We all have to admit it to ourselves sometimes: we accumulate too much. Whether it be gifts, poorly thought out purchases, things we’ve outgrown, or simply things that we don’t have space for anymore, sometimes we just need to offload junk. Ideally, we don’t want to simply throw things away, we want to be able to make some money off of the things we don’t have any use for. Below are some tips for selling your unwanted junk. Find Out How Much Your Junk Goes for If you are selling something, especially something that you think could be in relatively high demand, you might want to consider going online and figuring out what the market price is. If it’s something…

Winter is on its way out and spring is finally upon us. Time to put away the seasonal clothing, turn down the thermostat and most important of all, get the house ready for the new season. That means decluttering. One of the most important parts of decluttering, that really goes a long way to making it feel like you have optimized and economized on space, is proper document storage. If you are ready to declutter your home for spring and are looking for some great document storage tips, here are some to help get you started. The Living Room The living room should be high on the list of rooms to put in order because it’s where your family probably…

Numerous television shows have cast a light on the practice known as hoarding, where junk piles up to unacceptable levels in a person's home. While many seniors suffer from the disorder, others simply have lots of clutter to deal with, reports the Sacramento Bee.Lois Gaddis, 85, is a prime example of a senior who has trouble throwing items away due to sentimental value. The Sacramento Bee reports that her home is nowhere like the people seen on the reality TV shows, but still has stacks of magazines, greeting cards and various other items in just about every room of her home."As you can see, I'm probably the queen of clutter," she told the news source. "I'm not proud of living…

Homeowners looking to sell frequently turn to an open house in order to let a large number of people see their home quickly and efficiently. However, it's important that those holding an open house or showing their home to potential buyers make it look its best. This is where home staging comes into play.Two Canadian interior designers recently gave YourHome.ca some tips for home staging. The basic idea behind this concept is to put effort into making a home look nice, thus driving up the sales price. Ideally, home staging should be done as affordable as possible, as the idea is all about maximizing profit on the home.Much of the advice is centered around de-cluttering the house, and this is…

Nearly every homeowner selling their property holds some type of "open house," where interested buyers can take a look around. However, there's some debate as to how useful these events are, reports Moneyville.ca.According to the news source, open houses are generally a good idea, as they maximize the number of potential buyers for the home in a short amount of time. Yet there are some steps that homeowners need to take before putting on an open house.De-cluttering the house is step one, as a messy house will actually decrease the bids you would otherwise get. It may be a good idea to temporarily rent a storage locker in order to store excess furniture and other items.Theft is a very real…

Buying a house can be a stressful process, but a new trend is making it even more difficult in some cases, reports the Financial Post.Hot real estate markets like Toronto are seeing very high prices being paid for homes – but this doesn't mean that the buyer and the bank see eye to eye. Mortgage companies are frequently giving appraisals that come up short of what the buyer agreed to pay, resulting in issues with financing.For example, a buyer may pay $450,000 for a house, only for the mortgage company to do an appraisal that puts the value at $400,000. Essentially, if the bank decides that the buyer overpaid, they'll be forced to find another way to make up the…

The real estate market in Toronto is booming, and bidding wars have become "the norm" for those seeking to buy a house in the city, reports Moneyville.ca.Brothers Jaff and Brad Robertson have seen this phenomenon firsthand. The two professional real estate developers frequently have to compete with other buyers in order to get homes at the price they want, according to the news source.Bidding wars can result in a major windfall for those selling the house, as was the case for one homeowner who got $110,000 more than the asking price after eight bidders began fighting over it. Those selling their house need to stage their homes correctly in order to get the best price possible.This is where self storage…

As the new year is in full swing, some homeowners may be taking the time to try and de-clutter their houses in order to have an easier spring cleaning. Many are opting to eliminate the problem areas in their home by either tossing useless junk or using self storage units to be able to take a real look around at what is needed and what needs to go.According to the Mail Tribune, there are certain steps owners can take in order to achieve their de-cluttering goals with ease. First, the publication suggests people make a 30-day calendar of goals. This way, each day has just one task, so people will be less likely to get overwhelmed.Next, people should try to…

College is a great experience for most young adults, though finding storage to house all of their items from school during breaks can be a challenge for all involved. Piles of clothes, shoes and accessories also tend to come back during winter break leaving parents' heads spinning, Winona Daily News reports."We've done this a number of times," Lynette Meuller, told the publication as she helped her daughter move back in to Winona State University following winter break. "We've got this down to a science."Parents who want to avoid having unwanted clutter in their homes when their kids come back home during the summer and winter months, may want to consider using self storage facilities instead. This way all of the…

As the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And as a recent poll indicates, a considerable number of moms are saying no to their kids' pleas to play due to a variety of stressors.According to a Proctor and Gamble survey, approximately 64 percent of Canadian moms with children between the ages of 4 and 10 say no more than once a week to requests from their children to do fun things together as a family. When the moms were asked why they turned down their kids' entreaties, 54 percent said it was due to not having enough time and 20 percent said it was a lack of energy. Eleven and 5 percent, respectively, said…