Are the endless bottles of shampoo, shower gel and creams taking over the bathroom? If you’ve run out of space to store things, here are a few tips to help you get your bathroom back.

• Grab some medium sized boxes for moving and put everything in view inside it. This includes all bottles, beauty supplies, extra toilet paper rolls, magazines and knick-knacks. If your cabinets are also overflowing, take everything out as well.
• Sit on the ground with the box and go through everything in it. Do you really need five different bottles of shampoo, six different face creams and ten pairs of tweezers? Get rid of anything that looks or smells “old,” any container that’s almost empty and any product you haven’t used for longer than a month. If you haven’t seen the need for it until now, what are the chances you magically will tomorrow?
• Separate the items you use on an everyday basis to leave out. Everything else should go inside the cabinets. Consider getting small cardboard boxes, plastic baskets or containers to hold the items you’re putting away.
• Get baskets or caddies to organize everything. A small plastic basket on the sink can hold a number of products and make things look a lot tidier.

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If you suffer from allergies, the idea of dealing with dust might be a little scary. This is especially true when moving. You’ll have to spend some time cleaning your old place before you leave and you should spend an hour or two cleaning your new home. This will get rid of any potential chemicals or allergens that might have been left behind by the former tenants.

Here are some tips on how to deal with the cleaning and stay healthy (and sane).

1. Hire a cleaning service if at all possible. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a professional. Pay a friend or acquaintance or help or post an ad in Craigslist asking for one-time cleaning help. If hiring a stranger, ask for references before letting that person into your home.

2. Vacuum first. Get rid of the dust, pet hair and cigarette ashes that might be flying around or stuck to the furniture. Drapes, pillows and upholstery in general tend to attract dust, so make sure you vacuum those well. If possible, use a HEPA vacuum cleaner, which have filters to help improve the quality of the air in the room.

3. Open the windows. It will get rid of the smell of mold and clear the air, so you can breathe better.

4. Rent a steam cleaner for the rugs if the previous tenants own a pet. There’s likely to be some pet hair and dandruff embedded in there and you want to get rid of it completely to prevent allergy attacks.

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If you’ve been living in a rental and want your security deposit back, you need to make sure that the place looks as close as possible to the way it was when you first moved in. Most places will allow for some wear and tear, which is natural and expected, but if your dog chew on the coffee table or you broke a lamp, these things will be discounted from your security deposit.

Chances are you’ll pay more if you leave things broken than if you replace them yourself. This is because your landlord is likely to get the best, most expensive replacement he can get. So if you can replace that broken lamp for a similar one without spending a fortune, do it.

Repair chipped paint and holes in the wall yourself. You’ll likely spend just a few dollars at Home Depot if you’re willing to do the work. If you leave it to your landlord, however, he’ll charge you for supplies and the time spent doing the repair –unless he pays somebody to do it and then it’ll end up costing three times more.

Clean the carpet if there’s one. If you can’t seem to get rid of stains and smells on your own, hire a rug shampooer. Although it looks like a vacuum, the machine uses steam and industrial-strength soap to clean difficult stains.

Throw away your garbage. Don’t leave bags or old things around or you might be charged a cleaning fee. Simply put stuff you dont want in some moving boxes and throw them out. It takes just a few minutes to walk your trash outside.

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Broke but tired of looking at the blank walls all day long? You don’t need to spend a single penny to change the look and feel of your home. With a little time and a lot of imagination, you can create a brand new room in just a couple of hours.

1. Hang something on the wall. If you can’t afford (or are not allowed to) paint the walls, your next best option is to cover them. Use a nail or double-sided tape and hang a colorful rug on the wall.

2. Move things around. Repurpose furniture for other rooms, use sheets as curtains or use a bookcase as a clothing shelf. Change the layout of your room to bring attention to a different corner.

3. Place houseplants on windowsills and tables. If you have a large potted plant outdoors, consider bringing it again and placing it next to the sofa.

4. Visit the dollar store. Not technically free, but can’t afford a few one-dollar items? Get frames or mirrors to place on your walls or a chair pad to change the color scheme on your kitchen without changing the big items.

5. Look for a few large items, rather than lots of knick-knacks. Larger items have more of a visual impact, while small things can make a place look cluttered.

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Renting a new apartment? Don’t move in just yet. If you can afford to wait for a couple of days, visit the apartment after the old tenant has moved out and do a few things to prepare the place.

1. Clean the whole place again. Even if it looks clean, spray everything with disinfectant and clean with paper towels or disposable cloths. Not only will this leave a better scent in the place, but you’re guaranteeing that it’s really clean, rather than just dusted. Before you leave, put a couple of room deodorizers around the apartment. When you come back, the place will smell fresh and clean.
2. Replace the toilet seat. Just because.
3. Give the freezer a quick cleaning and then place a fridge deodorizer inside. Or just place an open box of baking soda inside. This will absorb all odors that might be lingering and give you a clean start.
4. Place a few roach traps around the apartment. Chances are there won’t be any bugs around, but if there are, you can get rid of them before you even move in.
5. Plug in the fridge and buy a bottle of Coca Cola or beer and place it inside. Add a bag of chips or some cookies. After all the work of moving in, you’ll be happy to find something waiting for you in the fridge!

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No need to spend money on pink flamingos or other tacky decorations, even if it seems that’s all you can afford. The truth is that you can completely change the look of your yard for under $100.

• Yard figurines can be found at Home Depot, flower shops and sometimes at places like the Dollar Store. Choose items that would fit well with a garden theme, such as garden animals or fairies and place them under plants, so they appear to be peeking out, or next to potted plants.
• Plant flowers or trees alongside the edges of the garden. Or create smaller areas within a large yard by planting bushes to create sections. Potted plants also have a place in the yard. Simply set them up in a group in a corner. They’re a good option to create a feeling of lushness and will work in areas where there’s no soil, like near the front steps of the house or under the porch.
• Move some furniture outside. If you have an old table or a couple of chairs that you no longer want inside the house, move them to the yard and create a small breakfast area. Furniture left outside will be exposed to the elements and probably get ruined, so make sure you only use things you don’t mind losing.

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If you’re renting a place, chances are you’re not allowed to repaint it or make major changes to the structure or look of the place. This doesn’t mean you have to live with the impersonal, dull beige paint that is standard in most rented places. After you finish unpacking your moving boxes try some of the below changes you can make without altering the structure of the place:

• Use a piece of furniture or a folding screen to create a cozy area within a room or to divide a large room into two. The back of a sofa can create a division between the living and dining room, or you can use a bookcase to achieve the same result.
• Change the hardware in your kitchen cabinets. Choose something bright and bold, or something large and ornamental. Make them shine and make an impact.
• Hang large rugs on the wall to change the color without painting it. You might need to ask permission to put nails on the wall, though. Or use Velcro and something lighter, like sheets.
• Floors are easy: just buy a large area rug.
• Just because you can’t hang paintings on the wall doesn’t mean you should give up on the idea. Get an easel to display the pictures or place them on a table, leaning against the wall.

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Whether you work from home, run your own business or simply want a place where you can sit down to sort your bills, a home office can turn into a welcome haven. While having a dedicated room for it would be ideal, even a small corner in the living room or kitchen can be turned into a home office if you’re willing to make some sacrifices in space and design. Here’s how to set up a home office in five simple steps:

1. Choose the location. Make sure it’s in a quiet area where you’ll be able to concentrate and out of the way from major family traffic. You can convert a spare bedroom into a home office if possible or have a room play both duties.
2. Buy furniture that fits the space. Don’t buy the furniture first and then choose the placement, or you might be stuck with a piece that doesn’t fit properly or wastes space. For small areas in the kitchen or living room, a small rectangular table with a drawer or a corner desk should be enough. If you can have your own room, consider an L-shaped desk, so you can maximize the surface space.
3. Make a list of the equipment you will need. If budget is tight, start with the basics and then add other pieces as money becomes available. Essential items include a computer, phone (with its own line if you’re running a business), printer (or invest in a 3-in-1 scanner, printer and fax machine) and answering machine. You will also need a hutch or a filing cabinet where you can store office supplies and paperwork.
4. Invest in a good lamp, so you can work without straining your eyes. Even if you have good overhead light, get a desk lamp.
5. Personalize the area. Make it inviting so you will want to spend time there. Add some picture frames with either personal photos or images you love. Make sure your chair is well padded, especially if you decide not to go with a standard office chair. Keep small baskets and penholders on the desk so it’s easy to organize everything at the end of the day.

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Wood pellets stoves arte one of the most efficient heating sources you can have in a room. While they can’t warm up the whole house, they will keep a single room quite nicely and without a big expense. While wood pellet stoves burn wood, they don’t burn logs. You will need to buy special wood shavings or sawdust to burn in them.  They do have the advantage of costing less and taking less space to store than logs and larger-size wood pieces.

When it comes to choosing a wood pellet stove, keep in mind:

• Do you already have a fireplace? If so, you can install a special model of wood pellet stove right into it. If not, you can buy a freestanding model (more expensive).

• How much work do you want to do? Cheaper models are more manual-oriented, while more expensive options are completely automated. This means you don’t have to feed the pellets into the stove but only fill up the hopper (a special holding compartment) and the pellets will be released into the fire as needed.

• Check what the contract and service agreement provide and for how long. Because wood pellet stoves have moving parts, chances are you will to have it serviced at some point, which can be expensive if you have to pay out of pocket.

• Finally, choose a size that is big enough to heat the whole room, or you’ll end up wasting energy. You’ll need 25 to 30 BTU per each square foot of room.

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Mirrors can do a lot more than serve as a beauty aid. Placed in the right corner or area of your house, they can become a cheap and original way to change the look and feel of a room. Here are some good ideas on how to use mirrors:

• Place a mirror on top of a side table or coffee table and place a series of candles on top. The mirror will double the light and reflect it in unusual and fun ways, depending on what other lights you have on in the room.
• Hang a large mirror on the wall of a small room to make it appear larger.
• Hang a mirror next to window so the light from outside bounces on it and multiplies, making the room appear lighter and brighter. This is an ideal solution for rooms that are naturally dark or cave-like.
• Make a collective display using small mirrors as both decoration and as a trick to increase room size. Choose several mirrors of the same format but different sizes or mix and vice versa. Making sure all mirrors have something in common (size, form, frame or frameless, etc.) will create a more uniform display. This works well on bathroom or dining room wall or on the wall next to a staircase.
• Cover a plain wood tray with a mirror. You can use super glue or craft glue to secure it in place. You can then place the table on a dresser or a window ledge and use it to store perfumes, small knick knacks or jewelry.

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