Becoming a home owner is a 2020 goal. However, low inventory, low home mortgage rates, and tons of people wanting to buy houses, has created a very competitive selling/buying market in the Puget Sound area. Begun housing hunting in January, and have already placed two offers on different houses with up to $75,000 escalation above asking price and waiving inspection, and still were not the best offer. Seeking control and comfort after this rejection, I turn to books, particularly books about organizing. There have been two books that I have read by Martha Stewart, the first one was Good Things For Organizing (which is an older published book). Here are some of the helpful tips I gained or were reminded from the book.
- Kitchen
- No-Slip Knives: Lining your knife drawer with artists' drawing board liner. Its slightly rubbery surface keeps knives stationary and wipes clean easily.
- Stacking skillets: nesting pots and pans saves space in a cupboard--but you should take measure to prevent them from damaging each other. Protect stainless steel interiors by inserting circles of felt between pans
- Spice stand: Assembling in advance all the spices you'll need not only saves time but also keeps you from getting halfway through a recipe before you notice you're out of oregano. A cake stand provides the stage for spices in a particular dish.
- Laminating recipe cards: then you don't have to worry about spills or splatters. Punch holes in the upper left corners; string onto a loose-leaf ring.
- Living Rooms
- Architectural and drapery-rod finials affixed permanently to bookshelves offer a solution to hold up volumes of books. A plain wooden architectural finial will require that you drive a headless double-ended screw into center of base with pliers.
- Fold-out windowsill: You can extend a windowsill by adding a hinged shelf above the apron, level with the sill. Select plywood the same thickness as you sill. Paint the sill before installing Attach the bottom of the sill with three hinges, one at the center, the others near the ends.
- A narrow picture shelf made from decorative molding is a clean way to display a lot of art without making your wall look like a scrapbook.
- Bedroom
- Wallstand- a nightstand needn't have feet on the floor. A wall-hung cupboard, can hold all your bedside needs and economize on space. A medicine cabinet or shallow kitchen cupboard would serve equally well. If it has a glass-paned door, you can have a view of the books and keep them dustfree.
- Bathroom
- Although it seems counterintuitive, usually the worst place to store medicine is in the medicine chest. The buildup of heat and humidity in most bathrooms can cause medicines to lose their potency and expire before the expiration date on the label.
- Home office
- Use a safe-deposit box to store documents that are difficult to replace: birth certificates, wills, marriage papers, contracts, mortgage, records, home improvement receipts, paid bills for major purchases (art/jewelry), stock or bond certificates, home and life insurance policies, and vehicle titles.
- Utility rooms
- Hanging linens: tablecloths hung on wooden hangers come out with fewer wrinkles. Place a sheet of acid-free tissues paper between the rod and the cloth to protect the cloth from the wood, and drape another sheet of tissue over the tablecloth. Attach tags to the hanger so that you can identify each tablecloth at a glance.
- Linen closet 101: linen storage spaces should be clean and painted; unfinished wood can stain fabric over time.
- Key corral: Why don't you hang everyone's keys in a box; therefore, if someone needs to move a car or unlock a bike, there's no need to hunt for the key. An old medicine cabinet or cigar box can do the trick, too, with a few cup hooks screwed inside.
- Boiler Line: the clutter free zone around a furnace, hot-water heater, or fuel tank should be at least eighteen inches deep.
- Paintbrush rack: magnetic knife holders old at kitchen-supply stores can be mounted to the wall with a few screws and will keep paintbrush bristles from being squashed.
