Remodeling for Rent!?

Do you want to save on rent? We do.

We moved from our 1000 sqft apartment to a 1500 sqft house and saved $345/month in rent! How did we do it? We have an agreement to upgrade the house by renovating and landscaping while living here. Many of the things are simple such as repainting, wallpapering, redoing flooring, and improving the general curb appeal. So far my out of pocket expenses have been about $50 for some flowers ($45) and wallpaper ($5 at Goodwill). Not too shabby considering how much we're saving.

Many of the things we need to replace or install the owner's have previously purchased but don't have the time to install. The flooring had been previously purchased and sat at the owner's home for over a year until I picked it up. One of them even showed me how to install it! The tiles in the bathroom are only loose and I just need to reset some of them (no water damage or rot just loose grout.)

Depending on the owner I could have found myself paying biiiig bucks for the remodel of this place. You should always sit down and talk about how the costs are going to work out. Who will pay for what. If something breaks (anything from shingles being replaced or a hole in the roof to the AC unit breaking down) who fixes it? You do not want to get stuck replacing the AC unit on a place you are never going to own. It almost like you're a live-in part-time handyman compared to a live-in flipper. Make sure the majority of things purchased (especially big ticket items) will fall on the owner's expense.

DO expect to have to pay for all your utilities. They're expecting you to help remodel a house; they do not want to pay your cable or electric. Of course you can save on electric by line drying or cut back on water by switching shower heads.

DO expect to shell out some money on repairs. You'll discuss this with the owner when you sign your rent agreement.

DO ask what the owner wants done from big to small projects and list them in priority according to the owner. That hole in the wall may be a big deal to you but the owner may want the front lawn taken care of first.

DO ask the owner what supplies they have on hand that you could use or look through. Sometimes that last can of paint left from repainting their own living room will have just enough left in it to repaint the kitchen.

DO stay in touch with the owner and consult them at each step. Before you buy that wallpaper consider it's general appeal to a potential renter or buyer and how much the owner will like it. The wallpaper I bought to put in the kitchen is from the same manufacturer and is in the same collection as the current wallpaper; I was lucky enough to find this at Goodwill.

DO shop at Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, and places that offer leftover items from remodels, new builds, and mass builds.

DO try to schedule shopping trips with the owners. You will both appreciate it in the end. It will also help you learn what they like.

DO NOT agree to anything that sounds fishy. Use you best judgement on this one.

DO check how much other houses rent for in the area. You are going to want a discount on that rent!

DO let them know what you can and cannot do! If you know how to tile a bathroom and repair or shingle a roof tell them! Also, let them know if you have never done this before! They will work with you or move on to the next possible helper. Do not get in over your head!

DO write yourself a schedule for your repairs and keep track of everything done. Keep the owner updated on your progress. This can be done easily in the form of a simple and sweet monthly letter. Make it fun or business like your choice. Include pictures of your progress; I prefer to do before and after shots.

Hopefully if you do a good job they will let you continue living there with or without discount. They may ask you to start on a different house they own or refer you to a friend that needs the same work done. That about sums it up. Most of the repairs are pretty easy and There is no project I cannot finish in a day or two. Go check your newspaper for listings! Have fun and happy remodeling!

Stay green,
Yasha

Another score!

This "dumpster" score brought to you by a closing daycare. Any time a day care or preschool closes, moves, or wants to update equipment check with them to see if they are willing to part with older equipment and toys for cheap or free.

Here are some things I acquired for free:

 A Swing! Hooray! This one works!








A sink and Stove combo! I'll have to build a refrigerator and install some shelves under the sink for storage but it's very promising!







Some things I scored from dumpsters and lucky finds!

 Lucky Find! A Friend found this for me and saved it! It's a child's card table with matching chair.

 That same awesome friend found this couch for the kids. It was actually less stained before my kids got a hold of it!

 My Luckiest dumpster find! A working non smelly couch! It's lazy boy brand and works perfectly. I couldn't figure out why they tossed it except that it was stained and had a few tears.

And a like-new very sturdy bookshelf for the kids!

Stay green,
Yasha

The coffee table said what!?

Well let me just go deal with that!

Ok I'm back and I think the coffee table took the worst of it. Ok, ok. I'm not punishing the family coffee table. I'm merely bringing it new life. Follow along with my sporadic posts as I refinish this wonderful piece of history. Well it should be history. At least if you consider a hand me down from your mother in law a piece of history.

Step one: Sanding off the old finish.
We'll call this step half done.

Repurposing the Desk

I have this old cheap desk that I used for my computer before my hubby moved in with his awesome one. I've been getting around to repurposing it to fit my baby's needs. All I need to do is install some shelves and I think I'll be done.

What recycling really means

So I'm sitting here eating my cheddar bunnies and thinking of what recycling really means.

Recycling is not just the act of taking stuff to the recycling centers or putting it out in your curbside bin. It's more than that. Recycling is taking items to consignment shops, resale shops, goodwill, and yard sales. It's throwing that banana peel on a compost pile instead of in the trash. It's using cloth, hybrid, or green diapers.

You know that old t-shirt with all the holes in it? Well if you can't wear it anymore use it to wash or dry your car, dust your house, or wash windows, counters, etc! It's amazing what you can do with things when you put your mind to it.

The side of my cheddar bunnies box recommends using it for a bookmark, arts and crafts projects, and coloring paper. Go figure, my box of bunnies has a life outside of holding cute little edible rabbits.

I know that flylady would pull her hair out at my collection of boxes towards the end of the week and yes I know it's unsightly. However, as I find more ways to recycle I find myself getting rid of more clutter around my apartment. I guess recycling is a lot different from how my mom taught me it should be.

Stay green,
Yasha