the real estate Advisor
Build Your Ideal Home Office on a Budget
If you work from home full-time or even part-time, having a dedicated space in your home to sit down and focus is crucial. It should be a comfortable, organized space and everything you need should be easily accessible. And, luckily, creating a motivating workspace doesn’t have to be expensive.
The first step in creating the home office of your dreams is to select the right space or room. It’s most ideal to find a spot with natural light and possibly a nice view of the outdoors. Once you have this selected, consider adding a fresh coat of paint to set the tone for your workspace or select a bright, fun wallpaper print.
Next, it’s time to shop for furniture! Measure your office area and find a desk that fits. To avoid overspending o this piece, think outside the box and look on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist. Do you have room for a comfy chair or sitting bench? You may also want a floor or desk lamp, bookshelf or side table to fill out the room. You can also find these for a reasonable price on these sites.
Once you have your furniture in place, hunt for organizational items like a drawer set if your desk doesn’t have one, desk organizer, file holder, pen holder and more. Keeping your space clean and organized will help you stay motivated and focused. Then add some desk decor, plants, and wall art into the mix. All these items are fairly inexpensive and can be found at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or on Amazon.
Take 5: Tips for Maximizing a Small Kitchen
Does your dream home come with a small kitchen? Not to fear! There are plenty of ways to get the most out of the tight space. You just need to get creative. Check out these tips!
Lighten up the area. Bright and light always opens up your space. Choose white or bright colors for the walls then pair that with unique overhead and under cabinet lighting. Don’t forget to open up any windows or glass doors to bring in the natural light.
Get strategic with storage. Maximize the storage space you have by hanging items on the inside of lower cabinet doors or adding additional shelves to higher cabinets. Install a magnetic strip to a wall and use that to store your knives instead of the countertop or hang hutting boards and pots and pans from the wall or overhead.
Use your oven. Not one to make things in the oven often? Consider using it to store your pots and pans. Then just remove the items when in use.
Purchase a mobile kitchen island. Need more chopping space? Consider purchasing a mobile island that can be moved into the kitchen while you’re cooking. Most islands come with drawers or cabinets for storing knives or spices. Then just move it out of the kitchen to the dining room when not in use.
Install additional shelving. Have an open wall that faces into the kitchen? Consider installing additional floating shelves for storage. Also, if you have a lot of space between the top of your cabinets and the ceiling, add a long shelf to store minimally used items.
Moving on a budget
Purchasing a new home is likely one of the largest financial investments you will make in your lifetime. And on top of the home cost itself, there are additional expenses that come along with this life milestone, like moving costs. Follow the below ideas for moving on a tight budget.
Compare DIY to professional moving services. Don’t instantly assume that moving yourself is going to be cheaper than hiring help. Collect three to four quotes from various moving companies and compare that to the cost of the truck, dollies, moving pads, and compensation for friends and family who help. If it nets out to be about the same or just slightly different, consider the stress professional help could eliminate.
Move in the off-season. If you are flexible with your move at all, consider moving in the fall or winter (depending upon where you live and where you are moving too). By scheduling your move in the off-season, you could potentially save up to 30 percent on hiring movers.
Don’t pay for boxes. Hunt your office for leftover boxes from deliveries or post on social media to see if any family members or friends have extras hanging around their house. You should also check behind stores like Walmart for any discarded boxes or ask a customer service member in the evenings once new inventory has been stocked.
Purge your home. Decrease the items you need to move by doing a full purge of your belongings. Move from room to room in your home and toss or donate any items that you haven’t used in a year. This will not only help make packing a breeze, but also eliminates unnecessary weight, which is generally used by movers to estimate the cost.
November 2019 Market Statistics
The market statistics are for Maricopa and Pinal Counties. Please let me know if you’d like similar statistics for a specific city or neighborhood within the Phoenix Metro area.
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