12 Sep 2023
By Kevin Gahagan

Working From Home: 5 Best Tips To Make It Work

Mortgage

Working From Home 5 Best Tips To Make It WorkCarving out space for a home office isn’t always easy, but if you have the option to work from home even part of the time, it’s essential to have a space that works for you.

Here are 5 great ways to meet those needs:

Adapt A Closet

A guest room closet with bi-fold doors can become a perfect workspace with the addition of a shelf at the proper height to hold a computer or calculator and proper task lighting. Hang a bulletin board or add open shelving on the back wall. Multiply the functionality with a small cabinet or a portable file rack. The advantage of going to work in a closet is that you can close it off completely without having to do a daily cleanup. 

Grab A Corner From Living Room or Bedroom

Tuck a table desk into a corner of the living room or bedroom, assuming that you can work during the day when others aren’t sleeping or actively “living” in the space. Small table desks serve a variety of purposes, from serving snacks to displaying artwork, and are perfectly adaptable as work space, with a minimum of effort. All you really need is a good lamp and a nearby electrical plug in order to create an office. 

Claim Space In A Wide Hallway

With a space as narrow as about 30 inches and minimal depth, it’s possible to set up a small tabletop and chair to serve your needs for making phone calls, organizing schedules or planning appointments. It may not be ideal, but if space is at a premium it can be functional for short bursts of work at home.

Look For Multi-Purpose Furniture

A home office can exist in a den or dining room that has either a credenza or a tall cabinet with doors. Think about your needs, and seek out furniture that will fill the bill. Traditional period “secretaries” with closed door storage and a fold-down desktop are perfect, but even ramshackle armoires can be repurposed as office cabinets. 

Look For Unused Space

If you have a mostly empty storage room, even if it’s located in the garage, clean it out and clean it up. Add proper lighting, and even a portable heater or air conditioner. Brighten the space with fresh paint and an area rug, find second-hand furniture at garage sales or estate sales, and get creative with accessories. 

Be Aware Of Your Needs

There are two primary requirements for a home workspace, no matter what kind of work you do: storage space for the tools, supplies, files and accessories that you need; and privacy. It’s nice to be able to close the door on your work and “go home,” so the more insulated your home office is from other family activities, the more efficient it will be. Even if space is minimal, it can work for you!

Be sure to contact your trusted mortgage professional to get started with the pre-approval process as soon as you are in the market for a new home.

 

20 Dec 2022
By Kevin Gahagan

Mistakes To Avoid When Organizing Your Home

Mortgage

Mistakes To Avoid When Organizing Your HomeIf your house has a tremendous amount of clutter in it, you might finally think it is time to do something about it. Now is the perfect opportunity for you to get your house organized, and you probably want to start by tackling the piles of clothing and paper in the middle of the floor. Before you jump in feet first, take a look at a few mistakes you need to avoid when organizing your home.

Buying Boxes Before Assessing The Situation

You might be ready to start throwing items in boxes, but you need to assess how much you have first. If you don’t understand just how disorganized your house is, you will have a difficult time purchasing the right storage bins. Make sure you measure your drawers, closets, shelves, and even the space underneath your bed. That way, you understand exactly how many storage bins you need before you go on a shopping spree.

Not Scheduling The Organization Spree Ahead Of Time

You need to pick the right time to organize your house. Make sure you are focused and energetic, but ensure you are not distracted by something that might be more appealing. Even though the right time is not going to magically reveal itself to you, you need to be intentional about when you decide to start organizing your house.

Rearranging Instead Of Organizing

There is a difference between rearranging your house and organizing it. We are arranging your house simply means making it look “neat” and “clean.” It does not necessarily mean it is organized. You need to be intentional about where you place your items, and you must make sure you get rid of items you no longer need. Make sure that once you put an item in a certain location, you want it to stay there for the foreseeable future. This is particularly true when it comes to books, clothing, and pantry supplies.

Avoid These Mistakes When Organizing Your Home

There is no single right way to organize your house, but these are a few of the most common mistakes to avoid. Make sure you have a plan in place before you start organizing your house. That way, you can complete the job in a timely manner. 

10 Nov 2020
By Kevin Gahagan

A Few Simple Ways To Upgrade The Kitchen Pantry

Mortgage, Real Estate Trends

A Few Simple Ways To Upgrade The Kitchen PantryDuring the past few months, people have been spending much more time at home than usual. Therefore, many people are looking for ways to upgrade their homes. A common area of focus is the kitchen.

Even though many people are thinking about upgrading cabinets and countertops, the kitchen pantry should also be a target for home improvement. There are a few simple ways that everyone can improve their kitchen pantry. 

Use Vertical Storage

One of the top tips for everyone to follow is to use vertical storage capacity. It is a smart idea for everyone to build in a few extra storage areas by thinking about under-shelf baskets. These baskets can help people instantly create space for various items and ingredients. Furthermore, think about using the insides of cabinet doors to create some extra shelves, walls, or baskets. This can significantly add to the storage space of a pantry.

Think About Specific Needs For The Pantry

When looking at a kitchen pantry, it is a great idea for everyone to think carefully about specific needs they might have. Consider what items need to be stored in the pantry. Then, shop for the right items. For example, many people like to store wine bottles in the pantry. These are awkwardly shaped items that might not fit on typical shelves. Therefore, thinking about a wine rack that will fit in the pantry is a great way to create some extra, specific storage.

Relocate Bulk Items Somewhere Else

Too often, people end up trying to store bulk items in the pantry. While it is true that shopping in bulk is incredibly cost-efficient, bulk items can also take up valuable space in the kitchen pantry in the blink of an eye. Think about finding alternative locations for paper goods, canned items, and other large, non-perishable items. This will instantly open up some more storage space in the pantry.

Upgrade Storage In The Kitchen Pantry

Upgrading the kitchen does not always have to be expensive. There are simple ways that everyone can create extra storage space in their kitchen pantry by simply moving some other items around. Consider adding storage baskets to the kitchen pantry to create some new storage space.

 

16 Apr 2019
By Kevin Gahagan

Home Maintenance Tips: How to Organize Your Garage

Real Estate

Home Maintenance Tips How to Organize Your GaragePerhaps you plan to sell your home in the next few months or years. Keeping your garage organized can save time and ensure that you have storage space when you need it most.

Get Your Purge On!

Clear out the garage and separate items into categories: keep, trash, donate and recycle. If you get rid of 50 percent of your stuff, you’re doing great. The more you can get rid of up front, the less you have to organize! And if you haven’t used it in years, why would you need to keep it around?

Create Zones

Map out space with masking tape, starting with where your vehicles go. Mask out where you can put heavy-duty shelves for tools, sports equipment and other stored items. Also, you can maximize storage by building cabinets or shelving from floor to ceiling.

Buying clear bins in various sizes and interlocking shapes helps you stay organized. When you store like items together, it’s much easier to find them, especially if everything is properly labeled.

Think strategically. If your garage doubles as a workshop, include space for a workbench. If you bike every day, hang your wheels on the wall near the garage door. Additionally, remember to include garbage and recycling bins near the door for easy access. 

Organizational Supplies
With the zones mapped, it’s time to get organized. For example, store shovels, rakes and brooms in a large trashcan. Meanwhile, sporting equipment such as bats, balls, skateboards and protective pads can go into larger bins, on shelves or inside lockers. Pegboards provide a versatile way to hang tools you use the most.

A cabinet that locks protects children and pets from hazardous materials like chemicals, paint and cleaning supplies. Meanwhile, constructing long open shelves of wood or metal gives you plenty of support for heavy storage bins, while a rolling cabinet lets you move craft supplies or gardening implements.

Storing Small Stuff

What can you do with screws, nails, hooks, nuts and myriad small items on a limited budget? Repurposed glass containers or mason jars let you see contents clearly while recycling. Use tin cans for screwdrivers and paint brushes. 

Once your garage is neat and clean, you may find yourself spending more time there. You might even have enough room for a home office or craft corner. A well-planned organizational strategy helps you keep it that way. 

If you are interested in buying a new property or refinancing your current property, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional.

 

13 Feb 2019
By Kevin Gahagan

Garage Organization Ideas For Your New Home

Real Estate

Garage Organization Ideas For Your New HomeNow that you have a beautiful new home with a garage, the fun of organizing can begin. When your garage is well organized, everything is much easier. You can get home projects finished faster, get out the door quicker and better enjoy all your sporting activities.

Here are some tips to organize your new garage. 

Make Use Of The Walls

A lot of homeowners overlook the wall space when organizing the garage. If your garage has exposed studs, this is actually a benefit in terms of storage space. You can easily create shallow shelves in between the studs using 2 x 4 and shelf brackets. Use these shelves to store smaller items that tend to get lost on larger shelves. You can also create an effective space for hanging garden tools. Screw extra large hooks onto the outside edge of one of the 2 x 4s. Hang brooms, rakes and shovels from the hooks.

Utilize The Ceiling

You can also utilize the back area of the ceiling, beyond the area where the garage door stops when it’s raised. Install hanging systems that you can source from a local hardware store. You’ll be able to hang things like bicycles, skis, kayaks and more. Some homeowners even hang small lawnmowers and spreaders during off-season.

Invest In A Workbench

Even if you don’t do carpentry, a garage workbench is a useful part of an organized garage. This is the place where you can do small repairs on household items or add to your garage organizational systems. You’re more likely to repair an item when it’s sitting on your workbench and you have all the needed parts within reach. Install some smaller clear storage drawer units above the workbench to hold screws, nails and nuts and bolts in various sizes.

Hang A Pegboard

A pegboard provides a central place for your garage tools. Hang the pegboard on the wall within reach of your workbench. Outline the spaces on the pegboard for hammers and screwdrivers so they always get put back where they belong.

It’s never fun to have to endlessly search every time you need something from the garage. These garage organization ideas will make your new home and garage even more enjoyable.

If you are in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional to find out about current financing options.