Houston Extreme Makeover: How to organize your bedroom

Auctions at self-storage units

"Whoever started the storage business is a genius.”

At the February meeting of NAPO Houston, a documentary called "Store" was played.
It’s about self-storage units and how people use them. The filmmakers interviewed dozens of renters about their stuff and why they pay to keep it in storage. The interviewees offered all the common reasons: they moved to a smaller house, inherited stuff from a parent, or just accumulated too much to keep at home.

Watch a preview of a “Store” movie.


The sad part is when renters lose their belongings when they cannot pay their bills. Or when they die.

Then the storage units are put up for auction.
“At auctions of storage units, the contents are a mystery. Amid the junk buyers may find Rolexes and diamonds, or just someone else's sad story.”

Can you imagine all of your belongings being auctioned off to the highest bidder because you can't afford to pay the storage unit fees?

According to the Self Storage Association, 50% of storage unit renters are storing what won't fit into their homes. 1 out of every 11 Americans rents storage.

“The self-storage business is booming thanks to a nation of pack rats who cling to such things as 8-track tapes and pants with waist sizes long surpassed.”

Tip:
If you have had a storage unit for longer than six months, it’s time for you to have a garage/craigslist sale. You will not only be saving yourself $50-$80 a month in storage fees, but you’ll also make some many selling all of your old unwanted stuff.

Make a committment to yourself and your wallet, to get rid of your unwanted stuff within two months.



At an auction for the contents of a self-storage

I can arrange for local charities to pick up unwanted items and get you a receipt for tax purposes.
I can drive to Goodwill to donate unwanted itmes, or hold a garage sale for you, for anything you don’t or can’t wear or use any more.

Remember: Use the two-year rule — if you haven’t worn it in two years, it’s time to say goodbye to it.



Read more articles about self-storage auctions:

Personal Property Sold at Storage Unit Auctions

Bids on Lives Left Behind

5 Ways Self Storage Units Are More Sad Museums Than Savvy Solutions

Get rid of that darn storage unit

Decorating inspirations: Living Rooms

Are you searching for living room decorating ideas?

Living room it is a place to unwind, recharge, and spend time with family and friends.

Look below to find beautiful images of living rooms.

Quick change living room

A black-and-white color scheme allows a room to be updated as trends evolve.

For low-cost, high-impact changes, the mocha walls and acid green accents could be easily swapped for new colors, and the cotton duck slipcovers could be dyed to match the new palette.

• Wheatgrass in a simple vase adds a pop of green.

• Add color with pillows and accents that can be replaced inexpensively.
• Buy affordable lamps and recover the shades for custom lighting for less.
• Frame black-and-white greeting cards for easy artwork.



Orange Crush Living room

Vibrant orange walls add richness to the dark walnut woodwork of this room.

Although taking chances with the color, the upholstery, paintings, and accessories promote harmony in the space. Asymmetrical arrangements of accessories underscore a casual style.

• Small benches serve as a coffee table, yet can be removed when entertaining.

• Pattern is limited to pillows and accessories and are easily changed.

• Oil paintings are displayed together over the fireplace to create a focal point.

• Apartment-size sofas fit nicely in this modest space.



Chocolate and cream living room

A preference for chocolate hues is hard to miss in the living area, where a mahogany Chinese Chippendale daybed, wicker coffee table, and Thebes-style (Egyptian) stool are complemented by artwork, pillows, blind trim, and other accessories.

• The furniture was arranged to take advantage of an ocean view.
• Cream carpeting helps unite the rooms in this small apartment
• Identical frames and mats accentuate artwork behind the daybed.
• Brown, like black, adds depth and punctuation to a space.


Refined Taste living room

With a soothing seaside color palette on the walls and in fabrics, this living room eases into elegance. A limestone fireplace surround, a country French-style chandelier, and inviting silver-blue walls add beauty. New dark wood beams on the vaulted ceiling help overcome the room's awkward dimensions.

• Painting the ceiling and walls the same color diminishes the room's awkward dimensions.
• Pretty fringe dresses up the light-handed window treatments.
• Hanging the simple window dressings from hefty rods gives them added visual weight.
• The room's tranquil hues continue underfoot with a textured sandy-color rug.


Perfect Proportions living room

Mirrored faux transoms raise the height of low, out-of-scale windows and help bring this awkwardly shaped living room into visual proportion. Chippendale-style overlays add an architectural detail; the fretwork motif is dramatically echoed by a console table below. The window treatments are made more substantial by large rings and rods.

• A light color palette keeps myriad patterns from overwhelming a room.
• A symmetrical placement of furniture and accents gives the room balance.
• Light and dark wood tones coexist peacefully thanks to their similar shapes and styles.
• From tasseled fringe to crystal beading, this elegant room is all about the details.

Beautiful interior, Pacific Heights

I love how JDG created a space for elegant urban living through vibrant color, graphic motifs and extensive handcrafted elements.

The interior architectural elements were custom designed, including the arched facade entrance to the private sitting room, the walnut paneling in the library and the bronze post and railings on the grand entry stairs.

Custom furnishings include the wool-and-silk Vysoski runner on the grand entry stairs that features a motif of strewn petals, the arched bronze-and-walnut settee in living room and the hand-embroidered draperies in master bedroom.

Do you enjoy beautiful interior, check out some photos:

Home Improvements

Home for sale,home improvement and home staging in Houston.

HomeGain recently conducted a new survey of top 12 low cost*, do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements for people getting their home ready to sell. Nearly 1,000 REALTORS® responded to the survey.

The top five nationwide home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers, based on average cost and return on investment (ROI) to sellers, are:

1.Cleaning and de-cluttering ($200 cost / $1,700 price increase / 872% ROI / 98% recommended)
2.Home staging ($300 cost / $1,780 price increase / 586% ROI / 82% recommended)
3.Lightening and brightening ($230 cost / $1,300 price increase / 572% ROI / 95% recommended)
4.Landscaping ($320 cost / $1,500 price increase / 473% ROI / 94% recommended)
5.Repair Plumbing ($385 cost / $1,250 price increase / 327% ROI / 88% recommended)

6. Update electrical ($400 cost / $1225 price increase / 310% ROI / 89% recommended)
7. Replacing or shampooing carpets ($300 cost / $1420 price increase / 586% ROI / 82% recommended)
8. Painting interior walls ($700 cost / $1770 price increase / 250% ROI / 94% recommended)
9. Repair damaged floors ($650 cost /$1600 price increase / 250% ROI / 91% recommended)
10. Update kitchen ($1200 cost / $2850 price increase / 237% ROI / 69% recommended)
11. Paint outside of home ($900 cost / $1815 price increase / 200% ROI / 81% recommended)
12. Update bathroom/s ($830 cost / $1430 price increase / 172% ROI / 70% recommended)

Costs are averages and rounded up. For ranges of values, see chart 1 below. For actual price increase, see chart 2 below.

chart 1


chart 2


TO READ MORE, click here: http://blog.homegain.com/home-improvement/homegain-2009-top-12-home-improvements-survey-results/

Organize Your Shoe Closet

Shoes - so many of us love them.

You may own 12, 54, 130 pairs or more.

But in order to get the most out of your shoe wardrobe, your closet needs to be organized!

The more pairs you own the more important it is to organize your shoes so that you can always find the perfect pair without spending a lot of time looking.


Tip:
Don't forget to periodically get rid of shoes as they go out of style, wear out, cause too many blisters, etc. so there will be room for new ones in your fabulously organized shoe closet!

Learn how to organize your shoes with simple, affordable and functional storage solutions. Make your own shoemobile

I Love. Love the one with “How to Make a shoemobile”.
That’s exactly what I need for my new client. She has so many pair of shoes but not enough space in the closet for them. That’s a perfect solution and I am always up for creating something new.


Make a Shoemobile