Are you ready for a pet?
Owning your own furry friend seems like fun but a lot goes into to caring for a pet. Before you have your heart set on bringing Fido home, make sure you know what you’re getting into. Here are some questions to ask yourself.
Why do you want a pet?
Don’t get a pet on a whim. This companionship could last almost 20 years, be responsible and think it through.
Do you have time for a pet?
You’re a pet owner 24/7, not just on the weekends or when it fits into your schedule. Many pets are in shelters because their owners didn’t realize how much time a pet requires. They need food, water, exercise and lots of love every day.
Can you afford it?
Pets are a constant cost. Food, toys, grooming, kitty litter, training and other expenses add up quickly. You need to be able to afford your pet and all of their needs.
Are you prepared to deal with the challenges that come with ownership?
Owning a pet can be a challenge at times. It takes time to house break and train animals, expect a few incidents.
Can you have a pet where you live?
Don’t get caught with a pet in an apartment that doesn’t allow them. Not only will you get a hefty fee, but your pet will be forced to find a new home, or go to a shelter. Being shuffled between homes can take a toll on your pet. Like children, animals need a stable home life to be healthy and happy.
Is it the right time for you to own a pet?
Having your own pet can be tempting, but it might not be the right time. If you have a busy class schedule or work long hours you might want to wait. Waiting until you’re ready will make ownership less stressful for you and your pet.
Is your place pet friendly?
Space can be an issue for many animals. Size isn’t the only problem to think about. Many small dogs need room to run around and exercise to stay calm. Your pet need to fit into your lifestyle and living arrangements.
Will you be a responsible pet owner?
Be sure to spay or neuter your pet, follow community pet laws, and be sure to get your pet ID tags. It’s also important to schedule regular vet visits and prepare a healthy diet.
Do you have anyone who could help take care of your pet while you’re away?
You always need to have a back up plan incase you are going to be away or need to leave unexpectedly. You never leave your pet alone to fend for itself.
Are you ready to commit?
Pets are a long term commitment. If your 20 now, you may still have this pet when your 35-40. Think about all of the changes you and your pet will go through over the years. Be ready to start living life around your pet. It’s a life changing commitment.
Where do I go to find the right pet?
If you’re ready to be a pet owner we recommend first taking a look at your local animal shelters. Adopting can give pets a second chance at finding a happy home. Most animals at the shelter are there because their previous owners didn’t have time for them. They’re looking for a loving home and your looking for a loving pet, it’s the perfect match. By adopting you know you’re getting a healthy pet, saving money, and best of all saving a life.
These are some real pet up for adoption around Iowa. Most animal shelters offer picture of the animals up for adoption on their website. Search your local shelters, you might find the furry friend you’ve been looking for.
Jack – Jack Russel Terrier
Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter
Jadis – Calico
Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter
Buck – Domestic Shorthair
Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines and Ankeny
Teddy – Shih Tzu
Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines and Ankeny
Get more information on pet adoption on the American Humane Society website
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/are-you-ready.html
Have any inspiring pet adoption stories or advise for first time pet owners? Email them to us at allysonm@haverkamp-properties.com.
Spring is in the Air
Liven up your living space after a long winter. Adding a touch of color can rejuvenate your space. Get creative and make your room your own. This season we’re taking a look at four trends hitting the decorating scene. Here’s our advise on how to master these fresh looks.
Classic Meets Chic
Don’t be afraid to break out the floral print this Spring. The vibrant patterns will breathe fresh air into any tired space.
Bright and Clean
Stuck with white walls? Add color elsewhere! Find brightly colored throw pillows, lamps, rugs, and wall decor. With the right accessories this look can be achieved in almost any space.
Energetic Appeal
Go bold or go home! Brightly painted furniture is fun and easy to do. Find an old piece of furniture or buy one at a second hand store. Give that boring desk you have a new look. You might even study more.
Modern Neutrals
When you hear the word “neutral” we all think of the basic cream, white, tan. Think outside the basic cream colors and try a deep green or plum. Neutral doesn’t mean boring.
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5 Must Know Tips for First Time Renters
Start Early
No time is too soon to start searching for that dream apartment. Begin looking a semester ahead of time and leave yourself time to decide. Be on your game to find the perfect place early.
Sign early to guarantee the apartment you want.
Take the Tour
Looking at the floor plan on line just doesn’t cut it. Pick your top 3 or 4 and take a look at available units. Try to take a tour of the unit you intend to rent so you know exactly what your signing up for.
Call our office and schedule a tour.
Make a Checklist
Before you go for a tour make sure you know what you want. Create a checklist and compare your top picks. What’s most important to you: Functioning Appliances? Amenities? Pet Friendly?
We offer a variety of amenities to fit your needs.
How’s Management?
Nobody wants to live under a lazy landlord all year. Talk with some current residents and see what they think of their place. Is the lawn tidy? Are the hallways taken care of? Find management that cares about their property.
We provide 24 hour emergency maintenance.
Read the Lease
Take time to understant what you’re getting into. Knowing your lease can make it easier for both you and your landlord. Having trouble understanding all the legal jargon? Ask questions before signing.
We will take the time to go through the lease with you.
Have any tips for first time renters? Share your advise and first time rental stories with us @ allysonm@haverkamp-properties.com
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May Newsletter
Another month has gone by and we’re closer to the end of the school year. For those of you with 10 month leases your move out date is coming up, we’re installing new electric key locks and have some new movies on our own KCTV channel 57. Check out all the details inside our May Newsletter!
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How To: Pack for a Move
It’s that frenzied time of the year for students. May: the month of final exams, graduation, and big changes. You may be graduating college, starting an internship, or entering the workforce. And chances are, your lease is ending. If you didn’t renew your lease to stay put in the same place, you’re probably dreading the overwhelming task of packing up your current place to move into a new one. Resist the urge to just throw everything into boxes. (You’ll thank us later when you need that little usb drive!) Packing in an organized manner will make both the packing process and un-packing process easier. Trust us and follow this simple guide:
Plan & Prepare
Make a List
Before you even begin packing, sit down and make a list of what you’ll need in your next place. Separate the list into things you’ll need right away and things you will need as you start settling in. For example, you’ll need your shampoo/conditioner, toothbrush/toothpaste, glasses, deodorant, laptop, electronics chargers, etc. right away. You’ll need decorative items, kitchen wares, dvds, books, etc. later on as you’re unpacking and moving into the new place.
Get Supplies
Consider cardboard boxes in various shapes and sizes, duct tape, newspaper, permanent marker, and garbage bags are your essential packing items. For the packing system discussed below, it will help to have a few large cardboard boxes or clothes hampers for sorting purposes. You’ll want other boxes for packing. (Check grocery stores, liquor stores, etc. to see if they give away their unneeded boxes. You can also buy boxes from Staples, The UPS Store, and Lowe’s.) Duct tape is a better box sealer than mailing tape. Plus, you can turn it into a label by writing on it with a permanent marker. Newspaper can be used to pack fragile items. And garbage bags are fantastic for clothes, purses/bags, coats, towels, bed linens, and other textiles.
Let Go & Hold On
Label to Ditch
Use several larger boxes/bins or hampers as devices to get rid of belongings you no longer need or want. Label them with actions such as Recycle, Donate, Sell, and Trash… depending on what you’re most likely to do with items that need to go. Each time the Recycle box fills up, sort it and empty into recycling bins. When the Trash boxes fills up, dump it into the dumpster. When the Donate or Sell box is full, take the items to Goodwill or a consignment shop. (Or post them on Craigslist depending on how much time you have before moving.)
Label to Keep
For each zone (explained in next section) you’ll need a box to Pack Away and a box to Keep Handy. The Pack Away box will be for things you won’t need right away or at least until you’re moving in and unpacking at a new place. Decorative accessories, books, dvds, seasonal clothing, seasonal shoes, extra blankets, not-so-frequently used kitchen items, etc. will go into this box. The Keep Handy box should be smaller and only packed with the bare essentials you’ll need to get by during the packing, moving out, and moving in process. Shampoo/conditioner, soap, toothbrush/paste, your laptop, electronics chargers, latest bills, important paperwork, some clothes, pens, etc. are items you’ll need to have close at hand.
Divide & ConquerSeparate Zones
Tackling your entire space at once will lead to trouble finding things later. Separate your room into obvious zones that make sense for packing and un-packing. Desk & Bookcase: school/office supplies, books, paper, and folders go together. Dressers & Closet: clothes, coats, etc. go together. Bathroom: bath, body, and beauty items. Entertainment: dvds, cds, records, etc. Do one section at a time. If you come across something that belongs in another zone, return it to its zone and then go back to the one you’re packing. For example: If you find a notebook on your dresser top, don’t pack it with clothes. Instead, go put it on the desk and deal with it later when you’re packing the desk area.
Sort While Packing
Stick to the labels you created on boxes: Recycle, Sell, Donate, Trash, Keep Handy, and Pack Away. Don’t put office things with bathroom things. Don’t put dvds with kitchen stuff. If a Let Go box fills up, take care of it by emptying it into the recycling bin or dumpster, or by dropping it off at a consignment store. When a Pack Away box gets full, make a WTF (Where To Find) list of everything that’s in it, tape up the top of the box, and tape the WTF list onto the top or side for easy finding later on. If you finish off a zone but the Pack Away box isn’t full, set it aside to be combined with something else later on. Don’t tape up Keep Handy boxes. You’ll probably eventually want to combine those items into easy-to-transport bags, suitcases, or backpacks.
Additional Tips & TricksUse Trash Bags
Pack clothing, coats, purses/bags, bedding, etc. into garbage bags. Be sure to label whether the bag is full of clean or dirty clothing using a permanent marker and a simple C or D on the outside. Garbage bags will hold more soft textiles without getting too heavy or the bottom falling out, as often occurs with cardboard boxes. Plus, they can be pushed into different configurations in a vehicle to fill up valuable space. Just don’t get a trash bag full of trash confused with a bag full of clothes!
Don’t Hoard
If you haven’t worn it, used it, or look at it in over a year, ditch it. Unless it is super valuable in worth or sentiment, part ways. It can be all too easy to get sentimental over silly things. That dress you haven’t worn for over two years, but think might come back in style? It’s taking up closet space. Get rid of it to make room for a new dress you’ll actually wear time and time again. If you really can’t decide about something, set it aside for a few days while you ponder how much you need it. Clearing up the clutter will make for easier packing, unpacking, and living in the next place.
Aim for Organized
As much as you may get fed up with packing… As much as you despise making another list of whatever is in that dang box… As much as you may be tempted to just throw stuff altogether into any old box and sort it out later… Stay neat. Stay tidy. Stay organized. You will thank yourself later when you know where everything is and what is packed with what when you’re moving into the new place and unpacking there.
Stay Positive
It may look worse before it looks better. Sitting on the floor of your disaster of a bedroom with belongings strewn all around you, you might find it hard to recognize the space you’ve called home for so many months. If you only focus on how far you have to go, you won’t notice how far you’ve come. Don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed by the mess. Just keep pushing through and thinking happy thoughts.
Be Entertained
Worst of all, packing can be B-O-R-I-N-G. It’s tedious and lonely. Put on some upbeat tunes to keep you motivated. If you’ve been sitting on the floor in a pile of clothes for two hours, get up and take a walk around the block. Have your favorite series playing on Netflix in the background—it’s okay to watch as long as you stay productive packing. Invite a friend over for help and entice them with a pizza break and drinks afterward as thanks.
Rest Insured
If you’re worried about anything important or valuable getting damaged during the move, get moving insurance. And don’t forget to get renter’s insurance in the next place, too.
Do you have any awesome tips for packing to move? Tell us in a comment below!
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April Newsletter
Check out this months news letter with spring activities, renewal information and this months KCTV channel 57 movie line up.
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5-Step Spring Cleaning + 10 Tricks
It’s that time of year again. Time to open the windows, leave your coat at home, slip into a pair of shorts, and clean your apartment from floor to ceiling. Wait… what?! Spring cleaning! Maybe the first springtime breeze urges you to do it. Maybe you’ve just been cooped up too long. Or you’re just tired of the mess. Perhaps you avoid cleaning altogether.
Love it or hate it, spring cleaning can be very kind to your health, mind, budget, and move-out time. Get rid of those germs to avoid any spring cold. Put your mind at ease by de-cluttering. Sell or consign unwanted items and clothing. And get a jump-start on your move-out cleaning so that you’ll do a little less when that date rolls around.
Glitter Guide compiled a fantastic 5-step program to spring cleaning your apartment in just one day! Breaking it down into five easy steps and building a portable cleaning kit to carry from room to room makes spring cleaning a whole lot less intimidating. Check out the guide below:
See? Not so bad! It’ll be so worth it when you get to add fresh flowers and light a candle at the end of your day in your freshly cleaned apartment.
BrightNest also shared their 10 Best Spring Cleaning Tricks Ever. Who knew denture tablets, coffee filters, banana peels, and cinnamon could be so handy in helping you get your apartment spic’n'span?! Check out all ten tricks below:
Now that you’re armed and ready with your 5-steps and 10 tricks, it’s time to hit the ground running… or, uh… the floor scrubbing!
Do you have any special cleaning tricks from Mom or a favorite blog? Share them with us in a comment!
Happy spring cleaning!
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How To: Host a St. Paddy’s Day Shindig
St. Paddy’s Day is Sunday! ’Tis time to bring out the luck of the Irish, leprechauns, shamrocks, and everything green. If you’re looking to gather friends for a festive St. Paddy’s shindig, we’ve rounded up some simple ways to add Irish flair to your gathering.
Look the Part
1. Layer on the Irish flair. A festive party starts with the host looking festive. Scavenge your dresser for green clothes. Go through your jewelry, finding all the green pieces. May hit up the thrift store or pop some tags at Goodwill. The more green apparel and accessories, the better! (Going all out with a leprechaun hat is optional.)
2. Deck the halls. But rather than boughs of holly, go for for garlands of shamrocks. Pick some up from your local hobby store or make some yourself with some green
Eat the Part
3. You don’t want your party guests going hungry. Load up on a hearty Irish stew.
OR
4. Whip up some of the comfort food colcannon, an Irish staple.
Sweet the Part
5. These minty green crinkle cookies are “impossibly easy” to make.
AND
6. Put an Irish twist on a classic with these green velvet cupcakes.
Drink the Part
7. What’s St. Paddy’s Day without the green beer? Squirt a few drops of green food coloring into the bottom of your pint glasses before pouring in your lager. (Lighter hued beers work best, while the food coloring will really only turn the foam green in darker beers.)
8. Not a beer fan—green or otherwise? Make your own homemade Irish cream, then use it to create tasty Irish flag cocktails.
Not old enough for the green beer and Irish flag cocktails?
Try one of these instead:
Left: Shamrock Shake, Center: Cut out clovers to add to straws and stick into glass soda bottles. (Jones Soda, anyone?), Right: Make ice cubes out of green Koolaid and pour Sprite over it for a fizzy, green concoction.
How are you ringing in St. Paddy’s Day?
Are you just sticking with wearing green and pinching those who don’t? Or are you going all out with some festive shenanigans?
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Inside the Fridge | Refrigerator Infographics
Does this “typical” renter’s fridge reflect what’s in your fridge?
What food are you guilty of keeping past its freshness?
Is your fridge free of smelly stenches?
Who knew you shouldn’t store apples with cucumbers?!
How many times do you clean your fridge per year?
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14 for the 14th | Think Outside the Heart-Shaped Box of Assorted Chocolates with these Valentine’s Day Goodies
The best part about Valentine’s Day is undoubtedly the sweet, sugary treats. Don’t you agree? But let’s think outside the heart-shaped box of chocolates. With the lovey-day just around the corner (Thursday!), what better way to spend a Monday than whipping up delicious treats and snacks for your loved ones? We’ve rounded up fourteen flirty foods to fix… like the chocolate chip oreo mini heart pie (pictured above). Tasty!
Top Left: Macaroon strawberries-and-cream sandwiches are a petite and pretty treat.
Top Middle: Serve up a sweet breakfast of red velvet waffles topped with whipped cream.
Top Right: Show your health some love with heart-shaped fruit kabobs.
Bottom Left: Shake things up with a strawberry kefir super-food smoothie.
Bottom Middle: Put a little heart (literally) into your baking with heart-filled cupcakes.
Bottom Right: Roses are red, violets are blue… and so are the blueberries in these mini pie tarts.
Top Left: Play it cool with an ice-cream sandwich on a stick covered in sprinkles.
Top Middle: We’re absolutely smitten with these ”heart beet” pink deviled eggs!
Top Right: Rice-krispie bar on a stick, made with love?! Had us at, “Hello.”
Bottom Left: These Valentine’s Day Jello hearts are too cute for words.
Bottom Middle: Do something a little decadent: like chocolate candy bark.
Bottom Right: We’re crushing on these lemon mousse parfaits with piped jam hearts.
Lastly, here’s (above) a real treat for the adults. Fall head-over-heels (not literally!) for these cherry fizz cocktails.
What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day treat?
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