Do you get “cleaning anxiety” before you start a big cleaning project? This is very common as cleaning out the old to bring in the fresh uncluttered new can be a daunting task. Although the finished product of reorganizing and cleaning your home has definitely been shown to have relaxing and calming effects, getting there can be the issue. It is possible to clean AND have fun with just a few preparations and steps. Let’s take a look at some ways you can destress to achieve success.

Blueprint and Prep for Your Journey

Every big journey needs a map. Starting a huge task (like spring cleaning) is no different. Before you begin your journey, you can sit down to make a checklist of the tasks you would like to complete. You can put these in the order you would like to get them done, what is most important to least important, or just get them down on paper so you don’t forget. The ability to check off completed tasks on your list is gratifying, and they can help keep you motivated to keep moving.
Would you just get in your car, drive to the mountains, and begin hiking to go camping without any preparation at all? Probably not. The special care you would take to prepare yourself for a trip or an outside activity is just as important in this situation. Some things you can do to help prepare yourself and the environment for your cleaning event include:

• Disinfect any cloth or sponge you intend to use. You can make this extremely easy by simply filling the sponge with water, set it on a microwave safe plate, and zap it for 2 minutes. If you prefer to use a cloth, you can wash it with bleach in only hot water, and dry it on the hottest setting.
• Clean your vacuum and all attachments with a mild detergent and warm water (unplugged of course). If your vacuum has filters, you will want to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for replacing it or cleaning the filter. If you have a bag-less vacuum, just ensure to rinse out the canister before and after you use it. Those who have devices that use a bag, remember to change the bag before use.
• Sanitize your mop if you are using one. There are so many different floor cleaning tools out there that it is sometimes hard to keep up with them all. However, the tried and true mop is still used. Those items can house bacteria that you would not want to spread around your nice clean home. You can sanitize your mop by simply using a bucket filled with hot water (approximately 1-2 gallons) and a cup of white vinegar. Now let your mop soak for 15 minutes, and voila!
• Gather all of your desired cleaning supplies to ensure you have everything you will need to begin your journey.

Set the Scene

One of the most important things you can do for yourself to prepare for the huge undertaking of a big project (like spring cleaning) is to set the scene. This doesn’t mean you have to do anything extravagant, but you should make the environment feel as comfortable as possible. This could include ensuring the temperature of the room is comfortable, playing energizing or enjoyable music, and even turning your phone off (airplane mode works too). Yes, I know that could be very scary for some, but the consistent or constant interruptions can cause delays in progress, divert you from your goal, and even increase stress while you are cleaning. The goal is to remove anything that could increase the likelihood of stress. And honestly, do you really need up to the minute facts on what Suzy ate for lunch today? You will enjoy that information more after your home is refreshed and you can devote your attention to other things.

Enlist Help (if needed)

If you have found that you could actually have a starring role on “Hoarders” (TV series on TLC), don’t stress. You can always phone a friend, and make it a cleaning party! It is very common for you to save things throughout the years, but you will find that those things build up. Some of those things are very sentimental and important to you, while others you begin questioning what you were thinking when you saved it. Not only would having some help speed up the process of cleaning, but you could have fun with it too. If you do not have anyone who is super excited about cleaning with you, then you could also call in some professional cleaning services to assist. Either way, the help is out there if you find yourself too stressed to take on the spring cleaning task on your own.

Pace Yourself

Kingdoms were not built in a day. Set a start and end time for yourself with reasonable breaks built into your day. Don’t be discouraged if you are not able to get all of the tasks on your checklist completed on the first day. Experts recommend keeping breaks short, but also setting a stop point for the day. By keeping breaks short, you are more likely to stick to your task. However, if you have not set an end in sight, you may become too overwhelmed to continue. Basically, be fair to yourself.

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Whether you live in a single family home, condo, or an apartment, we all want our homes to be comfortable, cozy and inviting. Our residences should be places we enjoy being. Apartments generally have more limited space than a house, so proper decoration and use of that space is very important. Today we are going to cover some helpful tips and tricks you can use to make the most of your space.

photo credit: storagebeds.com

Space Saving Furniture

Make the most of your space. Having a daybed in your apartment can allow for a cozy place to read or watch movies during the day, but also provides an extra bed for when you have a guest overnight or friend in from out of town.

Instead of a standard queen bed, you could use a Murphy Bed (sometimes also called a wall or pull-down bed) in your bedrooms. The average queen-sized mattress is 60″x80″, which means it takes up almost 34 square feet. That is not counting the frame and headboard. If you use a wall bed instead, you can save that area. This allows the bed to be folded up to disappear during the day, giving you a lot more space to work with.

Proper Apartment Lighting

Good room lighting can make a big difference, transforming a dark, gloomy room into a cheerful and well-lit space. Place floor lamps in corners to chase away the dark. Lamps on tables, and even cabinet lighting in your kitchen can add a more cozy feel to your rooms.

Add Curtains to Create More Stylish Windows

Bare windows can be boring and gloomy, as well as not providing privacy. Curtains can add style and color, while protecting you from nosy neighbors peering into your windows. Thin/sheer curtains still let in a lot of light and can give a nice ambient glow. The color of the curtain affects the mood of the room. Yellow, peach, orange and white can make the room feel warmer and brighter.

Non-permanent Wallpaper Alternative

Most apartment rental companies won’t let you paint the walls or change the wallpaper. However, here’s another idea. Drapes. Pick out some elegant drapes, or something with a pattern you like, and you can turn a boring wall, or your entire bedroom, into a luxurious and interesting area.

Open Up Your Space With Mirrors

A mirror reflects the room, creating the illusion that the room is actually bigger than it is. Additionally, mirrors reflect light, which has the affect of brightening the room and making it look more cheerful. Try this in combination with lighter colors to enhance it even more. Try to place the mirrors across from windows or other light sources to reflect the natural light into you apartment. Read more

It’s that time of year again. School is starting, and along with it is the annual population surge as thousands of MSU students move into Bozeman. With an estimated enrollment of 15,000 students, you can bet that there is a huge surge in demand for housing. In just the last year alone, we have watched numerous new apartment complexes going up around the city preparing to meet the demand.

If you are one of those searching for an apartment in Bozeman, you know the stress of searching for an apartment for rent: driving around the city, looking at locations, inspecting rooms, talking to management. Oh, let’s not forget the whole application process, credit checks, references, medical history (kidding).

That’s not even bringing up the additional complication of having roommates. Do you sign for the apartment rental yourself and trust that your roommate won’t skip out on you? After all, you met them a week ago at the bar, surely only the most trustworthy individuals looking for roommates would be found there. Right?

Trust but verify you say. “I’m going to keep everyone honest by adding my two roommates to the lease.” Sounds like a good idea till all of you have to go through the application and approval process. Great, that potential roommate you met recently had  questionable credit and a not-so-great background. Meanwhile, there are 5 other applicants for the same room and management may pick someone else.

Yes, hunting for an apartment rental in Bozeman can be a stressful prospect, but it’s not all bad. There are many good companies like our own Bridger Property Management Inc., that will help you navigate the process. The importance of working with someone who is transparent and straightforward about the process of renting the apartment you want can’t be overstated.

With all the options for apartments for rent in Bozeman, be sure to do your due diligence on the management company you will be working with. Keep in mind that these are the people you will have to deal with on a regular basis. When rent is due, if you have a maintenance problem, or difficulties with other neighboring tenants, all of these are issues that will require dealings with the apartment management company. Read more

When deciding on an apartment anywhere, there can be a lot of factors to consider. It can be frustrating to try and balance what you want with what you need. This can be hectic especially with trying to decipher from important decisions like whether or not to rent or buy, the style you are looking for, and the price range you need to stay in. Here are three tips on how to make this process to run a little bit more smoothly.

1. Research What You Want

To begin, you have to ask the question, what kind of apartment do you want to live in? Do you want an apartment to rent or buy? Do you want an apartment with lots of square footage or just enough square footage to be cozy? Limit your apartment search with traits you want your home to have and where you want your home to be. Be able to have a list with all of your wants and dislikes. Be proactive with what you need out of a living space. For example, you should be able to say, “There are twenty available apartments in my area, but only five have what I want, so I will look between these five.” By doing this you essentially cut your search time in half.

2. Be Strict With Your Budget

You know how much you can afford and what you cannot, so why look at apartments out of your price range? This also goes with getting what you need by having a list of your wants and knowing what you are willing to pay for them. By being stern with your budget, you won’t be talked into apartments you can’t afford because of their amenities. Smooth talking realtors will try to convince you to go a bit higher, but sticking with your budget can have some awesome benefits. Let’s go back to the example of twenty available apartments in your area and five of them having the traits you desire for your apartment. If out of those five, three happen to be more expensive than what you would prefer, you just again narrowed your search and made looking for your perfect apartment that much simpler to attain.

3. Dictate Your Own Search

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Finding an apartment for rent in Bozeman, or anywhere, can be challenging. In today’s modern world and with our busy lives, finding time to search for an apartment can be a bit of a nightmare because there are many things to think about: the various options, the balance between your expectations and the reality you can afford with your budget, location, amenities, etc. However this easy guide will provide you with information to help make your apartment hunt easier, efficient and without headaches.

Step 1: Set Your Apartment Rental Budget and Stick to It

The budget will define the whole apartment hunting process when looking for apartments for rent in Bozeman. This must be realistic and balance the lifestyle you want with the one you can afford. Keep in mind all the costs associated with moving to a rented property like: application fee, security deposit, the monthly rent, utilities (if they are not included in the rent), cable, internet and pet fees. Never go for an apartment beyond your financial reach.

Step 2: Pick the Location and Do Some Research on Rentals in the Area

Not only is the exterior of the apartment important when you rent, what you have around can also affect whether you have a good rental experience or make it a nightmare. Bozeman is a peaceful town of beautiful mountain views, with a lot of young people attending Montana State University and there are many notable companies in the area, so the neighbors in general will be well educated people. When you pick the location of the apartment also think on how your life will be when you live there, aspects like commute to work, and the living space you need, the distance to public transportation you want and even the type of people you want to live near.

Step 3: Decide on Required Features for your Montana Apartment

Whether you want a 2 bedroom apartment (maybe something at Kagy Village Apartments or Brookside Park Apartments), laundry in the unit or shared, furnished or not, certain floor plan. This way you can stay focused on researching exactly what you want so you don’t have to spend precious time checking every single rental available, if you like some apartments, select the ones you think are best and go to the next step.

Step 4: Schedule a Visit to View the Property

This is really important, because an apartment that seemed like a good idea online, may not be that when you walk into the apartment. When you visit make sure to check the safety of the apartment, preexisting problems in it, and the general condition of the apartment features. Don’t bother with minor things, if the perfect apartment does not have all the features on your list just consider the pros and cons of forgoing those features, this is part of the balance of a wonderful place to live without being too hard on your wallet.

Step 5: Get Ready to Negotiate With Your Landlord.

Most things are negotiable, even rent, but to do so you need to give a good impression to the landlord, be kind and polite but also you need good information on the costs of apartments in Bozeman so there is room for negotiation. Before signing any documents make sure you understand them.

Step 6: Look for Help If You Need It.

The whole process of finding an apartment can be really painful for many people, so if you think you need help to find your perfect apartment in Bozeman, feel free to contact us and one of our friendly staff can assist you. At Bridger Property Management we have excellent rental properties, a strong knowledge of the community, and years of experience that we can put to use helping you find your ideal apartment.