In most homes, garages are rarely reserved for cars anymore. Instead, garages have become storage rooms, where most everything that doesn’t have a permanent place in the house ends up. If the time has come to make some sense of the mess in your garage, here are some tips on how to get you through it: 

– Invest on a few good-quality shelving units. If you’re on a tight budget, Ikea or Home Depot are your best bets. If you can afford to spend more, however, go for customized shelving sold at specialty stores, so you can make the most of every available corner.

– Don’t think of your garage as a “hold-it-all room.” Look around and see if things could be better off stored somewhere else or even discarded. 

– Group things by theme or season. That will make them easier to locate but will also make you aware of any duplicates you could probably dispose of. 

– Put everything away inside plastic containers, rather than cardboard boxes or trash bags. It’s easier to move around, more resistant to humidity and pests, and a lot safer to stack up in a firm pile.

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Dogs can bring you a lot of peace and happiness. They can also break havoc in your home, scratch the wood floors, soil the carpet and dig holes in your favorite couch. When it comes to sharing your home with Fido, a few simple changes can make a world of difference in everybody’s happiness. 

• If you have the option, choose pet-friendly materials for your home. This includes washable fabrics, scratch-resistant floors and lots of plastic and wood (rather than glass) accessories. 

• Put dangerous objects out of the reach of your dog. Anything that can be ingested by accident (including chemicals, small toys and household items such as needles or coins) should not be kept at a dog’s eye level, especially if you have a puppy. 

• When housebreaking a puppy, keep the doors closed to any room you don’t want to risk being stained or soiled, such as bedrooms or home offices. 

• Use pepper sprays or special sprays bought at pet stores (usually sold under names like “Keep Off!” or similar) to discourage dogs from jumping on the furniture.

• Keep the toilet seat close at all times. Puppies may jump in and drown and older dogs may get used to drinking out of the toilet (a nasty habit if your dogs lick you all the time).

• Be aware that blind cords and electric cables may be dangerous if dogs get tangled in them.

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Whether you need to sell your home faster because of economic hardship or because you simply don’t want to dwell on the process, here are some industry tricks you can use to help you in the way.

1. Clear the clutter. It makes the home seems smaller and the rooms less appealing. It also pushes the potential buyer to think about its own clutter and makes him less likely to see the house as a clean-cut new start.

2. Depersonalize and stage. Put away all personal mementos, photos and trophies. Hide the kids’ toys and take Fido to mom’s house when it’s time to show the house. Then make some time to stage the house so that it appeals to all buyers. Try turning a bedroom into an office if you can. Or organize that catch-all room so it serves a specific purpose: guest bedroom, studio, kids’ room.

3. Focus on small repairs that take little time and money but have a big impact. Saw that little hole on the corner of the sofa, wash the curtains so they look white again and repair the hole on the wall (from when you tried, unsuccessfully, to hang a picture). Doors that squeak or stained chair cushions are also easy to fix and will certainly increase the overall value of your home.

4. Spruce up the front yard. Add some flowers if you have time, or buy potted plants and place near the door if you’re in a rush. Clear away weeds and get rid of toys, bright decorations and anything related to specific holidays (Christmas, Halloween or Easter).

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1. Forgetting to call the electric company to tell them to turn off the connection or miscalculating the time of the move. If you think you’ll be done and ready with the packing by the morning, ask them to turn off the connection in the evening or the next morning. That way you won’t be left in the dark if you have to stay around for a couple more hours.

2. Not activating mail forwarding. It takes up to two weeks for this to become active, so do it early to avoid missing out on important mail.

3. Cleaning out the refrigerator too early. You still have to eat until the last day you’re there. Another solution is to keep delivery menus around and to order in.

4. Miscalculating the number of moving boxes you need. Same with other moving supplies like packing tape or bubble wrap. The last thing you want to do in the middle of the packing process is to go out in a shopping expedition.

5. Packing all essentials away. Keep a towel, soap, toilet paper and first-aid kit handy. Or put together a “survival kit” containing these and other items you will need around at all times.

6. Forgetting to buy cleaning supplies to get the apartment ready after the packing is done.

7. Not taking breaks to clear your head and give your body (and especially your back) a rest.

8. Disconnecting your Internet too soon. You may need it to check last-minute directions, addresses or phone numbers.

9. Ignoring Fido or the kids. Don’t pack away all the toys or you may find yourself with some hyper children or pets that will require lots of attention and make the packing a lot more difficult.

10. Not confirming things a couple of days in advance. Call the  moving company to make sure they’re coming and the electric, cable and phone company to make sure the connections are up and running at your new place.

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Packing boxes to move overseas is a lot different than packing for a local or inter-state move. When moving abroad, there are some additional things to keep in mind:

• Find out in advance if any items you own are forbidden in your destination country. Books, magazines and tapes are closely inspected upon entry in Vietnam and the United Emirates, while collectibles containing animal by-products or related to certain subjects (such as the military) will raise some eyebrows in Russia and China.

• Consider leaving behind anything that can be easily replaced after arrival. International shipping is expensive and it simply makes no sense to bring along 10 boxes of filing folders when it will cost you a lot less to buy new ones later on.

• Be particularly careful with fragile items that can be easily damaged during transportation or customs inspection. Glass and ceramics are the obvious ones, but plastic, collectibles and even electronics are also susceptible to damage if not packed in cardboard boxes properly using moving supplies such as bubble wrap and packing paper.

• Make sure your electronics will work if you take them along. If you have to buy converters for everything (in addition to paying for the packing and shipping), it’s probably cheaper to buy new ones once you arrive.

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Moving a pool table is a little bit like moving a piano: you need to get it ready, ensure safety for both you and the table and then make sure the table itself is packed properly so it makes it to its destination in top shape. Pool tables are sensitive to bumps and can lose their stability and form if not packed properly. Here are some other things to keep in mind:

• Take the table apart if you can. As a minimum, remove the rails and pockets so there’s no risk of them cracking along the way. 

• Use moving supplies such as stretch wrap  to wrap the table itself so to protect the pool table felt from getting scratched and damaged.

• Remove the legs if you can. That will make it easier to place the table on a completely horizontal position inside the truck, making it less likely to slide and bump into nearby objects. 

• Wrap the slates and pockets in bubble wrap paper to protect them from scratches and to offer more protection to the material itself. 

• If you have more the one pool stick, wrap them together with stretch wrap and then wrap with bubble wrap for cushion.

• Pack all your pool table accessories such as billiard cues, balls, chalk, racks into same moving boxes and fill empty space in box with crumbled packing paper.

• If you have a professional table, you may need to hire a professional to put it back together, so you can be sure the whole thing is completely even and leveled. 

• As a final note, keep in mind that pool tables are heavy and that you may need the help of a friend (or a moving company) in order to get it on and off the moving truck.

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Once you’ve moved in and completely unpacked, and before you throw those cardboard boxes away, consider whether there’s anything else you can do with them. While cardboard is easily recyclable, there are probably dozens of other uses for those moving boxes that will not only be easier on the environment, but also on your wallet. Here are just three examples:

1. Built a fort for the kids. Stack up the cardboard boxes in a square that is at least four feet tall, creating an open space in the middle. Leave one side (or even a small corner) open, so kids can get in and out, and then cover the top with a sheet to provide both privacy and protection. Since the cardboard boxes are empty and light, it should be easy to move them around slightly to create openings to double as windows or peeping holes. Enlist the help of the kids to paint, decorate or add details to the cardboard fort. 

2. Use the cardboard boxes as impromptu furniture. If you’re missing a coffee table, a side table or a nighttable, empty cardboard boxes taped closed and turned upside down can double as furniture. Simply cover the moving boxes with a sheet, a tablecloth or a nice throw. They may not be sturdy enough to allow you to sit on them, but they should hold a lamp, books or photo frames with no problems. 

3. Build a cat structure. Just organize the cardboard boxes in a clever step-like pile, so cats can climb up and down without having to jump. This probably wouldn’t work as a permanent solution, but it’s a great idea to keep cats entertained and out of trouble as you’re unpacking.

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If you  don’t have the luxury of owning a terrace but have a nice, open balcony instead, you can still make the most of it by adding some details to it and transforming it into a miniature garden or oasis.

The first step in creating a floating sanctuary is to think of a design that makes the most of the existing space. For example, a narrow but long balcony will probably feel too cramped with large potted plants, but it will more than likely feel airy and spacious if you go for hanging ferns or a small thin shelving unit stacked against the wall. 

Once you know how much space you have and how to make the most of it, you should look into a theme. Smaller balconies won’t allow for much decoration, but larger ones will probably allow you to include a small table, a chair or a corner bench. Add a cushion for more comfort or if you’re looking for a breakfast corner. Also, see if you can spill the color and theme of the adjacent room into the balcony. You can do so easily by painting the outside wall or the railing in a matching color, adding some touches or accessories (like a hanging picture) or choosing outdoor furniture in the same style or color than the one used inside. 

Finally, provide some sun protection if the space allows for it. This can be in the form of a patio umbrella, a small awning or a detachable curtain. For smaller balconies, a large, tall potted plant may provide some shade or block the neighbor’s view if all else fails.

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Whether you’re ready to decorate your bedroom for the first time or getting ready to give it an overall change of look, painting the walls is probably the easiest thing you can do to get you on the way. If you haven’t visited the paint aisle of your hardware store recently, you’ll be surprised to learn that there hundreds of variations when it comes to colors, textures and shines. While the ultimate decision of what to use depends a lot on personal preferences, there are things that can help you make the choosing a lot easier.

Colors can change the mood of the bedroom considerably. If you’re looking for a calming effect, go for blues and greens in their softer versions. For an energizing effect, try something brighter. You probably don’t want reds or oranges in the bedroom, but you could try yellow, burgundies or dark blues and silver. If you’re looking for a more elegant, traditional look, stick to whites and earth tones.

When choosing wall paint, you also need to keep in mind the light that comes into the room. Rooms that receive direct sunlight, either in the early morning or late afternoon, tend to acquire an orange or yellowish tint irregardless of the color they are painted, so you will need thicker curtains to maintain the effect.

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When the time comes to make a decision regarding what you’re taking along and what stays behind, here’s a simple list of 10 items that shouldn’t make their way into your moving boxes.

1. Perishables, such as fresh or frozen foods.

2. Live plants. If you can’t bear to leave them behind, move them yourself. 

3. Winter stuff if you’re moving from Maine to California. Take a few sweaters and a couple of jackets and leave everything else behind. 

4. Old magazines that you’ve been saving “to read one day.”

5. Anything that you haven’t used or worn for over six months.

6. Large musical instruments unless you play on a regular basis. 

7. Duplicates of anything. Do you really need 10 blank journals, fives boxes of CDs or 20 black pens? Buy new ones after the move.

8. Furniture in need of repair. If you’re going to spend money on moving and then fixing something, it’s probably cheaper to buy a replacement in Ikea (unless this is an antique or family heirloom). 

9. Mystery boxes. You know those cardboard boxes you’ve kept in the garage for years and are not even sure what they contain anymore? Either go through them and decide what you want to keep, or throw the whole thing away. 

10. Liquids. Anything from cans of paint to large containers of shampoo to alcoholic drinks can break in the way and damage other things packed in the surrounding moving boxes.

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