Finding Apartments/Housing on Craigslist

Craigslist is an awesome place to find places to live, stuff to buy, jobs, etc.  I personally have had great experiences from renting apartments that I found on craigslist on two different occasions.  The first one I was in college and didn't have a lot of money.  I found an elderly lady who exchanged a room for rent for me for light labor that I did around the house.  The other experience I found a beautiful shared house that was on the Potomac river that I lived in for a couple of months after graduating.  Both times I followed careful procedure to make sure that none of these people were nuts.

On a side note I had an awful experience choosing storage on Craigslist.  The place was in a bad part of town with absolutely no security on the weekends.  I recommend visiting this site to find a great place to store your stuff.

CRAIGSLIST SAFETY 

1) Before you go look at your apartment call the person.  Make sure that their gender matches their name, so that they aren't lying.  This also gives you a chance to ask them any questions that might have come up.  If you don't have any questions that came up, make something up so you have a reason for calling.

2) When you do go to look at the space take someone with you, preferably someone big and mean.  The buddy system is always a good one.  Also, make sure one of you has a cell phone.

3) If you are rooming with a stranger make sure you know their lifestyle habits, and that you are comfortable with living with the person.  Ask them about their job, relationship status, hours they keep.  I had a friend who moved in with a guy that ended up to be a bartender.  This would have been fine, but he always brought people home for work.  She wasn't comfortable with having strangers in the house all the time.  If she had asked what he did beforehand she may not have ever moved in.
The same goes for you.  Make sure that your roommate knows your habits, occupation, etc, so you do not end up moving out due to your roomie not liking your lifestyle choices.

4) Don't be too scared!  If you are too scared to try craigslist, I understand.  You should know that LOTS of transactions are completed safely on Craigslist daily.  Not everyone is a craigslist killer!  Trust your instincts and be safe!

On a lighter note here is a Funny Video with Craigslist Safety Tips. 

Portable Storage Containers

It’s common for homes to have an excessive amount of clutter. Yard sales are becoming more widespread but so is the portable storage container phenomenon. Not everyone wishes to sell their possessions to make space in the home. Some families have precious items that they want to remain safe and secure while businesses can use portable storage containers to store important files and documents. On rare occasions, these containers are used as extra office space. Instead of transporting your goods to a storage unit many miles away, why not keep them on your property where you can be responsible for their security?

Delivery
The first step can also be one that causes the most problems if you are not prepared. Large lorries are responsible for delivering the portable storage containers so you must make things as easy as possible for the driver. For example, a flat piece of ground must be made available for the container. The surface of the ground is less important than the fact that it must be flat so it’s not that important if the ground is tarmac, concrete or even packed earth. However, the ground must be firm and not have drain covers underneath. A forklift will be used to transport the container from the truck to your land. Please bear in mind that some local authorities may have an issue with the container so do the necessary background checks before having the container delivered.

The Containers
It is common for portable storage containers to be made from galvanized steel. This gives them the strength needed to easily hold the weight of your possessions and keep thieves at bay. The floor is normally made with tough plywood which is supported by steel cross members beneath the wood. The average container should be able to endure several tons of pressure. The best portable storage containers are also sealed with an elastic compound. As a result, the container is fire resistant, waterproof and airtight, perfect for storage.

Options
Although the containers are exceptionally tough, you can make them even more difficult for thieves to penetrate by adding additional alarms and heavy duty locking systems. If your container has sealed windows, you can always purchase steel shutters to protect the windows when your possessions are left unattended.

It can be difficult to arrange boxes and materials of different sizes. You have the option to add shelving which can be used to store smaller and lighter items. Add partitions to organize your storage and consider ramps to make it easier to push trolleys in and out of the container. There are also additional ventilation, heating/cooling and insulation options.

As you can see, a portable storage container offers you a number of options. When it comes to choosing a supplier, shop around because prices tend to vary. Ask the supplier how long it will take for them to deliver the container. Choose someone else if the initial supplier can’t meet your demands. It may be best to choose a local supplier because they are likely to be less expensive due to lower transporting fees. When it comes to picking a portable storage container, don’t settle for anything less than the best because there are so many choices.

Compare portable storage reviews and rates today.

10 Tips on Moving and Storage

Make sure that you pick your storage unit beforehand!  Some people like to procrastinate on this point, and it can result in you getting sub-par storage space.

Here are some of the best storage and moving tips I have encountered:

1) Nest items into other items- Pots and pans can go inside a fridge or other appliances you are putting in storage.  Boxes of tools can go in a composting bin.  Items can be stored in chest of drawers or inside wardrobes.  Get creative and use your space wisely!

2) Get good locks and take security precautions- When you are in the process of purchasing a lock take into consideration what all of your stuff is worth.  Thieves are more likely to target weaker locks at storage facilities, and this makes your stuff more vulnerable to being stolen.

3) Keep valuable items and cardboard boxes off the floor- Even if the floor gets a little wet and/or damp it can ruin your items.  If you have items off the floor, if water does enter it will allow it to dry out.

4) On book storage- If you must store your books lay them flat in a box.  Alternate the spines front to back, and this will prevent any major warping while in storage.

5) On storing metal objects- Make sure that you thoroughly wipe down any metal items to avoid rust.  Metal items include tools, bicycles, furniture, etc.

6) Label all your boxes- Label what is in the boxes, what room they go in and when they should be put into storage.  Items that you probably won't need access to should be put in first, and items you may need to access should be put in last.

7) Avoid being disorganized- START PACKING AHEAD OF TIME.  It is very easy to procrastinate with all the wonders of television, children, internet, booze or whatever else, but procrastinating will end up costing you more time in the long run when it comes time to try to sort through your self-storage items.

9) Storing a fridge- Leave the door slightly ajar so that mold and other gross stuff will not grow in it while it is in your storage. 

10) Walkways in your storage- If you have enough room, try to leave walkways between piles of furniture, boxes, appliances or whatever else you may be storing.  This makes moving the stuff out easier when that time comes.