How to Declutter Your NYC Apartment to Maximize Your Living Space

With basic living space already at a premium, storage space in New York City apartments is often non-existent. As a result, apartments in New York, in particular, can quickly become cramped and cluttered. This can have a detrimental effect on your mental health, whether you are aware of it or not. In a city that is itself often cramped and overcrowded, it’s important to feel like you can breathe in the one place that is mostly your own. According to these moving services in Manhattan, here are five ways to declutter your NYC apartment to maximize your living space.

1. Start small

When you’ve been piling up “stuff” for weeks, months or years, it can difficult even to know where to begin managing it all. As the old saying goes, however, the longest journey starts with a single step. Whether you need to start by just throwing away or getting rid of one thing or cleaning out one closet or cupboard, start with that one thing. Usually, just dealing with one thing will give you the impetus you need to deal with more.

If you have large pieces of furniture or boxes of household goods to get rid of, consider calling a New York moving company to help you haul it off to a local NYC charity. Cheap Movers Manhattan can help you find reasonable New York City moving rates.

2. Get rid of anything you don’t genuinely need or use on a regular basis

There is no doubt that a good bit of decluttering involves dealing with some things on a psychological or emotional level. Chief amongst these may be the difference between a want and a need. A good rule of thumb is that if you have not used something in the past year, you probably don’t need it. While you can move items, you don’t use into storage, that too can be a trap. There are currently 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space in the US, with storage users paying an average of $90 a month in fees. If you have free storage in your building, by all means, use it. If you don’t, you need to get rid of what you aren’t using. Don’t just stop at getting rid of things either. Look at furniture too. If you have a breakfast or dining room table that you never use, consider freeing up some valuable space by getting rid of it too.

3. Organize the rest

There are a vast array of products on the market that can help you not only organize, but use a wide variety of non-traditional spaces for storage. From racks you can hang on high ceilings, to hooks you can hang on walls to a range of under-bed storage, finding unique ways to organize and store your stuff can free up a huge amount of living space.

4. Don’t get anything new unless you get rid of something old

Once you have decluttered your space, it’s important to not merely immediately re-clutter it. One way to accomplish this is by never getting anything new until you are ready to part with something old. This can also help save you a great deal of money since many of our purchases are driven more by want than by need. If you aren’t willing to part with something you already have to buy something new, then chances are you don’t need the new thing, you want it.

 

Guide to the Best Manhattan Neighborhoods for Raising Kids

Manhattan, a borough of New York City, is home to more than 1.6 million people. It is also the most densely populated area of the city and is a very vibrant and bustling area to work and live. For those that have children, there are many wonderful places in Manhattan to raise a family. Five neighborhoods, in particular, can be a great option for anyone that is looking to raise kids.

Battery City Park

One of the best places to raise a family in Manhattan is Battery City Park. This area of the city, which is located near the Financial District, is located at the southern point of Manhattan. While it provides great commute times for parents, young children will love the local parks, great public and private schools in the area, and many family-friendly activities that take place there during the year. There are a variety of townhomes and condos around the area that are ideal for families.

Upper West Side

For those that are looking to enjoy all that New York City has to offer a family, the Upper West Side is a great option. This neighborhood is located on the upper end of Manhattan and is close to all the top amenities that keep bringing people back to the city. One of the main advantages that the Upper West Side provides to families is the access to Central Park, which is always full of great activities for kids to enjoy, including the Central Park Zoo. There are also some great public and private schools in the area.

Tribeca

Another great neighborhood for families is Tribeca. This neighborhood is also located in lower Manhattan and sits adjacent to the Hudson River. Over time this area has become an excellent place for families to live. While the schools in the area are very good, there are also a lot of other amenities that can make it a great place to live. This includes a variety of parks and kid-friendly businesses.

Hell’s Kitchen

Located near Midtown, Hell’s Kitchen is quickly becoming a great place to raise a family. This area of the city has traditionally been considered a working-class neighborhood, but it has transformed considerably over the last 20 years. Today, the neighborhood is considered very safe and still provides more affordable housing options than other neighborhoods in the city. There are a variety of larger single family homes and condos in the area that can be ideal for someone that is looking for more space.

Harlem

Located on the far northern end of Manhattan, Harlem is quickly becoming one of the most popular places in the city to raise a family. East Harlem is well known for being the home to many brownstones and other single-family homes that are full of charm and enough space to raise a few kids. Harlem also has a good reputation when it comes to schools and local activities for kids to enjoy.

These five neighborhoods are just a handful of the many areas of New York that are fantastic for raising your family. Moving an entire household to a new home isn’t easy. Hire movers in NYC to help with your upcoming transition and get your family settled in faster than you ever could on your own.

5 Apps That Are Helpful For Finding A No Fee Apartment

Choosing an apartment when you’re moving to New York can be quite the daunting task. This is especially true when you don’t know how to avoid hidden fees and shifty landlords. Luckily, several options allow you to filter those hazards out of their listings. Here are five apps this local moving company (cheapmoversnyc.net) says prove invaluable in finding a no fee apartment in NYC.

  1. Renthop

Renthop is a great resource for finding trustworthy rentals with accurate information. The app uses a “HopScore” to determine how valuable property is and the reliability of the agent or landlord. A high score is a great sign that the apartment is worth checking out. Remember to change the search filter to “no fees” so your research can be more efficient.

  1. Naked Apartments

Naked Apartments specializes in matching up potential renters on a budget with affordable deals. About a third of the listings have no fee, and the search filter allows you to see only those apartments with ease. Their mix of open and exclusive listings are sure to bolster your choice of options. Open listings are posted to multiple listing sites as opposed to being exclusive.

3. StreetEasy

By far the biggest name in New York apartments. StreetEasy bought Naked Apartments, but both are still worth checking out. StreetEasy focuses on verified exclusive listings only. This makes for a much different search experience if you check it out after browsing the open listings on Naked Apartments. Another nice feature they offer is the building information pages. These allow you to look up data on the building the apartment is in. Some useful things to check are the building’s amenities, price history, and the zoned public schools.

  1. Zumper

Zumper is an impressive option if you would like a very user-friendly interface. It is incredibly simple to filter out fees, flag suspicious listings, and even set up alerts for certain neighborhoods. The feature is similar to the one-click applications made popular by job posting and college application sites. You can easily post your information and apply to many apartments at once.

  1. Facebook

This choice might surprise you, but Facebook is still a solid place to network and learn about various real estate markets. To narrow your search down to New York apartments with no fees, it is recommended that you join some New York rental groups. Inside of them will be loads of agents and brokers showing off what they have. Facebook may not be your first choice, but it is a handy resource if you would like to do additional research.

Ultimately, you should take the time to investigate all your options before making a rental decision. Keeping your wits about you will help you avoid hidden fees and shady landlords. Using all of the above apps to maximize your potential choices is the best way to go. With a bit of perseverance, you too can get a great deal on a New York apartment.