Tag: Storage

Creative Storage Solutions for Your Apartment

Photo source Ikea

Storage space and organization will always be an issue renters face when moving into a new apartment—especially if they have roommates! With these creative solutions, you can maximize your available storage space and leave your apartment looking better for it!

Hooks offer a lot of vertical storage space

As seen above, you can make the most of your apartment’s untapped vertical space by using hooks.

Store items under your bed

Use the space under your bed to store linens, blankets, clothes, or more. With sliding compartments access is even easier.

Photo source Life Hacker

A fridge-side rolling storage pantry can offer a lot of extra space

Looking for a place to store your ever growing collection of cooking spices? A rolling storage pantry can take advantage of the untapped space between your fridge and the wall.

Get a shower caddy

Shower caddies offer a convenient storage solution for soap, shampoo, conditioners, and any other must-have items for your cleansing routine. Especially helpful if your sink/bathtub is becoming crowded with cleaning products.

Photo Source Fresh Home

Turn your headboard into a shelving system

Many people neglect the available space that can be found in a bed’s headboard and/or above the bed. A few simple shelves can open a lot of room to store items.

Over-the-door organizers are your best friend

Hanging door organizers can help you store and organize shoes, cleaning products, socks, towels, or anything else you might want to keep close together.

Photo source Pottery Barn

Use baskets

Baskets provide a stylish method to organize and group items throughout your house. A pile of CDs may not especially appealing on their own, but put them in a basket and suddenly it looks like a design choice as opposed to clutter.

A storage chest can double as a coffee table

Just because something gets a lot of use doesn’t mean it can’t also add to your storage space. A cool-looking storage chest can add a lot of style to your apartment and provide an out of sight repository for your things.

With these tips, not only will your space offer all the storage you’ll need—it’ll look amazing in the process.

Decorating Your Rental Property on a Budget (Part One)

Apartment Decorating

Ever wonder how you can personalize your apartment without spending a fortune or ruining your chances to get your deposit back?

Lots of our tenants have!  That’s why we have put together a list of simple decorating tips to help you make your apartment feel more like home.  Whether your taste is traditional, eclectic, minimalist or kitschy it is possible to create a desirable living space on without spending a fortune when you use a little bit of
creativity. Here are some ideas on how to decorate your rental property on a budget.

Bring in area rugs to add more color. If you are decorating on a budget, an area rug  is a big purchase. Look for bargains online and at discount stores like IKEA, thrift stores or resale sites like Ebay or CraigsList. Once you find the right rug that fits in with your color scheme, place the rug in the middle of the room to frame your space.

Brighten up standard walls and ceiling lights with DIY artwork ideas!

  • Add soft lighting throughout the apartment with inexpensive lamps with lamp shades rimmed with ribbon for a personalized designer look.
  • Tack a scarf or square of neat fabric to the ceiling over a drab boring light fixture. The fabric hangs far enough down that it won’t heat up or scorch, and the pretty colored light shines through below.
  • Staple fabric over a bulletin board. Hang on the wall and pin your favorite pictures on it.

Choose light and functional furniture (if possible). Chances are, you probably do not have a budget to buy all new furniture. For many of us apartment dwellers, our furniture chooses us when we inherit pieces from our family members. Despite popular belief, you don’t need as much furniture as you think.

  • Remember- what you move in, you will eventually need to move out. So go light and stick with the essential pieces- a few living room pieces for seating and storage, a dining room table, a bed and a dresser is really all you need to get started.
  • You can find great deals on used furniture at thrift stores or resale sites like CraigsList.
  • If you get a thrift store sofa, consider covering it with an inexpensive slip cover in a soft or muted color that blends with your accent colors.
  • Repurposing furniture from a thrift store is also great way to go green.
  • If you must buy new furniture, find some that you can assemble yourself (IKEA is a great place to find this). This will make moving in and moving out easier.
  • Make your own throw pillows in the same color scheme as your curtains to pull together the look in your living room and bedroom.
  • Go to the local discount store or dollar store for more basic items like kitchen utensils, trash cans and more.

7 Simple Storage Ideas for Your Rental Property

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons Craig Conley

Finding new ways to make the most of your apartment storage is key to making a rental feel like home.

Unfortunately, finding ample storage can be a challenge for some tenants (depending on the amount of stuff you own). However, with a little creativity (and some inspiration from Pinterest), it is possible to implement simple storage solutions that will transform your living space.

Here are 7 storage ideas we found on Better Homes and Gardens that could help:

1. Hang a skirt around an open sink, using adhesive-backed hook-and-loop tape to hide plumbing. Hide baskets or a low shelving unit of bathroom essentials behind the skirt.

2. Place an open metal shelving unit (like what you would find in an industrial kitchen) with decorative baskets to keep kitchen staples organized.

3. Make your coffee table double as a handy storage container by using a decorative trunk with a flat surface large.

4. Create your own “entryway” by placing a large multi-functional bookcase near your apartment entry. Add hooks to hold jackets, umbrellas, book bags, etc. Decorative baskets on bottom shelves can serve as shoe containers or other out-the-door essentials like hats and sunglasses. Add a memo bar from an office supply store to the top of the bookcase as a place to organize mail and reminders.

5. Wanna fake a vintage built-in bookshelf? Flank a doorway with identical bookcases that reach almost to the ceiling and install moldings around the tops of the shelves. As a style bonus, paint the bookcase before installation, or line the backs with pretty paper.

6. Employ laundry hampers for more than just dirty clothes. Use them around your apartment for stashing umbrellas and hats, extra linens, or kids’ toys.

7. Hang a grid of favorite pictures or prints inside frames with large mats. The bigger mats will provide much-needed white space for an active display. Onlookers will be able to take in each photo, which makes for an effective display.

Article Source: www.bhg.com

5 Tips for Getting Your Security Deposit Back

Getting your security deposit back is a legitimate concern for a lot of renters. Aside from the typical cleaning, there are some key factors that renters should know about to protect themselves and their money.

1. Document and Notify
First time renters often feel uneasy about taking pictures or otherwise documenting issues with the rental when they first move in. Please understand that WE WILL NOT BE OFFENDED if you photograph or videotape and bring to our attention any issues that are going on inside the house either before moving in or during your lease period. We understand that problems arise, and it is better to be on the same page from beginning to end. Developing a mutual understanding of what you may be responsible for is an essential part of any lessee/lessor relationship. In fact, we give two full weeks from the time you move in to notify us of any issues with the rental. We can decide together whether it is something that needs to be fixed or just noted on the agreement so that you are not responsible.

2. Ongoing Care
Try not to wait until the last week to fix everything that may be broken in the house, and don’t rely on a cleaning service to fix things that are better treated as preventative measures in the first place. Treating things like regular cleaning, landscaping, and simple maintenance as ongoing responsibilities is the best way to ensure that the rental will be in good condition when you move out.

3. Do the Walk-Through
At the end of the lease, the hands-down safest bet for getting back the security deposit is to do a walk-through. We will discuss problem areas and give the renter the opportunity to correct any issues, or quote a price for a third party to do so. The typical rate for cleaning from our cleaners is around $30/hour. We can tell you approximately how long we think it will take, and work with you to find the best solution for everyone. We highly recommend scheduling this walk through a week in advance of the end of the lease to ensure a time that works best for your schedule.

4. Prepare for the Unavoidable
It is our practice to clean the carpets and drapes between each renter. This is unfortunately a cost that cannot be avoided, no matter how strict your “No Shoes” policy. However, the good news is, like our cleaning service, we have agreements with carpet cleaners in town that are typically half of what a renter might pay on their own.

5. Watch Out For
We’ve seen it all, but there are a few things we see more often than others – dirty or broken light fixtures, dirty window tracks, and broken towel bars are some of the most frequent issues that we come across.

We Want You to Be Happy
Ultimately, we want our renters to be happy with their home. If you feel that you are not being treated fairly, or that the rental is not up to par, we want to know about it. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We have a variety of avenues for our renters to reach us – you can use the Contact Us page of our website, Facebook Page, or call us directly.