Apartment Leasing Tips: Things You Need to Check

Apartment Leasing Tips: Things You Need to Check When Being Shown an Apart...: While walking or driving down a street you see a move-in special! You can't wait to see how much you are going to save and whether the ...

10 Handy Must-Haves for Your Apartment When You Have Nothing & a Limited Budget

Whether you are moving to a house or an apartment, there are some handy must-haves that will surely make your living quarters neater and help you maintain your household.  You can find most of these items at local discount and department stores.

1.  Garbage can that keeps odors contained.  Why advertise last night's meal throughout your home from the trash can?  Look for garbage cans that seal odors.

2.  Decorative boxes or bins.  These come in handy when you want to keep papers organized and out of site, clothing, shoes or anything else.  The ordinary plastic bins are helpful when its time to move, one less thing to pack!

3.  Shoe rack.  What to do, what to do with all those shoes?  Nowadays there are shoe benches, shoe cabinets, and other shoe compartments that organize shoes while keeping them hidden.

4.  Drawer organizers.  From utensils to cosmetics, these organizers keep everything neatly arranged and the great thing about them is when it's time to move, you can just take them out and put them in a box without all the fuss, and if something spills you don't have to worry about the bottom of the drawer being forever damaged.

5.  Folding table and chairs (outside or indoor).  Let's say that you just can't transport, afford or fit a large dining table at this time.  Your folding table and chairs will not only help you in the meantime, but you can later use them for the yard sale you might have one day, a party, keep children busy, or for some other good reason.  Always keep these around, you never know.

6.  Air beds.  Whether you need them for a guest or to sleep on for the time being, the air beds are indeed helpful when you temporarily have no bed for yourself or a guest.

7.  Desk lamps with compartments and a writing desk.  Easy to transport, don't take up a lot of space and will remain with you for years.  A desk lamp with an attachment for organizing things will help keep your desk area tidy.  A writing desk can be used for a computer, TV, or some other electronic device when you don't have much money for furniture.  You can also build your own desk too with a number of items.  See YouTube for ideas.

8.  Basic kitchen tools that have dual functions.  You don't need a lot of kitchenware just your essentials.  One frying pan that has some sections in it to cook other things, a pot that can also be used to steam some things, a mixing bowl that has measurements, a soup bowl with a pour spout or dip, plates that are microwaveable, cup or glass that stays cold, and tableware that is rust and stain resistant along with a spatula that not only flips but can also hold on to items, a large spoon for not only dipping but mixing, and of course traditional butter and cutting knives that we have all seen used for a variety of functions.  Buying items with dual functions helps you save money.

9.  Curtains.  If your apartment has blinds you won't need curtains unless you just plan on decorating or energy saving.  Now good energy saving curtains are great if you have the kind of place that has a lot of sun or doesn't tend to stay cool or keep heat well.  The curtains will shade the sun and help you save on your electricity bill by keeping cool or hot air in depending on the season.  Curtains can also be used for walkways that don't have doors, as room dividers and also to cover unsightly walls. 

10. Bathroom.  Your bathroom essentials: a wash cloth, hand towel, bath towel, shower curtain and hooks, along with a great shower organizer is really all you need.  However, the shower organizer will keep your items you use everyday in one place-- not as important as needing soap, but still a good item to have.  But what to do with everything else when space is limited?  How about a bathroom shelf organizer or a small cabinet for storing.  You might also want to keep your bathroom trash out of site, so get a garbage can for the bathroom too that keeps the odors in and trash covered.   

Bonus:  Your bedroom essentials: at least one dresser or a similar organizer for clothes that don't need to be hung.  From plastic and cardboard dressers and bins to wicker baskets, there are so many items that keep clothes organized. 

For your bed, instead of buying a bed in a bag with pillows, shams, bed skirts etc. get a few needed sheet sets and a blanket.  You save money this way.  A storage chest at the foot of the bed helps keep your bedroom tidy.
        
Things like electronic gadgets, decorative picture frames, area rugs, and other items that are typically not used everyday, are usually unnecessary for someone who doesn't have much money, so why not direct your budget toward the things that will help you get organized first.  Need something to hold your cds? Get a shelf unit.  Need a stand for your TV?  Check a thift store. 

If it isn't an item that is going to improve your life in some way, then it isn't helpful or essential when you don't have much money.  Maybe you might need a slow-cooker or a kitchen grill because time is important and you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, then be sure you put money aside for these things as well. 

You might be someone who collects many things and would like a way to keep them organized and off the floor, then consider investing in some wall shelving units.  Whatever your need, look elsewhere on this site based on it and find more tips.

Nicholl McGuire maintains this site and is a writer.  Feel free to view her work on her personal blog.

How to Organize, Display & Treasure Your Kid's Art Work

Every mom shares the same dilemma. What to do with all the wonderful art your child creates! Without strategies for display, organizing and editing, these delightful treasures will just pile up and become a burden of clutter. Here's my top 10 neat ideas on how to keep their art from becoming clutter.

1. Set policies on how much you are going to keep. For example, you might decide you want to keep only the top 10 – 20 pieces per year.
2. Edit regularly. Keep only the very best or most meaningful. Each day or week, pick your favorite. At the end of the month, pick the best of the month. That's the one that gets put in a scrapbook or in a special memorabilia box. Involve your child in selecting his or her favorite. This helps your child learn that not everything is worth keeping, which is a very valuable organizing skill to learn early on.
3. Go digital! Take digital photos of art you really love and recycle the rest! This preserves the art much longer. Paper eventually fades and tatters.
Create an album or scrapbook for each school year and include photos of the best art along with other projects.
4. Label the work. Mark the back of artwork you decide to save with the child name, date and the reason you kept it.
5. Create a revolving gallery. Create a space on a wall or other area that becomes a revolving art gallery. Use magnetic boards, cork boards etc. Provide one spot for each child and hang their photo or a name marker above their spot. Each time to you change the art decide if the old piece is worth saving.
6. Repurpose and recycle. Find creative uses for art work you don’t want to keep.
7. Use it as:
Gift wrap
Inserts for greeting cards
Drawer/shelf liners
Decorate containers to use as organizers for arts & crafts supplies
Creative disposal placements for a meal. Or, if it’s really good, mount it to construction paper, laminate it, and use the art as place mats for a longer time.
8. Get funky with clipboards. As an inexpensive and fun alternative to frames, use colorful clipboards mounted on the wall to create an art gallery for your child’s room. Let them decide what they want to hang and when they want to change it. Clipboards allow them to easily change out art frequently.
9. Draw the line. Hang a clothesline across a wall in an area where you want to display art and hang it with clothespins. This makes it easy to change the art whenever you or your child wants to!
10. Make gifts. Create unique gifts for relatives with good pieces. You can make little books, puzzles, calendars, and more. Encourage your child to help think of ways to transform art into fun gifts.

© 2006 Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed., Organizing Coach, Personal Organizing Solutions All rights reserved.

How to Motivate Yourself to Organize

Organizing is probably not at the top of your list of fun things to do, is it? If your clutter is overwhelming, it's especially difficult to get started. Here are some easy tips to motivate yourself to organize.

1. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just just take the first step." You don't have to organize your whole house today. Just work on one small area-- a drawer or a cabinet.

2. Buy a good organizing book. Once you begin reading it, you'll feel compelled to start organizing.

3. Forget embarrassment. Invite an organized friend to help you. Hire a professional. It's easier to organize when you can talk through the clutter.

4. Set the mood. Put on some fun music. Open the windows. Choose a starting point and just do it.

5. "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence," said Calvin Coolidge.

Keep trying. Do a little bit daily or weekly and you'll soon find that you are more organized than you ever thought possible! About the author: Free time management tips booklet, meal planner, and daily organizing checklist at http://www.ineedmoretime.com.

How To Organize Your Inbox

As we all know our inboxes have turned into modern day filing systems – and just like in the ‘old’ days they can get chaotic and out of hand in no time. Attempts are made to control the unruly inboxes, but for the most part messages are swept into folders that act as catch alls for everything (unorganized amalgamations of incoherent mess – thank goodness for advanced find!).

Think of the benefits an organized, logical filing system would mean for you: referencing to emails that you’ve received, find and view attachments again, decrease your scrolling time, and if you ever need someone to go in and look for something, you will be able to point them in the right folder, rather than having them rummage through all your emails.

Now that you’re eager to change your unorganized inboxes, here are some tips to help you on your way.

Inbox: Your Inbox should be just that – an inbox, not a permanent storage folder by any means. Even if you have a ‘misc’ file off of your inbox, keep your inbox clean and tidy. If you receive emails on a subject that you’re in process of dealing with and you’re not ready to move them into a more permanent folder, create a ‘2do’ folder off of your inbox, from there group messages into subfolders.

This is a great way to keep organized and an easy reference to see what you have to do.

How to use it: When you receive an email for an ongoing or upcoming task, create a folder in your ‘2do’ folder with a name related to that task or client. Move the email into that folder, create a reminder or appointment if necessary, and —voilà!— you now have an organized inbox. When you receive more emails related to this task they can now go straight into the subfolder that you created. Once you have completed this task you can easily move all the contents to a permanent folder of your designation. The key is to keep on top of it and once you’re done with a subfolder in your ‘2do’ folder list, delete or move it. Keeping the folders after a task is over will hinder your organization and add to your electronic clutter.

This method will allow you to have an easy visual reference for work that has to be done, and even if some tasks are ‘back-shelved’ for the moment, you can still see them and keep them fresh in your mind. Once you are able to concentrate on the emails that are just coming in, you will be able to focus more on your business and less on your clutter.

Subfolders: Don’t be afraid to use subfolders, even subfolders in subfolders. Putting items into logical groups is a key to keeping your files organized.

How to use: For example – You may have a number of clients and a couple of different companies that you do work for, and each client/company will have multiple tasks, projects, instructions, etc. Under your Inbox, create a file for each company, under the company create a folder for each client, and under each client create folders for the number of different tasks that you perform.

Having a place to put messages as they come in is a key to staying on top of your tasks and messages. Inboxes have a way of getting large and overwhelming very quickly, putting these steps in place will help to control the unsightly messes and as a bonus keep you organized in the process.

To view a diagram of this method visit www.officeassit.ca/articles_OfficeAssistants_inbox.htm. Christina, owner of Online Office Assistants, offers professional administrative solutions to businesses and individuals. You can visit her website at http://www.officeassist.ca for more info.

Organize Life-tools You Need To Organize Your Home And Your Life Now

Many people today suffer from a lack of organization, both in their home and overall life. The truth is, you could probably instantly skyrocket your productivity at least 100% (likely more) by simply organizing your belongings around your home and office. Here are some tools to help you when first embarking on your goal to organize your life.

First of all, one of the most important things you can do is identify somebody that you know and has their life in order, and glean information from them. There is nothing more powerful than to find somebody that lives an effective and organized life and find out from the master themselves.

Quite simply, there is a lot of garbage information being published about what it takes to achieve good organization today. Most of it comes from people who have no idea what it takes to accomplish maximum effectiveness in their homes and lives. Before listening to advice, pay attention to the source.

Make a plan. There is nothing that’s more powerful to achieving your goals than having a plan to start off. Many people set far too general goals when first embarking on any area of their life.

Examples of generalized goals could be, I want to get in shape, or I want to get organized. What does that mean?

In order for this plan to fly, you need to have clear, specific goals that are well-defined and written out. Very likely, you will find it most effective to set long and short term goals. For instance, your long term goal could be getting your home organized in a year’s time. Your short term goal could be getting one room in order within a month.

It’s amazing how many people embark on a mission to accomplish ‘a goal’ without really knowing what they are after. That’s akin to driving in your car without any idea of your final destination; it would be pointless.

After you have your goals in mind, write them down on paper and put that paper in a place you can view it often. Knowing a target in your head is not enough; it needs to be in a place where you can view it often and constantly motivate you to achieve your goals.

Finally, you need to determine why you want something. It’s not enough to simply want to get organized-you need to know why you have this desire.

For instance, you might want to achieve greater productivity at work, earn $25,000 more per year, have more free time to spend with your kids, etc. If you don’t know why you are after a goal, it won’t provide a very meaningful target.

While the above tips may seem simple, it’s amazing how many people set out to achieve a target without knowing what they want to accomplish. The simplest and yet most powerful forces to achieving your goals is knowing where you are going and why you are going in that direction. Follow these tips, and you will organize your life faster than you ever thought possible.

For more great organization tips, try visiting http://www.organizelifetips.com, a popular site that teaches closet organizing as well as home organization tips.

Basement Remodeling - Creating A Basement You'll Love

Most basements are dark, gloomy, and simply serve as a storage area for old toys, clothes, seasonal items, and anything else that is not used on a regular basis. Most of us rarely go down into the basement unless it is to unload more clutter that we don't want or need.

But, why not turn this gloomy storage room into something functional and useful? Remodeling your basement is a cost-effective way to significantly increase your home's living space. Suddenly you could have a nice, cozy guest room, a playroom for your children, a home office, a game room; the possibilities are endless!

Below are five simple steps to a brand new basement.

1. Repair any Basement Water Problems First

Even if your basement hardly ever has issues with flooding or dampness, it's best to take care of the problem completely before beginning any remodeling efforts.

Permanent solutions can take time to put into operation. A smart place to begin is to get in touch with a home inspector who specializes in waterproofing problems.

2. Decide What You Want to Use Your Basement For

This is where you can turn lemons into lemonade. Your Basement has poor lighting? Consider setting up a dark room or a home theater. Is your basement lonely and isolated? The isolation helps provide a nice sound cushion for noisy activities such as a teenager hangout, a game room, or a place for your kids to practice their musical instruments to their hearts content. Use your imagination and come up with something that will benefit your family’s lifestyle.

3. Consider Professional Advice with Your Basement Design

Even though your basement might not be much to look at now, you'll want to end up with quality living space when the project is finished. An interior designer or architect can help you get the most out of the space. A little forethought and careful planning now can help you design a space that is attractive, comfortable and practical.

4. Consider the Air Circulation

Something important to consider is the air circulation of your basement. When your home was originally built, chances are that there were very few if any registers or vents installed in the basement. When you remodel your basement, you need to think about the need for good air circulation, adding openings where necessary.

To be on the safe side, install a carbon monoxide detector in your basement so that you'll have an early warning of any problems with the venting of the furnace or any other major appliances.

5. Make the Most of Your Basement's Natural Light

Depending on what you are using your basement for, you may wish to add more natural lighting. This can be done by enlarging your basement’s windows. Another benefit of larger windows is that they provide additional escape routes in case of fire.
Some may be concerned that by having basement windows that is providing easier access into the home by thieves. One way to lessen that risk is to install glass bricks instead of conventional windows at any location that is high-risk.

Take full advantage of the effect of regular windows by mounting some windows in the interior walls between rooms that open pathways for natural light to reach interior rooms.

About the Author
Christine Griego is the owner of http://www.home-options.info, a website that provides home improvement information, tips, and ideas.

Self Persuasion Through Organization

If you're anything like me, you're a very busy person. Not only am I busy with regular things--teaching, family, health maintenance--I'm also in the midst of a moving, requiring an added list of what needs to be done. It's hard to believe how much has to be done in a day and because this is on my mind, I'm inspired to write more on the topic of organization as I believe it has helped keep me on even footing in a time of change.

I don't care much for chaos. If things need to get done but aren't getting done, it upsets me. I realize that with change there is often chaos, and so in an attempt to minimize that, I like to shape that chaos into something simple.

I'm sure you're busy as well. Maybe your tasks are high priority, requiring deadlines and follow ups that simply have to be met. Some of them are probably less important--getting the dry cleaning, getting a car wash, remembering Secretary's Day. One thing that I find invaluable in this high tech world is a pencil and paper and a very easy thing called a list. Yup. The ever faithful 'to do' list. I suppose it could be that I'm just very process oriented. I like a 1-2-3 way of doing things. As I've discussed before, the conscious mind can only hold seven plus or minus two pieces of information at any one time. When we transfer the information that we don't need immediately onto a piece of paper (or into our Blackberries, if you're so inclined), this frees up space to concentrate on the present.

I typed the words "to do list" into Google and was given a variety of resources for online listing. Remember when a pocket note book and pen were all we needed? I happen to prefer the old-fashioned handwritten list, but if you have a Blackberry, why not put it to use?

The site www.rememberthemilk.com seemed easy to use and had the added bonus of being completely free. This one works with the iPhone or online. Another free site is http://roughunderbelly.com. If you're someone who likes to be rewarded for doing your tasks, this is a nice one giving charts and graphs of how productive you are as you do what needs to be done.

I've also become reacquainted with a tool I used to use but which I lost track of. Ironically, it's a tool to keep you organized (helping you to remember) the things you need to do. It's called Thought Office and falls under the heading of brainstorming. It's a creative and organizational tool that I simply love and for which I have found various uses.

I believe that by clearing up internal clutter and organizing our thoughts and tasks, we have a firmer grasp of making the big steps, accomplishing big things.

So what does this all have to do with persuasion?

I've said this before and I'll say it again many times: Once we can persuade ourselves, whether it be something big like quitting smoking or losing weight, or something as small like dropping off that bag of clothes at Goodwill then we create an internal environment where we are saying what we do and doing what we say. In this, we are working with our other than conscious minds to achieve amazing results.

About the Author
Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of affluent clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion techniques.

Bathroom Organization

If you're lucky enough to have a "guest bathroom", one that isn't used by the family and one where you can always keep clean hand towels hanging for the guests, good for you. For most of us however, we have one or two bathrooms, and they both get a lot of use from the family members on a daily basis. Let's see how you can organize your bathroom so that it's guest ready too.

The one thing that most of us have too much of is lots of bottles of "stuff" sitting around the sink and countertop. Go through these and discard what you don't use on a daily basis, and what only has a drip left in it. Go buy two decorative baskets and have a "his" and "hers". One for his stuff, and one for her stuff. You could keep your toothpaste, hairspray, brush and comb, moisturizer, etc., in a basket that can be simply picked up and moved when guests come, and then put back when you're ready to use them again.

If you like to have magazines in the bathroom don't let them just pile up in a corner next to the toilet, get a nice magazine rack for them.

Next take a look at the inside of the shower. How moldy is that curtain? They cost around $4.00 - buy a new one. Look at the bottles in the shower, they tend to get left in the shower even when they're almost empty. Throw them out and try to streamline the number of bottles in the shower. If you don't have built in shelves around your shower get an organizer that hangs over your showerhead, or one on an extension pole you can put in the corner of the shower.

A cheap way to make your bathroom like new is with accessories. Buy a nice shower curtain with a matching rug. You can also get matching towels. If you have limited towel space you can buy a towel rack that hangs on the wall, they come in many different designs. With a nice wall towel rack you can make a display of beautifully colored towels - that you can also use too! Purchase a set of matching bathroom accessories, soap dish, toothbrush holder, cup, liquid soap dispenser.

I think you're going to love your bathroom!

About the Author
This article courtesy of http://www.vac-facts.com

Tips For Closet Organization

Organization. That's the key to leading a leisurely life. If you have a place for everything and put everything in its place, then you won't have to waste time looking for such things as your car keys, matching shoes for your shirt or dress, or papers that you need for work. And if you don't have to waste time looking for misplaced items, then you won't have to deal with the feelings of frustration or aggravation that always result from such activity!

Today, it is possible to purchase all kinds of shelves, racks, drawers and cabinets for every room in your house. You could always cobble together something on your own, of course, but the quality and utility of it will probably be better from a store-bought item.

Do you have a laundry room, complete with washer and dryer? Is it arranged to your satisfaction? If not, here's a few items designed specially for the laundry room. It all depends on how much space you have, of course, but the right items can at least double your space.

Wire shelving is one way to add that space to your laundry room. If the walls are of tile or for some reason you don't want to attach the shelving to them, you can get shelving designed to fit over the top of your washer. You can also find folding tables, specially designed for the laundry, on which you can sort and fold your clothes, and then fold and put away until next time. A laundry sorter with divisions for colors, darks and whites is also helpful. And of course the laundry room is probably where you store your mops and other cleaning material. Get a wall organizer from you can suspend all these items, and it will improve the look of your laundry.

Once you've finished washing your clothes, it's time to put them away in the appropriate closet. Alas, there's no way yet to teleport the clothing directly, so you do have to make the time for that. If there's enough room in your laundry so that you can fold the clothing into appropriate piles, that makes things easier, of course.

How's your closet? Are your shoes jumbled on the floor in an unattractive mass, and more often than not buried underneath clothing or bags or other items? For the guys out there, are your silk ties and belts mashed together in a single drawer?

Many systems exist to help you take care of your shoe collection, no matter how extensive it may be, from over-the-wall hangers that fit on the back of your closet door, to tilted floor shelves. You can even get a rolling shoe rack that you can slide underneath your bed, which will leave your closet floor completely empty.

Tie and belt racks, designed specifically for the purpose, will ensure that these items stay where you put them, and will make it easier than ever for you to choose the appropriate one. There are swing-out racks so that the ties or belts will nestle against the wall or door, swing out to give you easy movement while you make your choice for the day, and then swing back to give you room once more to look at your shirts or dresses.

Some people don't like to lay their slacks out in drawers. For these people, they can suspend their slacks on hangers of course, in amongst the dresses or shirts, or you can purchase a pants trolley which will roll right into and out of your closet for ease of use. Make sure you purchase a trolley made out of a sturdy metal or wood.

If you've organized your closet and still don't have room, it's time to move some of your clothing to storage. If you live in a location with clearly defined seasons, you can store away your winter clothing until it's needed again, for example. Airtight storage bags are the ticket here.

And finally, don't forget the little things. You don't want moths getting into your clothing! Moth balls, cedar blocks or herbal sachets are of use here, and of course the cedar blocks or sachets will give off a pleasant aroma. If you live in an area subject to damp, you'll want a closet moisture absorber to take care of that problem.

About the Author
Andrew Caxton contributes adding content to http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com. Find more publications about closet organizers at his website.

Kitchen Organization Tips

The American kitchen is busier than ever. We prepare our meals, eat and clean up in a hurry. In such a busy place, organization is key to keeping everything running smoothly.

Just like the office, your kitchen should be organized. If you've never organized a kitchen, it can seem like a daunting process. In such chaos, knowing where to start might even look impossible. Thankfully, there are some simple procedures that you can follow to keep your kitchen clean, tidy, and well arranged.

The first thing you can do to subdue chaos in your kitchen is to identify zones within the space. A kitchen zone is an area where you perform the same task over and over, such as preparation of food before cooking, baking, serving, storage, or cleaning. Once you have designated these zones, it's easy to optimize that part of the kitchen for the activities it plays host to most often.

When you embark on a major organization project, be sure to plan ahead. Don't take everything out of the drawers and cabinets unless you know that you have a block of time to be devoted to the project. Invest time in deciding what appliances and supplies will end up in what location. If you have a plan for your kitchen ahead of time, you won't be as likely to feel lost in the middle of your reorganization project. Consider your habits, the flow of traffic through your kitchen, and what appliances you use most often when planning your new kitchen. Then systematically remove everything from the kitchen and sort all items into categories.

You can then go through each category and choose items you want to keep and ones you want to discard. Items that you do not use often should be stored towards the back of the cabinet, or on top, to allow easy access to ones you use more frequently. If you have a hard time remembering what you keep in your drawers and cabinets, consider posting an inventory list on the inside of the doors. Another handy tip is to keep a grocery list on the inside of a cabinet door or on the refrigerator, where you can add to it easily when you think of something that needs to be purchased.

If you have trouble with forgotten items clustering at the back of your cabinet, try installing a Lazy Susan. These turntables will help you easily bring items at the back of the cabinet into view. Specialty organizational tools such as paper bag storage, turntable spice racks, and racks to hold plastic wrap and aluminum foil are available. These can help to save space and alleviate mess, but too many of them or ones purchased without forethought will contribute to clutter. Planning and careful consideration are of the utmost importance when organizing your kitchen. In addition, routine maintenance of the kitchen will lessen the need for major reorganizations. If you keep the amount of clutter in the kitchen low, your job will be easier in the long run.

About the Author
Hunter Pyle wrote this article to give some tips and ideas for organizing your kitchen. Check out Kitchen and Much More for more storage and organization ideas.