By: Sarah Little
It can be rewarding to have a second house that you can visit when you have vacation time during the summer. However, you'll need to make sure your "home away from home" stays intact while you're away during the off-months.
The New York Times reports that one way you can ensure your vacation home is taken care of when you're miles away is to consider hiring a local caretaker. Ideally, this will be someone you know (and trust) within the local community who has easy access to your house.
''Caretaker duties can range anywhere from simple house-sitting assignments to full-time estate-management situations," Gary Dunn, publisher of The Caretaker Gazette, told the news source.
If you have outdoor furniture or decor that you don't want to leave outside for months, consider consulting a storage facility. Here, you can rent a storage unit for all of your vacation home furnishings.
Homeowners with a bigger budget might want to consider a property manager, according to HouseLogic.com. This professional can make sure your house stays intact and even rent your property for you – this means more money to spend when you're on your own vacation!
By: Sarah Little
There's no better time to get rid of clutter in your home than spring. Now that the warm weather has arrived, you might be a bit more inspired to get up off of the couch and do a little home improvement in the form of organization.
If you're ready to get rid of clutter that has been building up all winter, CBS News recommends starting by grouping like-items together. Doing so can help you organize must-have items and weed out anything that could potentially be tossed during the cleaning process.
Good Housekeeping recommends removing clutter from some of the most-used rooms of your home to make them more practical, welcoming spaces. This means going through your bathroom cabinet and removing old toiletries, as well as getting rid of worn-out toys in your kids' play area.
The New York Times reports that many people allow clutter to build up over time in fear of letting go of items with sentimental value. However, you don't have to throw everything away – consider a storage unit to hold onto some of your precious belongings. A self storage unit is the perfect alternative to selling or tossing goods that are valuable to you and your family.
By: Sarah Little
Did you recently dream up an incredible idea for a sculpture or a painting, but don't have the space in your tiny apartment to make the vision a reality? You can rent a unit at a self storage facility and set up a temporary studio there.
Storage spaces come in a wide variety of sizes so you can pay homage to Claus Oldenburg with your giant iPhone sculpture or spend countless hours poring over your fresco-inspired painting. The facility itself is typically quiet unless someone new is moving in down the hall. Plus, you can access your storage unit 24/7, which is perfect for the late-night artist.
Large garage-style doors allow you to get some fresh air and sunlight (or moonlight, you night owl, you) while you work. If you enlist friends to help you build your sculpture or pose as models, you can have the facility's manager add them to the list of people allowed to access your space and they can come and go as needed. You won't have to interrupt your creative flow to let them onto the property.
By: Sarah Little
What are you going to do when the dead come back to life and start feeding on the living? Are you going to offer your brains up on a silver platter or will you fight back? If you chose the latter, you'll probably want to get yourself a self storage unit and start stockpiling supplies.
If there's any truth in movies, in the event of a zombie apocalypse, normal life will slow to a grinding halt. Grocery stores will be picked clean and everyday items will quickly become hot commodities. You can be prepared by keeping a supply of non-perishable food, water, extra clothes, blankets, and other items you'll need to survive at a self storage facility. These businesses are surrounded by tall access gates that require pin codes to enter. This will buy you some time to grab what you need, as zombies aren't exactly adept at guessing secret codes, or pushing buttons for that matter.
The extra time you and your group have is a good chance to form a plan and figure out your next move. However, you won't want to linger long as the undead are probably already starting to crowd around the gates.
By: Sarah Little
If living with your girlfriend or wife is starting to get on your nerves and you need you own just-for-the-guys space, you have plenty of options. Traditionally, a "man cave" is a place in your own home – the attic, garage, basement or a spare room – but you might not have the extra space to create a guy-friendly zone.
You can always count on your single buddies to hang out when you need some bro time, but if they find girlfriends of their own, you might find your options are running out. Instead of giving up hope, you can consider renting a self storage unit to establish your own manspace.
You can get a space with lighting and outlets, bring in some couches, a big screen and a cooler for your beer. You and your buddies will be able to chill in your newly established "testosteroom" without fear of your wives and girlfriends giving you a hard time or pestering you to clean the gutters.
The access gate ensures no one can get inside the self storage facility unless they are with you or on the list. You and your buddies can sneak away to play video games and relax whenever you want, as most storage centers are open 24/7.
