The Big Move

It's that time again.  Everyone's moving around to get settled before the fall.  Whether you're moving, going to move, or already moved, we have something for you.

About to Move

If you're still looking for a place, don't forget to try websites other than craigslist.  Zillow has a great rental search engine that gives you detailed information about the apartment AND the neighborhood.  If you want a nice, move-in ready condo, Avalon Communities is a great option.  Not only are they an awesome Apt528 sponsor, but their properties are awesome as well...many include pools, workout facilities, and more.

Once you've found a place, use the Rent-o-Meter to see if it's priced right for the area.  Who knows, you may be able to negotiate a few bucks off your rent!

Moving

Once you're ready to move out, head over to our Move-Out Checklist to make sure you've done everything you need to get your security deposit back.  Also check out the wood cleaner product review to get your hardwood floors as clean as they were on the day you moved in and the Fix-It Club to find answers to every problem you can imagine.  Now your landlord will never know about the hole you accidentally knocked into the wall or the scratch you made in the floors while moving furniture.  It will be our little secret!

Moved

Already moved in? There are a ton of great DIY projects you can do to make the place your own.  The one thing to consider is, how long do you plan on staying?

Short Term

Get some privacy.  Window film is perfect for covering ugly views or blocking your neighbors while still letting the sun shine in.  Rolls start around $15 and come in many different designs, colors, and textures.  The best part is, you only need soapy water and a squeegee for the install.  When it's time to move, simply peel the film off and bring it to your next apartment.  If you have a little extra money to spend on shipping, check out Emma Jeffs, a UK designer who makes the more beautiful films.
  
 
 A year

• Add a few accents.  If you don't want the work of painting the entire apartment, try painting a couple of accent walls to highlight your favorite furniture pieces or architectural details.  If your landlord hates the color, you'll only have one wall to paint back.
• Make a headboard.  You can go as simple as a headboard decal or make your own tufted piece.  Either way, it will give your bedroom instant glam.

  A year +

• PAINT!!!  Painting is the easiest way to completely change the look of your apartment.  If your landlord doesn't like your color scheme, volunteer to paint it back when you move.  You may choose to paint the larger rooms a more neutral color to save time when you move-out, or just stick with accent walls.
• Cover the counters!  If you have horrible laminate counters that you just can't stand, talk to your landlord about painting over them (you can do this one yourself) or completely replacing them...offer to pay the $75 for materials if they'll pay for labor.  It's a win-win - you get a nice kitchen and they get to raise the rent when you leave!
• Make a Moddi.  The Moddi is a DIY Murphy bed that can be made using hardware and Ikea pieces.  For $275 (not including mattress cost), you can have a guest bed that folds away to save space when not in use.  Genius.

Don't forget other fun options like changing out your cabinet knobs and pulls or switching out light fixtures.  Just remember to put them back when you move out!

**What are your move-in/out tips and tricks?

GoJo!

You're doing a little DIY - making a fake platform bed, painting your bedroom, re-staining a thrift store find - when you decide to take a snack break. You head to the sink and start washing your hands, all the while thinking of that delicious sandwich you're about to devour. But, wait. The wood stain won't come off your hands. Now you're left with sticky fingers! Not fun.

If that's ever happened to you, I've got the perfect product to cure your sticky-hand-blues. GoJo Hand Cleaner works like magic to remove every trace of grime from your hands. It comes in sevearl different variations and is used in the home improvement, healthcare, and automotive industries. I chose the Natural Orange Pumice Hand Cleaner, which is an all-purpose cleaner that removes paint, grease, stain, and oil from you hands. The pumice scrub feels great on your hands and the orange smell is awesome.

I wasn't able to find GoJo on the Home Depot website, though they do sell it in their store for $3.49. If you search GoJo on Amazon.com, you'll find a huge assortment of GoJo cleaners. I recommend the gallon size for anyone who does a lot of DIY. I'm considering getting the wall mounted pump to keep in my workroom. GoJo also makes hand wipes...great to keep around the house or in your emergency car kit for those times when you have to change a tire or check your oil.

Now you can enjoy your snack break without sticky hands!

Moving on Out!

With all the students graduating or leaving school for the summer, I figured now is the perfect time to do a Move-Out Checklist full of tips to help you get your deposit back from your landlord!

1. Patch them holes!
If your landlord was nice enough to let you hang pictures, you probably have a hole or two left in your wall. Patch them the easy way with Patch-N-Paint. Spread the lightweight spackling over the hole, remove the excess, wait 15 minutes for it to dry, dab on a little touch up paint and you're all set. A half pint container ($3.48, Home Depot) works great for small jobs. If you're looking for a bargain, grab the 1 quart size. For $5.98 you'll end up with enough spackling to last you the rest of your renting life. Click here for more...

2. Uh oh!

Did you lose a burner cap for your stove or screw up the ice dispenser in the kitchen? Before your landlord kills you, check ApplianceHelp.com. Appliance Help carries every part you could ever need for every appliance brand you can think of. Break the dishwasher door handle? They've got you covered. Drop the a/c out the window (I've almost done it several times!)? They've got you covered. If the repair is a little over your head, try bargaining with your landlord. Perhaps they'll do the labor and give all or part of your deposit back if you buy the necessary parts.

3. Get on your knees...
and start scrubbing the floor. If you have carpet, try Resolve High Traffic Foam ($6.99, Walgreens) to remove stains. I've used this stuff on rugs and couches and it got the stain out every time. For wood, repair scratches with Old English Scratch Cover. It comes in two shades...one for light wood and another for dark. It won't get rid of the scratch but it will make them blend in. Once that's done, give the floors a good cleaning with Method Wood for Good ($6, Target). The almond scent is amazing! Click here for more...


4. Start replacing
If you removed something from your apartment, make sure to put it back. Door handles, window blinds, light switch covers, curtains, light fixtures...whatever. If it's your landlord's property they'll expect it to be there when you move out.

5. What's that smell?
Don't leave any lingering odors. Even if it's just the trash, your landlord will assume the worst. Oust Surface and Air Disenfectant will help get rid of any stubborn smells. If you want to leave a nice scent behind, try one of the airfresheners from Airwick. Their products tend to leave a nice, lasting fragrance. I love the Freshmatic Mini. It releases a scent every few minutes.

6. Don't leave anything behind!
Double check everything. Go through every drawer and cabinet one-by-one to make sure you didn't leave anything behind. Check in the back of the closet and in the pantry. There's always that one little thing that gets forgotten.

Happy Earth Day

Last Saturday, I wrote about wood care products, several of which were made by the eco-masters over at Method. Now, thanks to a tip from an anonymous reader I have more news for Bostonians. Method has setup shop (temporarily) on Newbury Street.

The shop, located by the Hynes Convention subway stop, is open now through April 27th. Bring your old, toxic household cleaners to the Method shop and they'll properly dispose of them for you. They'll also give you some of their eco-alternatives to help you detox your home.


If you don't live in Boston or simply can't make it out to Newbury Street, you can go to the Method website and purchase a detox kit for $28. The detox kit includes french lavender all purpose cleaner, tub + tile spray, almond scented furniture polish (my fave!), a wood for good microfiber cloth, sea mineral hand wash, lemon ginger all floor cleaner, and pink grapefruit dish soap. With all of those great scents, what can go wrong?!

Another Earth Day treat - a Captain Planet marathon is playing on the Boomerang Channel today from 8am to 8pm. If you're a child of the 80's/90's, you'll love this. This is also a great time to get your kids into Captain Planet and his gang of Planeteers. It's not often that you find a TV show nowadays that actually has a message to it! Check out the amazon.com store to find Captain Planet on DVD. And remember, the power is YOURS!

Spring Review: Got Wood?

Spring is FINALLY showing itself in Boston which means it's time to start the weekend spring cleaning and DIY projects. To help you spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying the weather, I'll post product reviews and project tips every weekend.

Today is all about wood. If you live in an older city like Boston, you're used to wood floors. Though some landlords gave up a long time ago on keeping the floors nice between tenants, other landlords can be real sticklers about even the tiniest scratch. In my case, our landlord had the floors refinished right before we moved in. They were so clean and shiny I didn't even want to walk on them! Since then, I've made a few scratches moving furniture and even spilled paint a couple of times.

In my search for wood care products, I fell in love with Method, a brand sold in Target and online through the Method website. Method is a cheeky, eco-friendly company that specializes in non-toxic, compostable cleaning products for both your apartment and you body. They make being green easy, AFFORDABLE, and hip. Look for Method products in today's post and many future reviews.

1. Microfiber Mop

The first step in cleaning your wood floors is purchasing a microfiber mop. Hardwood isn't meant to be cleaned with a regular mop and needs a gentle touch. Before I use any type of floor cleaner, I always go over the floors with the microfiber mop to gather all the dust and junk. These mops are great at trapping dust and won't leave dustbunnies behind. Most microfiber mops come with removable/replacable cloths. When mine gets dirty, I simply throw it in the washer and it's good as new.

2. Floor Cleaner

For my wood floors, I found the Method Wood For Good Floor Cleaner ($6) works best. I tried the Swiffer wood floor cleaner and Murphy Oil Soap, but both left my floor streaky and my house full of that lemon, sterile smell. The Method cleaner left no streaks and is easy to use! Simply squirt the cleaner directly onto the floor and use a microfiber mop to clean to a shine. Best of all the Wood for Good cleaner has an almond scent so addicting that I clean my floors just to smell it!

Method Wood for Good also comes in a starter kit ($30) that includes a microfiber mop, compostable sweeping pads (yea for saving landfills!), and the almond-scented floor cleaner.

3. Scratch Cover

One thing Method doesn't make is a scratch fixer. For that, I use Old English Scratch Cover. It comes in two different colors - one for dark wood and one for light. To use, squirt the Old English onto a towel and wipe the scratches. Next, apply the scratch cover to the larger area where the scratches are located and buff to a shine. While this doesn't get rid of scratches, it does make them less noticable.

Renter Tip: Get paint on your floors? No problem! Latex paint easily wipes up with water or can be peeled away once it's dry. Spill oil or spray paint? I found the Old English Scratch Cover to be great for getting rid of these hard to remove paints. Squirt it on the towel and rub until the stain disappears. It does take a little elbow work but in the end it's worth it!

4. Furniture Polish

Back to Method again! The Method Wood for Good Furniture Polish and Furniture Wipes are top knotch for wood furniture care. Like the floor cleaner, they're also almond scented and leave you furniture shiny and protected.