Spring Cleaning Your Garage

Since May is National Home Improvement Month, there’s no better time to get started on some spring cleaning. The first place many people need to start on is their garage. Has your average two-car garage become a no-car garage?

Well it’s time to get busy, having an organized garage can be both valuable and convenient, and if you’re trying to sell your home, a well-organized, multi-purpose garage can be a key selling point.

Sometimes cleaning up a garage can seem overwhelming, with all the boxes of knick-knacks and things you haven’t seen for years scattered about. However,  with the help of resources like  Garagez.com,  you’ll  be parking your cars in there in no time, and have room to store your possessions.

Do you really want to have to rent a self-storage unit, like the 9% of U.S. households that did in 2005, according to the Self Storage Association? The self-storage industry is grossing about 23 billion dollars a year, mostly because people have cluttered garages. Garages don’t always have to be for just storing your cars and things either. There has been a new trend in extending the garage as a living space, incorporating stations for crafters and gardeners and creating auxiliary play space for kids.

If you’re trying to sell your home, having a well-kept garage could be vital in shortening the property’s time on the market. Many buyers are looking for “Great Garages,” which was listed as one of the top home trends by the National Association of Home Builders in 2006, and at this year’s International Builder’s Show, the NAHB forecasted an increased demand in three-car garages. Overall, it’s the fact that when people look at a garage, it sort of sets an overall tone for how the house is being kept. So now more and more sellers are focusing on their garage by incorporating better organization systems into their homes in order to differentiate themselves during a slower real-estate market.

So use that long Labor Day Weekend, take advantage of the nice weather, and start cleaning your garage. It will make your home more appealing to you, and (if you plan to sell) more appealing to your buyers.

Checklist For Showing Your Home

“Marketing a home is not the same as living in one.”

Keep this quote in mind when you’re preparing your home for showing. There are a lot of little things that need to be done around the house to make it appealing to prospective buyers.

So read on and take a look at the handy little checklist I’ve included for day-to-day pre-showing “must do’s,” and pass this list on to anyone who will be responsible for preparing your home for a buyer showing.

Show Time

• During daylight open all draperies, shades, and blinds, and make sure they’re clean- wash windows to make them sparkle! Natural light is at the top of most buyers’ wish lists.
• At night turn on all the lights. Dark homes are not inviting. Don’t forget outside light by the front door. First impressions are important so make sure the front yard is neat and the steps are clear.
• Have photos of your garden available.
• Consider displaying before and after pictures of major remodeling projects.
• Use feature cards around your home to reinforce home benefits such as air-conditioning or nearby parks in winter months.

Keep it Clean

• Clean sinks, bathrooms before each showing.
• Vacuum rugs and carpets before each showing.
• Wash dirty dishes and put them away.
• Empty waste baskets and trash.
• Put away clothes and personal items.
• Organize mail, magazines, and newspapers.
• Fold towels and make beds.
• Eliminate offensive odors from pets or cooking. No smoking in the house when your “on the market.”
• Keep landscaping neat and mowed. Sweep driveways and sidewalks. Shovel snow.
• Pick up litter on the property.
• Clean litter boxes and pet food and water bowls.
• Pick up animal droppings in the yard.

Also remember to keep your house neutral. Minimize religious effects or anything else that could possible be offending to prospective buyers. You want anyone to be able to see themselves living in your house.

How to Live Comfortably in A Smaller House

According to Angela Parker at Wicked Blog, moving to a smaller house doesn’t mean that you have to lose luxury and comfort, usually it means just the opposite. Having a smaller house can give you the time and money to spend on things that you really enjoy.

In addition to that, a move to a smaller house may help you finally get rid of some of that junk you’ve been keeping around for years, whose only job has been to clutter up your house. A small house should be designed to make things easier, meaning little to maintain, clean, and repair.

A smaller house lets you enjoy your life, so read on to find out about ways to make the most out of your small house.

The most important decision you will make will be deciding on which smaller house you want to move into. You don’t want to go too small and end up feeling uncomfortable and confined, but you are scaling down so consider how much space you really need.

How many people are living in your house? Do you have frequent visitors? Do you work at home? Questions like this are important to consider when you are planning to move to a smaller house. If you live alone you may only want a 1 bedroom house, frequent visitors may mean that you would want a large living room area to entertain, and if you work at home it might be necessary that you have a room for an office.

Make sure you carefully consider which areas you spend your most time, and how big they need to be. Many people want a larger bedroom, with room for a t.v. and computer, but a bedroom should be a peaceful, simple area. The space in your house could be spent much better in a room that you spend a lot of time in. Your smaller house should perfectly fit your lifestyle.

Once you have chosen a home that fits you, it’s time that you eliminate your excess junk so that your smaller house isn’t cluttered, which can make you feel suffocated.

Don’t be afraid to throw things away, and consider inviting a friend to help who may give you added perspective on what you really need. Once you’ve eliminated a majority of your stuff, you need to make organized areas in your new, smaller home for storage.

Storage areas don’t have to look like clutter. Use glass, light, and mirrors to expand past the back of storage units and expand rooms and think about where you place your storage areas at so that they don’t look awkward. Most importantly though, keep your storage areas organized, you don’t want them to end up looking like a pile of clutter.

Moving may mean buying new things for your new home, and making improvements, and the same is true for a smaller home. By moving into a smaller home you can save money by eliminating extra space. This means that you can go luxurious for less, because you have less space to fill. A smaller house allows you to start living the luxurious life.

Although you may be scaling down in house size, it doesn’t mean that you will be scaling down on comfort and luxury. A smaller house can allow you to live a more organized, luxurious life along with saving you money. It also gives you less to maintain, clean, and repair.

If you are looking to live the “simple life,” a smaller house might be the choice for you.

Tips to Make Moving Easy

After all the stress of buying a new home and selling your old one, you may think that the hard part is over. Unfortunately though, you still have to move all of your worldly possessions from your old house to the new house, a task that no one looks forward to, whether it is down the street or across the country.

However if you keep these tips in mind, moving can go smoothly.

Know “mover” terminology before signing a contract with a moving company:

• A binding estimate guarantees the estimate for the move based on what is listed on the estimate sheet, although you may have to pay more if you add items or services. The movers cannot ask you to pay more before unloading once they arrive at the destination, unless you add items or services.

• A non-binding estimate comes with no guarantee of final cost. The final cost is only determined after your items are weighed and certified, and may be more than the estimate, although you cannot be asked to pay more than 110% of the estimate.

• A “not-to-exceed” estimate or “guaranteed price” estimate is based on a binding estimate or actual cost, whichever is less. This estimate is binding on the mover and must be in writing.

Suggestions to make moving easier:

• If you’re doing the packing yourself, start soon. It always takes longer than expected.

• If you schedule a professional packer, be present when the items are packed, and schedule the mover to pack a day or two before loading the van. Take photos of items to be packed- before and after delivery.

• Be flexible when scheduling days for loading and delivery, it gives your mover the flexibility to keep on schedule.

• Figure out disagreements before signing on your driver’s inventory. Make sure you have legible copies of the inventory, with all items numbered, and valuables listed separately.

• Buy extra insurance for anything of value, most shipments are only liable for 60 cents of every pound that they are moving. If you have a lot of valuable items, full replacement value coverage is the best protection available. Be sure you talk to your insurance company before moving your baby grand piano or other valuables.

• If any of your possessions are damaged or lost, report this immediately in detail on the driver’s copy of the inventory. If you find that items are damaged or missing after unpacking, you have to file a claim within 9 months of delivery. Your movers must acknowledge receiving the claim within 30 days and deny the claim or settle within 120 days.

• Be present on moving day to discuss packing and delivery arrangements. Prepare large items for disassembly. Take photos before loading and as the truck is being unloaded.

Remember, the most important thing during this stressful process is to keep calm. When necessary, take a breather. If you are prepared and organized the moving process will be smooth and easy.

Holiday Clutter Getting You Down?

Around the holidays clutter becomes more noticeable. As you decorate and rearrange for entertaining, every little thing stands out. Now is the perfect time to de-clutter… and to helped loved ones who may be a little bit hesitant to become a bit more clutter-free and carefree! Here are a few tips to help:

Facts about Clutter

1. Clutter drags us down emotionally — getting rid of it makes us feel better
2. Reducing clutter makes us feel more “in control” of our lives
3. Consider the old Real Estate Saying… “Clutter Eats Equity” it’s important if you are planning to sell your home soon

Begin “Clearing the Clutter”

1. Use the six months rule — if you haven’t used it for six months you probably don’t need it
2. Give any cold-weather clothing you don’t need to a nearby shelter or your favorite charity
3. Clear and donate unneeded items before the end of the year for charitable tax credits
4. Begin with a single place — one room, one closet, even ONE DRAWER!

Starting small and making regular progress is much more effective (and more likely to succeed) than trying to do it all at once. Doing one small section per day will get you cleared out by the end of the year. If you are expecting holiday guests, start with the public areas first. Begin in the entryway and organize based on what visitors see first.

Help Prevent Additional Holiday Clutter:

1. Ask others not to buy you physical gifts — tell them you already have too many things!
2. Plan an outing together as a gift — having a day to spend with a loved one, eating a meal together, working on a project — will build memories that form a lasting gift that doesn’t gather dust or add to the clutter
3. If you know someone who is clearing their own clutter, consider a criss-cross shredder as a gift — it’s one of the few gifts that can help eliminate clutter
4. If you have someone on your gift list that would also enjoy a clutter-busting, consider “giving” them a day of your help to clean out that closet, that pantry, or the kitchen that they simply can’t face alone
5. Ask someone to help you clear clutter for a few hours rather than giving you a gift

If you are creative and open-minded — and remember that the holidays are about family, being thankful and giving of yourself — this holiday may help you to rightsize your home and may help your loved ones do the same.

However you decided to clear the clutter, I’ll guarantee you will feel better for doing it! Best wishes for a lighter, more clutter-free holiday season.

Give the Gift of No More Clutter

Around the holidays, clutter becomes more noticeable. As you decorate and rearrange for entertaining, every little thing stands out. Now is the perfect time to declutter… and to help loved ones who may be hesitant to become a bit more clutter-free and carefree!

Here are a few tips to help…

Facts about Clutter

1. Clutter drags us down emotionally — getting rid of it makes us feel better.
2. Reducing clutter makes us feel more “in control” of our lives
3. Consider the old Real Estate Saying… “Clutter Eats Equity” it’s important if you are planning to sell your home soon

How to Begin “Clearing the Clutter”

1. Use the six months rule — if you haven’t used it for six months you probably don’t need it
2. Give any cold-weather clothing you don’t need to a nearby shelter or your favorite charity
3. Clear and donate unneeded items before the end of the year for charitable tax credits
4. Begin with a single place — one room, one closet, even ONE DRAWER!

Starting small and making regular progress is much more effective (and more likely to succeed) than trying to do it all at once. Doing one small section per day will get you cleared out by the end of the year. If you are expecting holiday guests, start with the public areas first. Begin in the entryway and organize based on what visitors see first.

How to Help Prevent Additional Holiday Clutter:

1. Ask others not to buy you physical gifts — tell them you already have too many things!
2. Plan an outing together as a gift — having a day to spend with a loved one, eating a meal together, working on a project — will build memories that form a lasting gift that doesn’t gather dust or add to the clutter
3. If you know someone who is clearing their own clutter, consider a criss-cross shredder as a gift — it’s one of the few gifts that can help eliminate clutter
4. If you have someone on your gift list that would also enjoy a clutter-busting, consider “giving” them a day of your help to clean out that closet, that pantry, or the kitchen that they simply can’t face alone
5. Ask someone to help you clear clutter for a few hours rather than giving you a gift

If you are creative and open-minded — and remember that the holidays are about family, being thankful and giving of yourself — this holiday may help you to rightsize your home and may help your loved ones do the same.

However you decided to clear the clutter, I’ll guarantee you will feel better for doing it! Best wishes for a lighter, more clutter-free holiday season.