Cheap Ways To Update Your Rental Property

When it comes to making money on investment properties such as apartment buildings, the time you put into keeping things both attractive and functional will be paid back to you in the form of consistent tenants. Here are some simple ways to spruce up your older rental property without spending a fortune.

Repaint Inside and Out

Any designer would tell you that a fresh coat of paint can go a long way in making a space feel fresh and clean. If your apartment complex is starting to look a little shabby, repainting it can immediately grant it a new breath of life. If possible, repaint the exterior as well as the interior, as curb appeal definitely adds to your chances of keeping renters.

Refinish Interior Surfaces

Whether or not the surfaces in your apartment lobby and common areas are considered "high end," they could probably use a little TLC. A deep clean and refinish on flooring, countertops, elevator touch pads, and even window trim can really work wonders in making everything look crisp and inviting. By investing in projects such as metal refinishing Manhattan NY apartments immediately set themselves apart from the competition. 

Add Contemporary Trim

If you take a look at any newer multi-resident buildings going up across the country, you'll find that many of them are leaning towards a contemporary design on the exterior of the building. While you may not have much control over the "bones" of your building, you can add a contemporary twist by looking into low-cost options for window and door trim. Many of today's options are made from materials that are durable and easy to clean, while replicating more expensive looks, such as natural wood or aluminum siding.

The truth is, you don't have to spend a fortune to make a big difference in the way your property looks and sells. By repainting and refinishing major surfaces, adding contemporary trim, or looking into other ways you can update the feel of the building, the chances of keeping your investment property full of happy tenants will improve greatly.

Tweet

4 Ways You Can Save Money on Standard Business Expenses

Saving money on standard business expenses is important during times of economic struggle. To help your company survive a downward trend in the market, look into one of these four ideas to help you save a little bit of money throughout the fiscal year.

Consider Shared Office Spaces

Instead of paying a lease for an office building or space, you should look into the possibility of renting a shared office space. A shared office is a collection of workstations or small offices rented per space or per person. It is a great option for businesses that have a lot of employees on a contractual or freelance basis.

Rent Your Delivery Trucks

Rather than purchasing or leasing expensive delivery trucks, you could look into trailer rental Everett WA services. This way you only pay for a truck or trailer when you actually need one, instead of letting one sit expensively in your business lot.

Rely on Social Media for Marketing

Social media is a wonderful way to advertise your company's products and services. Accounts are free to create, so you just need a strong eye for photography, a smart caption, and a fun layout to create marketing posts. If you can fit it in your marketing budget, you could hire social media influencers to help you create content showing off your company.

Apply for a Line of Credit, Not a Loan

For large purchases, you should apply for a business line of credit, instead of a traditional bank loan. A line of credit does have a spending limit, but you will only need to pay back what you spend in a month, instead of making one large payment every month.

With a few new ideas when it comes to running a business, you can save money to help you through the tough times.

Tweet

4 Cost-Saving Tips for International Traveling

International travel offers cultural enrichment, delicious food and drinks, incredible historical settings, and a sense of adventure and exploration like no other. The cost of such an adventure can quickly add up but don't let that stop you from booking one. Here are some cost saving tips to consider when planning your next vacation overseas.

Reconsider Your Departure City

Flying from a large international airport, such as Newark in New Jersey, LAX in California, or George Bush in Texas, can cut airline ticket costs when traveling internationally. You may be able to skip an additional stop or layover if you leave from a large city's international airport that is within a couple of hours of your home.

Book Airport Transportation

After you book your ticket from a departure city, do some research about that airport's various services. For example, it is more economical to book Houston airport transportation services than to park a car at either of the city's airports. This may not save a whole lot of money in the long run, but the money you save would definitely pay for a few meals or museum tickets in a new country.

Fly Round Trip

If you are starting your trip in London, England, then you should also finish in London, England. When traveling internationally, plan your trip soin a circle, meaning you start and end your trip in the same place. This way you book a round trip ticket, which will always save you money. From there, take trains, buses, or domestic budget flights to travel to different cities or countries.

Decide What's Important

Divide your vacation budget into categories, such as eating, touring, sleeping, and traveling, and then decide what percentage of your budget you want to put in each category. This way you can plan to spend your hard earned money at Michelin star restaurants rather than five star hotels. You can book second class train tickets and have more money for private tours of museums. Decide what you want, plan a budget, and then stick to it.

International travel is expensive, but there are several ways to save money here and there. Most importantly, have a great trip.

Tweet

Benefits of Hiring an Airport Shuttle Service

Whether you're going on a business trip or taking a family vacation, you likely want a smooth and stress-free trip to the airport. But that trip to the airport may or may not involve taking your car. There are many reasons you may want to leave your car at home and rely on a shuttle service to get you from galveston to houston airport.

Get There on Time

There's probably nothing worse about traveling than arriving at the airport too late and missing your flight. Booking an airport shuttle service in advance can ensure that you get to the airport on time. That's because drivers must be prompt and ensure you make your flight. Shuttle bus drivers have years of driving experience under their belts and know all the city's routes. They also know about all the different roads and routes around the airport, which allows them to avoid traffic jams and get to the airport as quickly as possible.

Enjoy Your Commute

An airport shuttle bus service can take stress off you and give you one less thing to worry about. You won't have to stress over hailing a cab, finding a parking spot or waiting on public transportation. You can schedule your curbside pickup and relax while someone else drives you to your destination. Not to mention, most shuttles offer air conditioning, music and large TV screens, which are all bonus features that can help make your commute even more enjoyable.

Save Money

At first, you may think that taking the airport shuttle will cost you more than driving to the airport yourself. However, when you consider the time, gas and parking cost of driving your car to the airport, you may realize that taking the shuttle can be more economical. 

Hiring an airport shuttle service may not be the first thing that comes to mind when traveling, but it can be well worth the consideration and cost.

Tweet

Convenient HVAC Installation and Repair

Before It's Too Late

Considering the almost insane temperatures that have been occurring lately, you may be thinking about finally installing an HVAC unit. It's always better late than never. Not only will you experience actual cool temperatures in your home, but if you ever plan to sell your house, buyers tend to prefer homes with HVAC units already installed in them. Indeed, some reports have indicated that especially among the Millenial generation of homebuyers--those who will soon be the only ones in the market looking to buy a home--they have been selecting homes that come equipped with what is considered staple amenities. Among the chief of those is a working HVAC system. So, you can leave those kitchen and bathroom renovations to the side and instead pool your money towards installing a unit instead.

Those With A Plan

Unless you went to school for wiring and electrical work, it's likely that you're not going to know the first thing about the installation of an HVAC unit. Thankfully, Chrismon Heating and Cooling have experts just waiting for your call. They are experts in installation and Greensboro furnace repair. Their dedicated and trained team can take a look at your home, determine its needs and areas where heating and air conditioning can do the most work, and then set up a plan to see it done. They bring the tools, knowledge, and equipment to transform your house from a den of discomfort to one of comfortable coziness.

If one of the reasons why you chose not to install an HVAC unit was because of the increased cost in your energy bill, your worries can be reduced. The experts at Chrismon Heating and Cooling know what air conditioning units provide the best service without draining the power. They can also make sure that your house is receiving the most that it can, so your HVAC unit doesn't have to work all day and night. Trust in them to bring your house into modernity.

Tweet

3 Benefits of Yacht Ownership

If you are the type of person that loves the feel of the open water, you have probably spent more than your share of time on a boat or yacht. Having everything you need right at the tip of your hands is certainly advantageous, as is being able to navigate the seas and enjoy a day or night out on the water. In fact, you might even want to set sail for a few days, not even touching land until you are good and ready. For these reasons and more, you should consider the following three benefits associated with yacht ownership. 

Never Make a Reservation Again

Little can be more frustrating than finding time to go on a yacht trip, only to discover that no boats are available for the days that you have free. Making a reservation is a cumbersome and often difficult process. However, this headache is eliminated when you own your yacht. Just take a look at some of the Sabre yachts for sale and you will quickly realize that this is a path you definitely want to pursue. 

Enjoy the Personal Touches

When you rent a boat, it just will not seem like home no matter how many personal amenities come with it. When you have your own yacht, you will be able to add the personal touches that make you feel comfortable. From artwork to your own bed, everything will be extra comfortable each and every time you set sail. 

Customize Your Ship

Renting a boat may have some advantages, but you will rarely get a yacht that has all of the features you personally desire. Owning your own yacht takes care of this problem. Customize it the way you want and you sure to be much happier in the end. 

These three benefits alone illustrate some of the many reasons why yacht ownership is coveted. If you love getting out on a boat, you will want to consider owning a boat in order to have it accessible wheneever you want. It is a complete addition to your lifestyle that you are sure to enjoy for years to come. 

Tweet

Calculators Aid In Utility Budgeting

The calculator is one of the oldest still-useful tools people possess in their daily lives. It can be used offline in a variety of ways, from adding up bills and paying them to estimating taxes. Online calculators have almost made lives easier by estimating entire budgets and giving a full layout of what finances look like. Utility calculators remain one of the single best calculators for household budgeting. All households use water, electricity, and trash services to function smoothly. Thanks to modern calculators, you don't just get a bottom line number to work with. You have a vast array of analytics to help you budget more effectively from month to month.

Monthly budgeting

Nothing is quite as critical to a smoothly functioning household as budgeting. By knowing what you can or can't live without, you make sure that the money you need for vital services like water and electricity are there even if nothing else is. Most households live month to month or paycheck to paycheck. If money has to last for two weeks, sitting down and planning out how much bills are going to be is essential for peace of mind. Utility calculators are among the most important because no one wants to live without electricity or water. These are the things that aren't negotiable in the budget. Thankfully, online calculators help to make these easier to estimate. While no bottom line is going to be 100% accurate and you should always leave room for more than the bottom line, these can help you give an idea of where your extra money can be spent and where it must be saved.

Convenience

The convenience of online calculators is well known. You plug in numbers and they give you a realistic output for what you're budgeting. Complexities vary. Some calculators will just estimate a utility charge for the month based on your current usage while others will go through 12 months of bills and give you detailed graphs and expectations for the coming year. Statistics are important because they give you expectations for the future based on the reliability of prior usage. 

Thanks to the old technology of calculators combined with the new technology of the Internet and analytics, people can budget ahead like never before. Click here to learn more about this or simply begin testing the waters.

Tweet

Straightforward Assistance with Your Home's Upkeep

Your home requires a significant amount of repairs and upkeep throughout the years. Even the best kept of homes can suffer from issues with backed-up plumbing and clogged pipes. When you know that you cannot do the work yourself, you may look to outside help from contractors like Naperville plumbers and other house repair specialists. You can find out more about the help available to you by checking out the company's website online.

Experienced for Consumer Confidence

You understandably want to be confident in the contractor you hire to work on your home's plumbing. A plumber who is inexperienced and relatively new to the industry may work well under the supervision of skilled contractors. However, this individual alone may lack the knowledge to quickly fix and prevent the problem from happening again.

Instead of hiring a novice, you may choose to hire a company that has decades of experience in the industry. These years of experience mean that you get fast, reliable, and thorough care of your home's plumbing. The problem that is plaguing your house right now may not occur again because of the professional service you retain online.

Estimates and Savings

Hiring a contractor can be a pricey experience if you fail to shop wisely. You can use the website to get a quote for the problem you are having right now with your plumbing. By getting a quote, you know exactly how much you may need to spend to get the problem fixed. The contractor guarantees the price and does not include surprises that could throw the work off budget.

You also can save money by using the specials tab on the company's website. By clicking on the link, you may find coupons and savings that will allow you to trim your repair bill significantly. This courtesy helps you get the work done you need right now even if you are on the tightest of home improvement and repair budgets.

If you want to know what other people have thought and said about the contracting service, you can read the testimonials on the website. The testimonial link at the top of the page can be used when you want to put your mind at ease about the quality of service.

Taking care of your home calls for you to get the plumbing fixed from time to time. You can get professional service by contacting the plumbing contractor online.

Tweet

Why You Should Consider Home Renovations Before Moving

There are a plethora of reasons why you may want to move out of your current house. Needing extra space, layout and location are only a few of the most common. Although you might not be able to do much about changing the location of your home, most other reasons can be averted through renovations. If your current property allows various modifications, you can virtually build the house of your dreams from any home.

Lower Costs

If you need more space in your current home, adding an extra room can be done quite easily. These add-ons can be done in a way that looks natural for the rest of the hoouse giving it an even symmetry. This may be a much better use of funds than to pay for buying a new home, paying movers and changing services because you needed more space. One thing that may prevent these kinds of additions is the layout of the land itself. Some homes sit relatively close to property lines. If this is the case, there is nothing wrong with building up to add more rooms and levels.

Build What You Want

Renovations allow you to design and build rooms to your specifications. Professional renovators can work with you to create rooms that you may only dream about. Although some structures may be limiting when it comes to things like load-bearing walls, and experienced contractor may have alternatives that can still deliver an alluring presence to the house. The contractor's ideas may be better than your own. Never assume that a home's layout cannot be modified in terms of the floor plan.

Adding to Your Equity

Many people would rather build onto a house and improve it's overall value. In many cases, additions such as these can enhance the selling price of the property more than the construction costs. Instead of selling a two-bedroom and one bath small home, you could sell a three-bedroom and two-bath family dwelling for far more later on. In the meantime, you can be living in a home that would have been well beyond your financial means by simply adding on extra rooms.

Before you start looking for a larger home, get your free quote for renovations and additions today. Having a professional contractor add more to your house may be a better use of time and money than trying to find a place large enough for your needs. It requires nothing more than your time to explore the possibilities of building the house of your dreams one room at a time.

Tweet

Finding The Best Deals On London Hotels

The great city of London, capital of the United Kingdom, is a perennial destination for recreational tourism and international business. When you're booking your hotel room in London, you'll need to make sure you're getting the very best possible deal for your money. This is one vital area in which you simply can't afford to make a mistake.

Book Your Visit In Style

When it comes to finding the best possible deals on London hotels, you've got your work cut out for you. Luckily, your path to the best discounts on great hotel rooms shouldn't have to be all that hard. But you'll need to put in the time and effort to do a bit of research on the best possible hotel room deal. But, since this is the 21st century era of Internet technology, even that won't be so hard. In fact, it's easier now than it's ever been. 

The Secret Of The Ultimate Hotel Room Discount

Of course, the secret of the ultimate hotel room deal has a lot to do with the Internet. Specifically, while you used to have to call up a whole host of travel agents or read through a thousand brochures to find even a hint of where to get the best travel deal, today you can get all of the latest and most accurate information straight from a mere 15 minute search through a few websites on the Internet. 

The Best Place On The Web For Great Deals

But the absolute best place on the Internet won't be found by just anyone. You'll be happy to know that, just by reading this article, you're gaining some rather privileged information! The truth of the matter is that there really is a website where you can get all the latest and most accurate information on cheap hotel rooms in London. And that place is Hipmunk.com.

The Latest Hotel Room Deals Are At Hipmunk

Hipmunk has an excellent guide to UK hotels available on its official company website at Hipmunk.com. Log on today to discover excellent deals on London hotel rooms, as well as hotel, motel, and travel package guides to plenty more of the world's most exciting and desirable locations. With the help of this handy travel guide, you'll soon be navigating the city like a natural born citizen. For all the latest information, log on to Hipmunk.com today.

Tweet

Re-Growing Vegetables from Scrap

I particularly love cooking Pakchoi or Bok Choy. It tastes great in soups or simply sauteed. However, it is not everyday that this heavenly green goodness is available in the supermarket. Plus, they are expensive. I learned however that it can be easily regrown in the kitchen using the bottom part that is normally just discarded in the organic bin.

My pakchoi and scallions after a week! Now the are ready for planting.

So one day, after making beef soup with pakchoi, instead of throwing out the bottom cut part, I decided to place it in a small shallow dish filled with water, with the cut side up. A tip: it is essential that you change the water daily to keep it fresh. I included the bottom part of the scallions or spring onions which I also put in the soup.

My pakchoi is happy now that is in planted in soil! :)

The scallions look happy too! Now their roots can spread and they more room to grow.

In just a couple of days, the leaves began to grow. After a week, my pakchoi already has lots of leaves and the roots have also come out. More so with my scallions. I decided to transfer them in soil today so that they have more room to grow and get the essential nourishment that water cannot give.

Now, they are sitting prettily in my kitchen, very close to the window, so they can get lots of warmth and light. Maybe in another two weeks, I get to have a taste of my very own home-grown pakchoi. :)

Tweet

My Little Girl's Frozen-Themed Birthday Party Part 1

My precious little Princess is finally six. She celebrated her birthday last Friday, February 28th and I can say that she really enjoyed it. After all, she was dressed up like Elsa, the beautiful and nice snow queen from the Frozen movie. After seeing the movie for the first time here in the Philippines, she immediately told me that she wants a Frozen party. So a Frozen party it was!

I only had barely a month to plan for this party for her and I am lucky because I've got two creative sisters and equally creative and crafty cousins who readily volunteered to help me out. It wasn't a breeze planning for this party since we were limited to what's locally available. After all, in a tropical country like the Philippines, who would even think to supply winter-inpired materials except during Christmas? But we managed to do it! I can't thank these wonderful girls enough!  

The star of the day before her birthday cake and cupcakes.

She chose the dress from the many images we found on Pinterest. It was a tutu dress which my cousin made for her. I bought the tulle, organza cloth and the ornamented ribbon from a local department store here and my cousin did the rest. Underneath, she wore a tube dress (which unfortunately was pink since there was nothing else available at the department store when we bought it) to prevent her from itching. 

Playing a game of Frozen Dance to break the ice.

For the party hats, we went for the Sven antlers for the boys and tiaras for the girls. The pattern for the Sven antlers we got from My Sister's Suitcase blog. The tiara was also cute and I initially wanted to make it too! But it was difficult to get the rubber sheets (or craft foam) and we only found the brown ones with glitter on them so we only managed to make the antlers. Luckily, we found the plastic tiara at a local party supplier for only Php 3.00 each so it was really a good buy! 

Wacky pose: the birthday girl with her cousins. 

Tweet

Does Your House Need a Repair?

Building materials will always wear off as the years go by. Roofs would leak, paints would peel, cement will crumble, foundations will weaken. Which is why it is important to have a sort of "maintenance fund" if you want to build a house or a building. More so if you buy an old house or a building. This is because when repairs need to be done, it will definitely cost something. And you wouldn't want to repair only when something bad already happens, right?

Just like most people, I would want to save on the maintenance works as much as I can and would opt to make it a DIY project. But when doing major repairs or renovations, it would be smarter to have professionals do it since it would be more efficient that way. No back jobs so to speak. To my friends in Canada, let the pros do the foundation repair in Ottawa or anywhere else. I would also recommend to do waterproofing ottawa works on the roof and walls so that your homes are safe from mold growths especially in the cold winter time. The minor repair works like changing hinges or repainting, that you could DIY.

So there... Happy saving! :)

Tweet

Does Your Business Have An Online Presence?

We all have heard of small businesses closing down because of its dwindling clientele. Fact is, more and more people shop online these days. If we look at the numbers, there is no denying the fact that more and more people, in fact 42% of consumers, find a better price online for a similar product that one finds in retail shops. Indeed small business marketing through social media and the Internet has become a "must" for small businesses to survive in the very competitive world of internet marketing.

If you are an online entrepreneur or just a simple business person, you probably have heard of local search engine optimization.  This is one of the vital things that you need to have to make your online presence known. If you want to be on top of the search engine lists, you need to have a strategic SEO that will help you land just there. If you are not so familiar with this, it is best to consult the experts like RevLocal that will act as your company's Internet Marketing Department so you can focus on your business.

It would also be great if your website also has a mobile version since more and more people opt to use their smartphones to search for many different products. A mobile version of your online shop for example makes it easier to browse through your products since they load faster than the online version. A neat website that is very user friendly and has effective graphics is something that online shoppers like me really love. Another thing that will help boost your online presence? Coupons and deals every now and then. Who doesn't want to buy a good bargain nowadays? A good SEO company will advice you on just that.

So, does your business have an online presence?

Tweet

Earn Some Extra Money From Home

No matter where a person lives or who they are, chances are they find the idea of making extra money from home attractive. They may be looking for more funds in order to save money on home insurance, or they may simply wish to have something set aside for a vacation. By looking at the ideas below a person will realize that they have a few options.

1. Sell Crafted Items

Some people enjoy creating things. They may find great joy from knitting a blanket for infants or painting something to hang on the family room wall. If this is the passion for a person wishing to make extra money they should consider selling some of their creations. They can do this by setting up special auctions on the Internet, or by participating in local craft shows. If a person so desires they can do both.

2. Become a Freelance Writer or Editor

Not everybody wishes to spend their time behind a crafting bench. For a number of individuals, writing is more attractive. If a person likes to write stories or articles they may want to consider offering their skills on a freelance basis. Blogs may be on the lookout for people that can provide entries for them; businesses may wish for somebody to check the grammar from their latest press release. Depending on the level of skill and the amount of work that is done at one time, a person can make decent extra money for their own personal wishes.

3. Tutor People of All Ages

Another option for a person that wishes to make money from home involves tutoring people. No matter how old a person is, chances are that they struggle with a particular subject. A child or adult may need help with math or their reading comprehension skills and a tutor can help them understand. The person that wishes to tutor can set up a special area in their home where they can teach the people that visit. If this is not what they want to do, they can join a website that provides digital help on the Internet. A tutor can be flexible in the hours that they create and this is good for busy people.

Tweet

Another Reason To Collect Points

It is a blessing that we live where we live right now. The location is just very ideal. We are only a few steps away from the train station, there are schools around us, a church nearby, and a grocery store just at the ground floor of our building. And even with all the daily hustle and bustle, it is surprisingly a quiet and safe neighborhood.

I love to buy our groceries in the store downstairs because they are fresh and the selection is good. It's a bit pricey compared to other stores but they do have some promotions. They have this point system where you collect points and can get household items of top brands for a very, very low price. Like last winter, I was able to get a WMF stainless steel pan with a nonstick liner valued at €132.90 for only €36.99, that's about €95.91 worth of savings. This month, they are having another promotion where you can get five-star knives from a very well-known German brand. I wonder if they also have a utility knife in the list, as I know I could use one. Let's see. So I am saving all the points I could get. It is not so often that you can get quality knives such as these for a very low price.

Tweet