Belmont, from the hill to the two-families

A two-family means a shared entry, an interior staircase used by more people than a single-family staircase, and a back stair that almost never gets the same attention as the front. Treads, risers, the wall line where shoes brush, the landing corners — that is the part of the house that shows wear first and reads as dirty even when every room is clean. We scope stairs explicitly rather than folding them into a vague hallway line.

On the hill, the issue is distance rather than density. Rooms are spread out, there are more bathrooms than people, and the spaces that get used least are the ones that show dust most. A guest room nobody has opened in a month still needs a pass before someone opens it.

Winter is the common factor. Road treatment in Belmont means salt on boots, and salt on a hardwood entry etches the finish if it sits. From December through March we prioritise the first ten feet of every entry, and if a house does not have a mat system we will say so.