with your family.
$50$1,000+
03
Your appetite
How hands-on are you?
There's no right answer. Some people love a weekend project and others never want to see a toolbox.
Doing the work yourself
NeverLove it
How often your home is on your mind
The leak you've been watching, the quote you haven't answered, the furnace you hope makes it through winter.
RarelyConstantly
Projects you expect in the next two years
Roof, windows, kitchen, HVAC, landscaping. Anything you'd need a quote for.
Nothing planned$100K+
04
Your costs
What it takes to run
Your best estimate of ongoing maintenance and repairs: service calls, contracts, small fixes. Leave out mortgage, taxes and insurance.
Annual maintenance and repair spend
$0$120K+
Surprise repairs in the last two years
Anything that broke without warning: no heat, a leak, a dead appliance, water where it shouldn't be.
None6 or more
Could you find your boiler or furnace's last service date in two minutes?
05
Your horizon
Where this is heading
Your home is an appreciating asset. How you look after it decides how much of that gain you keep.
Expected annual appreciation
Over the long run, prime Boston-area suburbs have often appreciated somewhere in the 4–6% range a year. Choose what feels right to you.
4%7%
*Over the past 30 years, high-value homes in communities like Newton, Brookline, and Wellesley have appreciated at roughly 5.5% annually on average. As a long-term planning illustration, 5.5% annual appreciation would translate to approximately 70% growth over 10 years, 190% over 20 years, and 400% over 30 years, although actual results vary by property and time period.
Which of these describe you?
Select all that apply.
Your result
Where the value shows up
Conservative estimates based on your answers. See how we calculate below.
Source
Est. per year
Your hours back
Maintenance check
Why we reached this
How we calculate
Time recovered: we assume an advisor can take about 60% of the coordination time above your preferred level (research, quotes, scheduling, follow-up), valued at your hourly figure.
Proposal review: 8% of expected annual project spend. Independent review often finds wrong scope, unnecessary replacements and above-market pricing; we use a conservative figure.
Avoided emergencies: about half of surprise failures can be caught by planned maintenance, and each one avoided saves roughly $1,500 in after-hours premiums, rush pricing and secondary damage.
Recommended maintenance: a minimum of 1% of your home's value a year, the floor most home professionals recommend. Spending between 1% and 2% is treated as the typical range for a well-kept home.
Appreciation: your value × your chosen rate. An estimate only, not a forecast or financial advice.
See your home clearly.
Start with a conversation. We'll look at your answers together, walk through your home's systems, and tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
Home Harmony CheckHow home feels, who carries what, quiet worries & hopes · alone or together
Lightwell & LedgerHome Harmony Check
How does your home feel to live in?
A home can be beautiful and still feel like a burden, sometimes more for one person than another. Five minutes, ideally with the people you live with, to see what's working, what's quietly worrying you, and who's carrying what.
More from Ed · 53-second video
ED MEZER · 53 SECONDS
An AI-assisted video introduction from Ed.
A SMALL FIRST STEP
Talk about your home.
A 30-minute conversation about your home, your priorities, and the support that would help. No obligation.
