| |
| |
|
Home Improvement Information |
|
|
|
What Two Words Will Double the Space in Your Home?
Just two words and a bit of explanation about them will help you to double, maybe even triple, the space in your home now. Those two words are "Go vertical." FUNCTION FIRST, LOOKS SECOND That means that when you buy bookcases or other types of furnishing with shelves, make sure these items have five or six shelves. Two or three shelves per item are just wasted space. When it comes to home organization, you want to buy furnishings based on the criteria of function first and then looks second. So if two items are both of acceptable appearance to you, always purchase the one that is most functional. If one item is slightly prettier than the other but the other item has more vertical shelving, cubby holes and nooks, choose that second item. The peace-of-mind you'll get from having a more organized home will be much more valuable to you in the long-run. DON'T FOLLOW YOUR EMOTIONS Always remember that stores want to sell to you based on your emotions. That's a fact. Most marketing research agrees with that statement. If the seller can hook your emotions, they're closer to a sale. For example, you see a pie safe cabinet that's outrageously priced but beautiful. So you say to your spouse who's shopping with you: "Oh, look at that pie safe cabinet. It's gorgeous. Look at that blue color. It's a little a high priced but maybe we can get it on credit..." Stop right there! As a smart shopper (and a smart home organizer), you want to buy based on what your brain tells you. So for example, now you look at that same pie safe cabinet and say: "Oh, look at that pie safe cabinet. It's gorgeous. What a pretty blue color. But we need something a bit more functional. That cabinet only has four shelves and the one next to it has six shelves and is cheaper. The second one is maple stained, not blue. But that's okay. It's still a handsome piece of furniture and it's more functional. We'll get more space to use in our home and more product for our money." Use your head, not your heart, to make decisions about furnishing items for your home. Then you'll have functional home furnishings that double your home storage space. Think like a home organizer versus a home decorator. Think function first. ANALYZE FURNISHINGS IN YOUR HOME NOW Look around your rooms. Do you have a two shelf horizontal bookcase? Do you have a tiny three shelf freestanding pantry in the kitchen? Do you have a little three drawer jewelry or lingerie armoire in the bedroom? Go room-to-room and make a list of any type shelving unit like these or others (e.g. microwave cart, television cart/stand, etc.) Unless these items truly hold sentimental value, it's worth selling them to a used furniture store or at a yard sale for a bit of cash. (I'll tell you why sell in a minute.) Or spend a few bucks to put an ad in your local "Pennysaver" type newspaper advertising the item for sale. SELL HIGH; BUY LOW Then negotiate with the potential buyer so you get the best price possible for the item you're selling. That means you must suggest a price that's beyond what you expect to get. Why? Because these days potential buyers will almost always ask you to come down on the price. In fact, I guarantee three out of four buyer prospects will try to get you to lower the price. So start high so they feel like they're negotiating the price down. Why sell the item in the first place? Because you want to use the cash you make to upgrade to a taller unit of the same item. If you watch those home decorating/organizing shows on television, you may recall that there is a certain show that uses just this strategy. They have a big yard sale with all the participant's useless items and use the money to upgrade to more useful and stylish items for the same space in the home. The difference in the home is usually extraordinary at completion. You're striving for a similar method and outcome. NOW DOUBLE YOUR SPACE You want to use the cash to buy a comparable piece of furniture that serves a similar function as the piece you just discarded. You can even put the new furniture piece in the exact same spot where you had the previous piece. But make sure the new piece of furnishing is taller with more shelving or nooks. Remember, the big two word secret in this article is "go vertical." So in the end, you'll use the same floor space in your home but double its storage capacity. And when replacing your items with comparable items, don't hesitate to buy used furniture (even from the same shop you sold yours to). If it's in good shape in regard to quality (e.g. no rotting, flimsy wood panels, etc.) but not exactly your favorite color, you can fix that. Get a four dollar can of spray paint and a primer spray coat and change the color. Or get creative such as use some pretty contact paper to redo the outside. And one final piece of advice: Don't forget to negotiate when you're the buyer! Karen Fritscher-Porter writes about home organizing solutions at http://www.EasyHomeOrganizing.com Visit http://www.EasyHomeOrganizing.com to read more than 50 FREE articles containing dozens of home organizing ideas and solutions. Plus subscribe to the FREE newsletter updating you about the latest home organization products sold in stores.
MORE RESOURCES:
Home-Improvement - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Questions To Ask Before Starting Any Home Improvement Project 1. What experience does your contractor have with this type of project?How much experience does the home improvement contractor have in doing projects like yours? Does s/he specialize in this type of project, or will s/he be using your home as a learning project? Typically, contractors who have done several projects like yours will have a better idea of the actual costs and production issues involved in your project. Avoid Problems Painting Aluminum and Vinyl Siding Anyone with older aluminum siding is well aware of the paint chalking problem. Just rub your hand along the old siding and the chalky old paint will be all over your palm. How To Choose The Canvas For Your Awning The main factor for the canvas for your awning, it's to choose to do in PVC, because will be light and malleable.Between their advantages we have the following ones:It's resistant to the UV raysAllows any colorThey possess some protection coatings, as the following:Not to allow the fire propagationWith blockade against UV rays (with great resistance against the effects of the ultraviolet rays that discolour along the time)Fungicides (addictive that avoid the formation of mould and stains)Non oxidizer, to avoid the appearance of iron stainsAddictive to avoid negative effects to the aesthetics and the brightness, that could damage the coating and to reduce the useful life of the canvas)A varnish layer or lacquer in the coating (the varnish is not only designated for protection of the canvas from the UV rays, but also improves the self-cleaning characteristics; one of the used material for that is the Tedlar). Buyers Guide To Heavy-Built Mailboxes If you are tired of replacing your mailbox every few months due to vandals or just poor quality construction, you need a heavy-built mailbox. Some of the more common reasons for purchasing a heavy-built mailbox are destruction by vandals, snowplow or street sweeper damage, or just a poorly built mailbox that will not stand up to harsh or extreme weather conditions. Tips for Designing with Hardwood Floors Hardwood floor styles come in strips, planks and parquet, and are available with numerous edge treatments such as square, micro, and beveled edges. The state-of-the-art technology and almost limitless choices of today's stains, finishes, styles and designs makes hardwood flooring one of the most practical and versatile floor coverings available. Apartment Inspection Checklist You have found an apartment you like and you are eager to move in this lovely place. Hold on! Before you sign the lease with the landlord, some inspection is necessary and it might save you a lot of trouble. Easy To Follow Tips For Keeping Energy Costs Down When it comes to cooling our homes and businesses, the cost of air conditioning just seems to keep going up and up. This year is no different. Whats So Special About My Front Door? "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." - Flora WhittemoreYour front door welcomes all to your home. Security in Todays World There are many things in life that are worth protecting. Our children, our valuables, our resources and of course, ourselves. Electric Radiant and Floor Coverings If the decision of what type radiant heating system to use was left to the floor-coverings, it would choose electric radiant. Eliminating the risk of water/glycol leaks, standard floor-heights, simple retro-fits, almost unlimited choice of carpet padding, uniform heat flux, easier installations and superior floor or space temperature control are only a few of the advantages of electric radiant heat. Dining Rooms: Designing for Your Emotional Well-Being I read an interior design book last night. Since I can't recommend it to you, I won't reveal the name. Router Bits Basics A router bit is a tool for woodworking giving a quality finish to woodwork. It cuts wood providing a way to give a clean and even a decorative edge to woodwork. Professional Asphalt Paving Contractors In California Choosing an asphalt paving contractor can be a major event if you don't take cautionary measures to ensure proper work to be conducted. First, you must review your service provider's credentials and make sure that they have a well known history of success in the asphalt paving industry. Lighting up Your Life You are visiting a friend that has just had a beautiful kitchen remodel done. It is a lovely kitchen with stunning granite countertops and a sharp looking tile backsplash. A Lasting Scent Look no further for long lasting perfumes. House of Rose makes them and they last more than twice as long as the other perfumes. Repairing Your Faulty uPVC Double Glazed Windows And Doors It is an amazing fact that uPVC double glazing was sold by the industry as a maintenance free product. While it is true the uPVC frame will last approximately 10,000 years before degrading, the mild steal and cast Zink moving hardware parts will last an average of 10 years before they start to fail. Quick and Dirty Guide to Wood Flooring If you've always longed for hardwood floors, you're in good company. While soft wooden floors date back to the Colonial era, hardwood floors first burst on the scene in the late 17th century. Light Up Your Life A house or any particular room can be carefully planned, well thought out and perfectly executed but without the proper lighting it never really comes to life. A perfect example is a tile back splash in a kitchen. With A Stylish Bathroom Vanity You Can Take Pride In Your Bathroom's Appearance! An easy way to instantly improve your bathroom's image is to buy a stylish new bathroom vanity set. Bathroom vanity sets come in a huge range styles and finishes. Imported Tools vs. Brand Name - Are They As Good? So you are looking for hand or power tools on the Internet or in a "brick & Mortar" tool store, and you keep running into tools imported from China, Taiwan, Korea, Germany and various other countries. A lot of these tools seem to be priced well under the comparable "name brand" tools you are used to? are they as good or better, or are they just cheap knockoffs.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
