I recently moved into a condo, which I’m renting from the owner. This condo is located in a building considered an apartment building, if you will. Upon moving in, I knew I wanted to make this space my own. Small upgrades can go a long way and I sure didn’t want to feel limited in decorating and “sprucing up” the place just because I don’t own my condo. I knew that there were plenty of ways to brighten up my area and make it my home.
Move-in day was exciting, but I found a lot of little “issues.” Meaning, there were a few things that I wanted to do to upgrade the space to fit my style. Starting point, my bathroom.
One thing I knew I wanted to change was my toilet seat. This was a quick-fix that not many would think of, but it’s an easy upgrade and quite inexpensive, I might add. Check out Lowe’s®hardware store in the bathroom fixtures section and you will find a plethora of toilet seats. They’ve got round as well as oblong seats in a variety of different colors. I rolled to Lowe’s and found exactly what I needed. The directions are super simple and you don’t even need a screwdriver for installation.
When choosing my toilet seat, I chose a beige color to match the color of my toilet. One thing to remember, make sure you identify whether your toilet seat is round or oblong because it would be a shame to get caught in a rut with an oblong toilet seat and your toilet is actually round.
That change was quick and easy. Next - new showerhead. I was a little less than pleased with water spatting to and fro from the existing showerhead. Your bathroom, more specifically, your shower is supposed to be your sanctuary and that’s what I was looking to transform it into. Lowe’s came through for me again. I chose an awesome showerhead with three settings (jet stream, mist and massage - my fav!) for ridiculously cheap and now I can actually enjoy my showers. Again, installation is easy - all you really need is an adjustable wrench and maybe some WD-40 to ease off the old showerhead.
And there you have it. Two super simple upgrades that won’t even come close to breaking the bank. New showerhead - $6.99, new toilet seat - $13.99, upgrading your sanctuary - priceless. Do-it-yourself projects made easy. Stay tuned for more easy and fun ways to upgrade your apartment.
The history of wine production in Oregon can be traced to before Prohibition; it became a significant industry beginning in the 1970s when out-of-state winemakers migrated to the state and started to organize it as an industry. In 2005, Oregon ranked third among U.S. states with 303 wineries. It’s no wonder that with that many wineries, a tourism industry has developed around wine tasting! And out of all US wine growing regions, Oregon ranked third in number of wineries and fourth in production. Talk about my kind of state!
In addition to the wine industry, timber production, logging and agriculture industries also contribute to the state’s economy. And the fact that large public corporations such as Nike, Inc. Precision Castparts Corp., Northwest Natural Gas and StanCorp Financial Group all have headquarters in Oregon may help as well.
So as you can see, there are plenty of reasons to call Oregon home. And if you’re in the market for an apartment there, why not check out a few of these….
To best describe the impressions made on your community and how they impact your brand, it’s easiest to explain it as a circle. Certain key factors such as appearance; residents’ perception of the property; how residents talk about it and the way former residents talk about it are all impressions that impact your brand.
Let’s start with the first part of the circle, overall appearance. Appearance and landscape of your community impacts the prospective residents’ first impression. You can greatly influence how the outside is perceived using little finances, such as hanging plants by the leasing office, community center and laundry facility. Making sure the grass is green and the trees/bushes are trimmed. Continuous upkeep on your property’s exterior will help make prospective renters’ minds after your leasing office is closed.
The next part of the circle would be how residents perceive your community. After a prospective renter becomes a resident of the community, why should they continue to fancy the community they reside in? Offering programs such as health and wellness events, programs on the environment, family safety and financial planning are all ways you can make the property feel like home. These initiatives will also help the way current residents perceive the community which will help for the remaining portions of the circle.
Keeping current renters happy by providing great programs they would be interested in and providing stellar customer service will generate a sense of pride within residents for their community, which in turn will influence the way they talk about your property to their friends and family. As many marketers know, word of mouth if a very powerful tool. It can be used for good or evil, your choice! So long after the first impressions, make sure residents continue to view your community as the destination they hoped for. This piece of the circle is really crucial as it not only helps develop relationships with your current residents, but also helps your image to prospective renters too.
And finally, the last piece of the circle that loops the cycle around is the outcome of impressions. When it comes to renewal hopefully renters will decide to stay with your community. Or in the case when they must move on, former renters’ opinions of the community can either encourage or impede others to visit. If it encourages, which we hope based on efforts we’ve previously mentioned, then the impressions cycle can start all over again.
As you know, you only have one chance at first impressions. Once you make it appear that your community is where the prospective renter wants to live, or that your company is one they want to do business with, really drive that notion home with a positive renting experience. Doing so will bring it in full circle for your business with current and present customers.
You could win $10,000 in ForRent.com’s Ready2Move video contest. Are you at that point where you realize, ‘Yeah….I’m ready to move!’? If so, then tell us your story. It could be a bad roommate, noisy neighbor, paranormal activity or perhaps you’re still living with your parents! Whatever the case may be, tell ForRent.com why you are Ready2Move. Get out your video camera and start filming your Ready2Move situation! The deadline for video submissions is May 27th, 2009.
Web site visitors can stay connected to the contest through the new ForRent.com Facebook application. Facebook users can access the “Ready2Move?” video contest to upload their own video entry, view other entries and vote for their favorites without registering for an account on the contest site. It’s also easy for users to share the contest and specific videos with their Facebook friends.
Or, you could win $1,500 just for being in the voting sweepstakes! A voter will be selected at random to win. So visit the website and vote for your favorite video. It could make you a winner!
Contemplating a move to Denver? Denver.ForRent.com has all you’ll need to make the move an easier transition. A customized apartment search based on neighborhoods in the Denver area as well as resources for living in the city, Denver.ForRent.com will be your guide to complete the experience.
Soon we will have a Denver Tips page which will assist you with your apartment living, dinning, recreation and entertainment needs. Whether it’s checking out the city park, catching a football game at Invesco Field or visiting the performing arts center, there’s something for everyone!
A time honored tradition in my home was an advent calendar used to count down the days until Christmas. The specific one in my house had 25 boxes with little gift ornaments. Each day my brother and I would open up the little box with a surprise ornament in it and hang it on the tree. It was something I looked forward to everyday. But an advent calendar isn’t limited to Christmas; it really can be used for different holidays such as solstice, Hanukkah, etc.
So in keeping with childhood memories for me, I searched for ways to incorporate this craft for kids during the holidays. eHow.com actually had a really cute one, which I thought I’d share……
For this craft you’ll need a large piece of cardboard, scissors, popsicle (craft) sticks, acrylic paints, paint brushes, brads, glue (hot or liquid white will due), a variety of small boxes, and of course, items to decorate the boxes with: ribbon, rope, etc.
Step1
Gather all materials and find a large surface to assemble the calendar. Make sure it is next to an outlet if you are using a hot glue gun. The number of small boxes you need will depend on the number of days you are counting down to your holiday event!
Step2
Lay out your cardboard and arrange boxes into a wreath (ring) shape on it. Remember to place them far enough apart that you will be able to easily remove their lids. Trace a circle around the outside of all the boxes. Trace another circle around the inside of all the boxes. Clear the boxes off the cardboard. You should be left with the outline of a wreath (ring). Cut out this shape with scissors or a craft knife. It is your base.
Step3
Glue the popsicle sticks to the back of the cardboard ring. These will give it extra stability when the boxes are filled with treats. Let the glue dry before going on to next step.
Step4
This is the fun part! Paint the calendar base (cardboard ring) and boxes as desired. Use seasonal colors, images, and don’t forget to number the boxes!
Step5
Glue your boxes onto the painted cardboard ring. Keep in mind to place each far enough apart for the lids to come off easily. If you are using brads, now is the time to poke a hole (with scissors) through the box bases and cardboard base to insert the brads. This helps the boxes stay put if the glue fails. Let the glue dry before moving on to the next step.
Step6
Decide where to put your calendar. It can go on any surface as it is, or you can add a festive ribbon or rope and hang it from your wall.
I hope you and your child/children enjoy creating this holiday craft. Spending time with family is what the holidays are all about. Why not make some great memories in the process!
