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Selling your home can often be a stressful occasion. Everyone wants to make sure that they can sell their house for at least as much as they paid for it. Sometimes, people go to great trouble to fix up their homes to make sure they sell for a good price. People replace windows, roofs, furnaces, even plumbing. These are all costly renovations, and are often unnecessary. There are many small and inexpensive changes you can make to your home that will raise its resale value. Consider these ideas:

Paint every space in your house that you think could use freshening up. If you want a space to look bigger, such as a living room or closet, use a light color, or white. Although painting is time-consuming, it is quite inexpensive, and helps to make a house look new again.

Check out the exterior of your house, including the yard; are there changes you could make here to improve its curb appeal? Paint trim and any steps or railings that look worn out, replace or repaint house numbers and light fixtures, and trim any hedges or bushes in your yard. Keep your grass cut and, even if you don’t have a flower garden, consider buying a pot or hanging basket of flowers to add color to your home’s entrance. You might even want to buy a welcome mat!

The kitchen and bathroom are two rooms you will want to pay special attention to. Make sure they are spotless. Are all of your lights and electrical outlets working? Do you need to add more to make the rooms brighter and more accessible? If you are unable to do these jobs on your own, ask an electrician to do it for you. Although it will cost more, you will know that everything works; also, extra lighting and outlets really do increase the value of a room in the eyes of potential home buyers.

Take a look at the flooring in your home. Are there rips or stains in linoleum or carpet? Are hardwood floors looking dull? Have all of your carpets cleaned. You can rent a carpet cleaner for a good price from a local home hardware or grocery store. If your carpet is damaged, you may be able to patch it if the spot is small. Linoleum is quite inexpensive, and easy to install. Clean and polish all hardwood floors.

Finally, before potential home buyers arrive to look through your house, add the finishing touches. Put fresh towels in the bathrooms and kitchen. Tidy closets, and make sure no newspapers or bills are lying out. Wipe down counters. Light a candle or two and put on some quiet music. Make sure all pets are out of the way. By following these tips, your home will be sold before you know it, and the selling price will put a smile on your face!

Learn home improvement tips at http://www.myvirtualschool.com/home-improvement.

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Tax season is over…The spring holidays have passed…
Hopefully by now you have sent your taxes in and recovered from your spring holiday preparation. You can RELAX!
Sit back, get excited for summer.

Just don’t let things slide too much. In order for you to be able to take the break you deserve, there are a few VITAL organizing systems you need to have in place so clutter doesn’t take over.

1. Mail-establish a place for incoming mail and outgoing mail. I like to keep a picture box with my stamps, envelopes, tape, scissors, a couple of pens, and whatever else I need to send letters.

For incoming mail, you can keep a tiered tray with different categories to look at a later date-bills, medical reimbursements, to file. Frequently check the tray to see when anything is due.

Keeping your mail in one location prevents paper pileup.

2. Receipts and coupons- establish a system for receipts. You can use an expandable check file and label each section according to store, credit card, or type of purchase. Think about where you would look to find it if you needed it.

3. Library books/movies-keep anything you can incur a fine for in one location.

4. Magazine basket-keep magazines in a basket and when it gets too full, sort and purge.

5. Keys-keep your keys in one place! It may sound obvious to you but do you waste time desperately searching for your keys?

6. Birthdays-read more about keeping a birthday tracking system at http://www.best-organizing-products-superstore.com/yahoo-birthday-reminders.html

7. Gifts-I like keeping extra gifts on hand for those last minute necessities. This may sound terrible- but I also keep gifts that I receive (that I don’t particularly like) in this location. I do not allow my home to become cluttered with gifts I did not like and the guilt that goes along with not using them!

8. CDs/DVDs-believe it or not, I have seen media take OVER much floor space and counter space when no specific place is designated for it. Devote one piece of furniture with drawers to contain all of your media.

9. Lists- This is my favorite! You do not need to have any fancy software or device for this. I open up a plain Microsoft word document for any list I think of-tax deductions for next year, things I have borrowed or lent out, people to send holiday cards to, holiday inventory (for instance, I need a better can opener for next Passover), spring cleaning chores, books to read, wish lists, babysitting instructions, packing lists…

You name it! Whatever thought enters my head, I write it down to prevent mental clutter.

If you are more of a creative type of person and hate the idea of making lists, do it in a way that speaks to you. For instance, create “landmarks” for your lists. For example, if you have a picture of your spouse on your desk, perhaps keeping a gift wish list or birthday list under his/her picture would remind you to plan their birthday gift.

10. Grocery shopping and cooking-Keep a running grocery list on the front of your pantry or refrigeration (with a pen!) so you can write down items as you need them.

Plan one day a week to plan all the meals for the week with the ingredients that you need. Be sure to add those ingredients to your grocery list.

Designate the same day each week to go grocery shopping.

11. Laundry and Cleaning routines One of the most important routines is the laundry and cleaning routine. Part of it is just having the supplies on hand and a comfortable spot to do the laundry.

I really love the clorox wipes- whenever you go to the bathroom, take a quick wipe of the toilet seat, vanity, and sink countertops.

Designate 2 days a week to do laundry or if it works better for you to throw a load in each morning, that’s fine. Make sure you have laundry baskets in everyone’s room and a large sorter basket in the laundry room. That way, each person can bring their basket into the laundry room on laundry day and sort it by color.

In terms of a cleaning routine, you have a lot of flexibility. You can designate one day a week for cleaning in addition to cleaning for a 1/2 hour every morning and evening. Think like a restaurant server-pick up after using, wash dishes, wipe down dirty surfaces often. That way you will not need a heavy duty cleaning too often.

Review! 1. Create a place for everything. Literally give the items that clutter up your home an address.

2. Build habits-Establishing routines is a very IMPORTANT concept in maintaining lasting organization. Going to the grocery store the same day every week, or returning calls between 3-4 PM every afternoon can save a lot of time and prevent physical and mental clutter.

It is my hope these tips for basic organizing systems enables you to relax more freely this upcoming summer season. Happy Organizing!

Rebekah Slatkin is a professional organizer dedicated to getting people organized through hands-on decluttering sessions, teleconferencing, coaching, and her website http://www.best-organizing-products-superstore.com Visit http://www.best-organizing-products-superstore.com and subscribe to Organewz, her ezine dedicated to organized living and get organizing tips and downloads- free.

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Do you share your home with ants? How about bees or wasps? Perhaps you don’t want to admit to hosting roaches. You are in good company. Millions of homeowners struggle with evicting unwanted insects and bugs that invade their homes and take up residence, establishing colonies that can number in the thousands. Some bugs, like spiders, are relatively clean and do their share of chores by eating other insects, such as flies. But there are those that harbor bacteria or leave feces lying around that can stir up allergies or contaminate food left sitting out. Some flying insects can be downright lethal for those who are allergic to bee or wasp venom, should they be stung.

To keep your home pest-free as much as possible, follow a few simple tips like these to discourage bugs from moving in with you.

1. Keep food and beverages covered. While a bowl of apples and oranges sitting on the dining room table might prove harmless, don’t let kids toss peels on the floor or leave cores lying on tables. Their sweet scent can attract bugs from quite a distance if the windows or doors are open, albeit covered by screens. Keep lids on the butter dish and cookie jar, and put away any food that will not be eaten soon.

2. Clean up promptly. Don’t let sugar granules sit on the kitchen counter. Pop stains need to be blotted and then cleaned with soapy water. Empty pop cans or dirty dishes should be put in their respective receptacles immediately. Chip bags or cookie pouches need to be tightly closed and clipped or folded. Remember that the scent of food, though almost indiscernible to humans in these amounts just described, may prove irresistible to lurking ants, bees, or other types of bugs who are hungrily sniffing the air.

3. Eliminate standing water. Fix leaky faucets, unclog drains, and clean up yard puddles. Check under the sinks or in the tubs as well as around hoses or water tanks to patch leaks. Many types of insects are drawn to damp or moist areas, especially those that are located in the dark. Get rid of these watering holes to keep bugs at bay.

4. Seal cracks, holes, and openings. Inspect your home’s foundation outside and patch any openings where insects could get inside your home. Do the same indoors by checking around window and door frames, as well as baseboards and cupboards. Look through the basement and attic to see if you can find areas where bugs might be able to find an entrance.

5. Don’t let pet food or snacks sit out in the open. Give your dog or cat just enough to eat for each meal, if possible. Certain insects, like flies, love pet food and will make every effort to reach it, attracted by the strong scent, in your garage or inside your home.

6. Keep the yard clean. Pick up fallen fruit from apple trees or other fruit-bearing plants, especially those located near your home. Keep garbage cans tightly closed and clean outside as well as inside, as much as possible.

Lacking food, water, and a welcome, most bugs won’t hang around very long. If they do, you can always resort to natural pesticides or bug traps.

To find out more about many kinds of insects, visit Insects and Bugs.com at http://www.insectsandbugs.com.

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