One and Co

One and Co

Archives for September 2019

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The impact of Brexit on the housing market… so far!

If there’s just one word we should use to describe how Brexit will pan out, it would have to be “uncertain”. However, it is exactly because of this uncertainty that, if you are considering selling or buying a house, you might benefit from doing so now to avoid running unnecessary risks.

On the subject of its membership of the EU, the nation has asked itself “should I stay or should I go” more often than The Clash. However, whatever your own stance on the issue, it’s not too hard to assess how the Brexit factor has impacted UK property prices so far.

The immediate effect of the referendum

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that UK house prices have steadily increased since roughly the beginning of 2013. However, since June 2016, when the British public voted to leave the EU, this growth rate has dramatically slowed.

Whereas that rate was 8.2% in June 2016, it had dropped to 0.9% by June 2019, as the Mirror recalls. Average prices of UK houses continued to rise until peaking at £232,000 and, in June 2019, sat at £230,000, according to the ONS.

The north-south divide in the housing market

How has the housing market fared more recently? One report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and relayed by Bloomberg reveals that, in August, house sales were flat or negative in most areas of the UK, with RICS’s headline index of prices negative.

Still, one picture that becomes clear when August property prices are studied is that of London and surrounding regions suffering the most in the market’s post-referendum downtown. Whereas outright declines in prices were reported in London, the South East and East Anglia, values in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are said to have stayed resilient.

Should you buy a house now?

It could prove a surprisingly convenient time to seal a property purchase. Nationwide building society says that the average UK house price sat at £216,096 in August – £1,567 lower than the value a month earlier, as the Guardian reports.

Furthermore, with the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit intensifying, it’s understandable why, as Rightmove director Miles Shipside has claimed, “more buyers are now going for the certainty of doing a deal” rather than postponing it and risking a no-deal Brexit complicating matters yet further.

Buying now, while prices are historically low, also means that you could save some money to spend later on improving that home, should it turn out to have a few previously unnoticed issues.

For example, if you quickly finalise the purchase of a house in the North East, where Rightmove reveals the number of house sales soared by up to 10% in August, rest assured that roofers in Newcastle, Sunderland and nearby can be at close hand should you come across a leak.

While a no-deal Brexit could sink property prices further, it could also curb your ability to afford a house in the first place, with interest rates and job losses potentially increasing.

 

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Protecting Your Company from Industrial Espionage

The rise of the internet and its advance into various fields of life has been a very positive factor for the most part. We now have access to more information than ever before, to the point where we’re starting to place less emphasis on a person’s ability to retain knowledge, and more on their ability to find the information that’s relevant to each problem.

But it’s also brought about some problematic developments. It’s easier than ever to break into a company and extract useful information from it, and a skilled industrial spy doesn’t even have to physically interact with the organization in any way these days. Protecting yourself against this is a critical component of running an organization of any scale.

You’re Not an Exception

The biggest mistake you could make is to think that you’re safe just because you’re a small fish. And it makes no sense. Does the small corner mom-and-pop store leave its doors unlocked just because there’s a huge supermarket next door? Quite on the contrary, smaller companies are just as attractive to data thieves, because they can usually expect to deal with weaker security… and in most cases, they are right.

Constant Training is a Must

You have to train your employees on identifying common attacks like phishing, general forms of social engineering, malware, and so on. Instill proper security practices, like forcing a strong password and other similar factors. Penalize those who deviate from the norm and reward those who demonstrate a strong security culture. Remember the old saying – a chain is as strong as its weakest link. If a single employee in your organization is behind everyone else in their security knowledge and practices, then your entire company is at risk. And it only has to happen once.

Investigating Suspicious Cases

From time to time, you’ll discover something unusual in the activity of your employees. It’s not a good idea to play detective and attempt to figure out what’s going on by yourself in these cases though. It takes a lot of expertise to do it properly, and more importantly, without alerting the potential spy that you’re on to them. Contact a company like Secure Forensics that provide computer forensics in Los Angeles and across the US and let them deal with the situation. That way, you’ll be sure that you’re not missing any important details that can potentially change the whole context of the situation. And that’s quite common in cases like these.

Never underestimate the potential of maintaining a strong security culture in your organization, no matter its scale. Even if it’s just you and your buddy from college, everything we said above still applies. And the larger your company grows, the more of a concern this is going to become. Not just because you’ll be a more attractive target with your growing assets, but because you’ll have a constantly growing number of employees to oversee, and each of them will be a potential security weakness. Prepare yourself for this in advance, because there’s no way to avoid it.

 

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Thinking of Starting a CBD Business? Here’s What You Need to Know

Whether you’ve had experience of running a company before, or you’re new to the business world, staying up to date with the latest developments in your field is important. The CBD industry is becoming increasingly popular. With many users of CBD claiming a wide range of health benefits, it’s inevitable that many entrepreneurs are seeing the benefits and deciding to set up business. If you’re thinking of starting a CBD business, here is what you need to know.

Understanding CBD

Whether you’ve tried CBD oil before, or you have little to no knowledge in the field, getting to grips with the potential health benefits can help when it comes to engaging with customers. Many people use CBD oil to help treat a range of ailments, such as pain and inflammation, anxiety and depression, insomnia, and MS symptoms such as muscle spasms. While CBD oil is legal to use in every state, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) are yet to approve CBD oil as a medicine, therefore, it’s crucial that you don’t label your CBD oil products as medicinal drugs.

Have a Business Plan

To increase the chances of your CBD business being a success, you need to have a thorough business plan laid out. Outlining your objectives and goals, sales forecast, the types of consumers you plan to sell to, as well as what products and services you will deliver can help you stay on track and organized. If you aren’t prepared before launching your CBD business, it’s likely that you will fall at the first hurdle. With so many established CBD businesses already in operation, doing all that you can to stand out is important.

Know the Law

Before starting a CBD business, you need to know that selling CBD products is regarded as a risky business, especially when you take into account the federal government’s stance on cannabis. Many activists and organizations are trying their best to reform marijuana laws which adds some risks when it comes to launching a CBD business. Staying in the know and adhering to the laws and regulations will help ensure you’re operating your company legally and above board.

Finding a Supplier

Customers need to trust and believe in your CBD business. If you don’t have much knowledge in this field, it’s important that you do as much research as possible into the various suppliers who could benefit your company. Any CBD products that you sell should have a certificate of analysis which will provide reassurance to your consumers. You may be interested in using Cope CBD who sell a variety of private label CBD products.

Marketing Your Brand

If you’re not tech savvy, you will either need to brush up on your knowledge or employ a marketing team to help build awareness of your business. Whether it’s being active on social media platforms like Facebook, or creating a blog for customers, how you market your brand is important. On your business website, you may want to include a live chat function which will enable you to directly communicate with your customers, helping to assist with answering any queries that they may have.

Having extensive knowledge of CBD is important. For customers to trust your brand, you need to know what you’re talking about. Also, creating a detailed business plan, staying up to date with laws and regulations, as well as finding the best supplier for your products can help increase the chances of your CBD business becoming a success.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

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The Best Spots to go Fashion Shopping in England

Looking to shop up a storm in England? There are a ton of amazing spots to find fashionable clothes for anyone and any style. Simply continue reading for this handy guide to the top fashion destinations in England.

The Best Spots to go Fashion Shopping in England:

Chums:

If you can’t get out to shop, there are alternative options like https://www.chums.co.uk/. Life gets busy and we don’t always have time to get out and find fashionable clothes for our everyday life. If you don’t have the time to go to stores, you can browse Chums online while in the comfort of your own home! It has amazing fashionable items for both men and women!

Bicester Village:

Bicester Village is known for being one of the best luxury outlets in England and boasts over 160 stoes. So if you’d love to purchase designer clothing, shoes and accessories from well known luxury brands such as Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Burberry, Balmain, Lacoste, MCM and Prada, it’s well worth planning a day trip to Bicester Village. As you’ll be able to save hundreds of dollars on coveted designer items.

As an added bonus, Bicester Village also features a wide variety of on-site cafes and restaurants such as Maitre Choux, which is a French patisserie and Itsu which serves Japanese cuisine such as sushi. So you’ll be able to enjoy a meal with friends, while you ponder some of the purchases which you’re interested in marking.

If you’re wondering how far Bicester Village is from London, Bicester Village is located in Oxfordshire which is 1 hours and 30 minutes drive from London.

Leeds Corn Exchange:

Leeds Corn Exchange is located in a historic building, which was originally built in 1864. Today Leeds Corn Exchange is home to a multitude of boutique stores. Where you’ll be able to purchase one of a kind pieces, that you wouldn’t be able to find in a traditional mall. As an example, you’ll be able to purchase unique pieces of silver jewellery at the Simcha Gallery. So if you enjoy wearing pieces that are so unique that your friends and family members are sure to compliment your new purchases, it’s a great idea to shop at Leeds Corn Exchange.

Sloan Street:

Sloan Street is located in London and is located in Knightsbridge, which is one of London’s premiere shopping destinations. If you have expensive taste and love high fashion, you’ll be pleased to find that Sloan Street is home to numerous designer stores. Examples of which include Gucci, Christian Dior and Armani.

Harvey Nichols:

Harvey Nichols is extremely popular with local London based fashionistas and stocks a multitude of highly sought after brands. Some examples of which include Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Chopard, Dior and Miu Miu. So if you plan on spending a day shopping in London and would like to visit a popular department store, you may prefer to shop at Harvey Nichols over Harrods. While Harrods is better known overseas, it’s normally packed full of tourists who are looking for cheap Harrods’ branded souvenirs. So you may enjoy shopping at Harvey Nichols, which has a much more sophisticated, classy vibe, than Harrods.

Primark:

Primark has locations throughout England and is a cheap, affordable fashion store, where you’ll be able to pick up affordable staples. Such as t-shirts, rompers and summer dresses. As an added bonus, Primark often collaborates with well known fashionistas in order to release sought after limited edition merchandise. So it’s well worth shopping for exclusive, limited time pieces during your visit to Primark.

So if you’re looking to shop up a storm in England, you can’t go wrong spending a few hours at each of the popular shopping destinations which are listed above.

How Much Do We Spend on Fashion? 

Chums ran a survey across 10 major UK cities to find out who would spend the most on clothes and how much each city was willing to spend on each item of clothing. Below is an infographic of the results! Hashtag #FashionSpend on social media to share your thoughts!

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The Benefits of Choosing Vintage Engagement Rings

The woman you love is unique and beautiful: so why shouldn’t her engagement ring be unique and beautiful too? Vintage engagement rings are the perfect choice for couples that want to pick a ring with history, a connection to the past, and exquisite beauty that you simply wouldn’t be able to find in a regular retail store.

Not sure whether a vintage engagement ring is a right choice for you? Here are just some of the benefits of choosing vintage engagement rings to consider before you start ring shopping:

Vintage Engagement Rings Are Unique

If you buy your ring from one of the thousands of retail jewellery stores across the country, then it is likely that you will be wearing that same engagement ring as hundreds of other brides and brides-to-be. In fact, you could even risk walking into a party and finding that someone is wearing the same engagement ring as you.

When you choose vintage engagement rings, you are unlikely to have this problem. Vintage engagement rings were largely made before mass production, meaning that no one will have the same ring as you. You’ll also find that the quality of your vintage ring is better because it was lovingly handcrafted by an expert craftsman, rather than machine produced in a factory.

Vintage Engagement Rings Can Become Family Heirlooms

Engagement rings are often passed down through family lines, from bride to bride. The Duchess of Cambridge, for example, wears the engagement ring that once belonged to her mother in law, Princess Diana. By choosing a vintage engagement ring, you are choosing a ring that already has a rich history. It is a wonderful way to introduce a traditional to your own family, and future generations will treasure something that is stylish and unique in a way that they might not treasure a modern, mass-manufactured ring.

If you’re looking for a vintage engagement ring that will last for generations, look for a ring with a timeless charm in the highest quality that you can afford.

Vintage Engagement Rings Don’t Contain Conflict Diamonds

Does your bride-to-be have a strong sense of right and wrong or a keen ethical standard? Then you might find that she would prefer a vintage engagement ring from an environmental and social point of view. Vintage engagement rings don’t contain conflict diamonds, whilst it can be more difficult to trace the origins of the diamonds in modern engagement rings.

Fewer than 1 percent of the world’s diamonds are now produced in conflict regions, but it is still a concern for many women when choosing their engagement ring. Conflict diamonds were produced largely during the specific period spanning from the early 1990s to the early 2000s, which means that if you choose a vintage engagement ring that was produced prior to the 1990s, you can be guaranteed that the diamonds sourced ethically. After all, no woman wants to think that anyone suffered, purely so that she can wear a beautiful diamond ring on her ring finger!

To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.

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How Technology Can Help You Be An Expert

One of the ways that business owners can really stand out from the crowd, particularly if several businesses are selling a similar product or service, is to ensure they are positioned as an expert in their field. When they are able to do this, customers will trust them to know everything about their business and to give them the right advice. People will automatically turn to those who are positioned as experts and will prefer to buy from them.

Thanks to technology, getting to this position is not as hard as it may seem. There will be work that you need to put in, but tech can help you spread your message more quickly. Here’s how it works.

Online Learning

In order to be an expert, you truly need to know a lot about your subject. Although technology may be able to help you tell people you know everything about it, if you then can’t answer questions or don’t have any idea how to help them, you’ll soon lose their business and your reputation. Therefore, you need to have the right learning and knowledge behind you.

Technology can help you achieve a much higher level of knowledge than you might otherwise have had. Not only can you research almost everything online and learn as much as you can that way, but you can also cement your learning with a Kettering University Masters in electrical and computer engineering. This kind of qualification will prove your knowledge and will certainly help you not only run your business but gain more business too.

Your Blog

Blogs have been around for a long time now, so you might not think of them as technology as such, and certainly not something that will help your business. However, they are actually supremely useful and not something to be ignored.

Having a blog will allow you to write about your subject and show people how much you know. If you want to position yourself as an expert, this is an ideal way to do it. Write about what you do, why you do it, how your products and services can help your potential customers and anything else that might relate to your own business or the sector you are working in. The more you can add to your blog; the more people will visit your site. They will see you know what you are talking about, and they will be more likely to buy.

As an added benefit, your blog can help you when it comes to search engine rankings. The more you write, the more Google will think your site is of value, and it will boost it further up the rankings. Add links, images, and keywords, and you will climb even more.

Social Media

Social media can be extremely effective when it comes to promoting your business, and for showing that you are an expert in your field. This is where you can easily post links to your site and blog, encouraging people to visit and leave comments. It’s also where you can write updates, talk about product launches, and explain why changes within your industry are happening and what to do about it.

 

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Plan A Wedding In Detail

If you are getting married in Delhi, don’t choose any ordinary place to do so. It is your special day so even if you are not planning a destination wedding you can try out one of the best wedding venues in Delhi. There are many amazing wedding venues in and around Delhi.

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Decide on the following

Having finalised the date for your big day don’t wait to look for a banquet hall. They are in high demand, and if you don’t hurry, it will be difficult to get a suitable one. Before you book to keep in mind:

• The Location Of The Hall

• Your Budget

• Number Of Guests

• Where Most Of Your Guests Will Come From

• Facilities Provided By The Banquet Hall

Options available

After you have made your plans take a look around from the various options available in the best wedding venues in Delhi. You will find wedding venues that are:

• Set on sprawling gardens close to the airport. The rooms and suites are spacious, and the banquet halls are huge. The banquet hall is huge and the decorations done on the occasion of the wedding is mesmerizing. They come with everything you require for a wedding. Professional makeup and Mehendi artists, flower decorators, professional photographers, and choreographers.

• You may try a venue that hosts designer weddings. They have in house designers, architects, carpenters, painters, welders, and skilled artisans. With amazing banquet halls for a wedding, these happen to be one of the best wedding spots in Delhi.

• You will also find excellent venues in Gurugram near the metro station. With comfortable rooms, beautiful décor, lighting, and calm environment these are the perfect wedding venues in the Delhi NCR.

• If you want a high budget wedding, then choose the five-star hotels which make excellent venues. Have an outdoor venue, that is, have the wedding on the sprawling lawns of the hotel. They will do it up like a fairyland either on their own or acco0rding to your instructions. One way or the other it is going to be a memorable experience. If you want it in the banquet hall, the decorations will be just as impressive.

• Other options besides a banquet hall or a lawn could be a farmhouse. It is going to make your wedding unique.

Your final decision

Since weddings in Delhi are always a big affair, you need to plan out whether you want a grand affair or a small and intimate one. Do you want an outdoor or indoor wedding? Once you have decided on these two aspects, start looking for a banquet hall, marriage lawn, or a farmhouse to celebrate your wedding.

Other things you need to look into are what the price per plate is and what you want to spend; this will help you budget the event. The most crucial point, however, is the location of the venue. Whatever your budget is and whatever kind of celebration you want to have Delhi NCR is a great place to organize it. After all, it is the capital city, and you will get an excellent venue wherever you choose to have the wedding.

 

 

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How to Set Up Your Own Website or Blog

If you’re curious about how you can set up a successful website or blog, simply continue reading to discover a handy guide to setting up an attractive, popular website or blog. Be sure to use the hashtag #BloggerGuide when sharing your experience on social media!

How to set up your own website or blog:

1. Make sure to track your website’s performance
Once you publish your blog or website, it’s well worth monitoring how many hits your website attracts per day. As if your website’s visits decrease over time, you’ll need to make urgent changes to your website, in order to increase your website’s traffic.
2. Ensure that your website is linked to your social media pages and vice versa
Make sure that you’re properly harnessing the power of social media, by placing simple links to your social media pages on your blog or website. As individuals will be more likely to keep up to date with your blog or website’s posts if they follow you or your business via social media.
Also make sure that a link to your blog or website is visible on your social media profiles. So that your social media followers will be able to easily find your blog or website.
3. Make sure to frequently place links to your website on social media
As an example, if you post new content on your website, it’s well worth posting a link to your new content in your social posts.
4. Place at least one photo on every page
In order to grab the attention of your website’s readers, make sure to post at least one photo on every page. As humans are visual creatures and are far more likely to read your content if it’s accompanied by relevant photos or graphics.
5. Place relevant target key words in your website or blog’s content
One of the easiest ways to ensure that your website or blog is a runaway success is to carefully place targeted key words, which apply to your niche, in your content. That way your website or blog will rank highly in search engine listings and individuals who are interested in your chosen niche topic, will be likely to find your website through a search engine.
However, be careful not to flood your posts with key words as most search engines will pick up on your tactic and you’ll be given a low search engine ranking.
6. Make sure that your website is protected from hackers
It’s well worth paying for extra security measures such as firewalls, to ensure that your website is secure and safe from hackers. Especially if your website collects your reader’s information and you don’t want the security of your readers’ private information to be compromised. Which would damage your website or blog’s reputation.
7. Consider having a chat bot linked to your website
Chat bots are useful as they allow your readers to find the information which they’re looking for quickly and seamlessly. If there are questions that your readers frequently ask you can also program a chat bot to be able to answer them for you.
If you follow all of the steps which are outlined above, you should be able to attract thousands of readers to follow your blog or website.

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How to Add Value to Your Home This Fall

Spring is not the only time you can renew your life or your home. Any time of the year is a great time to make a difference, and this includes making changes that add value to your property. In fact, if you intend to sell next year, now is the best time to start making small and budget-friendly fixes that will increase the value of your property significantly.

Add Landscaping to Your Property

Adding landscaping to your home and improving the curb appeal can often provide up to 150% return on your initial investment. Adding a garden or landscaping will further increase your property’s monetary value. If you do this well before you intend to sell, then you will greatly add to the health and wellbeing of your home, and that is invaluable.

Address Areas of Concern

Flaking paint on the outside should be stripped and redone in order to preserve the material (often wood) underneath. Cracks should be sealed, mold and damp should be addressed, and more. During summer, you should go through and create a checklist for yourself, starting with your central heating system. These machines can break when you are not using them, and you don’t want to learn about this fact when it is already cold.

Invest in Space-Saving Additions

Small homes can either be at the bottom of the retail totem pole or they can be right up at the top. It depends entirely on whether the space you are putting up for sale looks and feels spacious or closed off. No one is going to pay top dollar for a property that feels like it is closing in on them. The only exception is if the location is just too good to pass up, but even then by investing in a few space-saving solutions, you can increase your home’s value.

This should ideally be done before you intend to sell. This way you can recoup the costs yourself and enjoy a more spacious, bright property to yourself. You will want to start by visiting space-saving furniture stores in Miami. Focus on quality pieces. A system that contains a shelving unit, table, and a murphy bed can add a guest room to your property and open it up at once.

The reason why these add value is because they are often installed directly to the wall. You wouldn’t necessarily be bringing them with you. These systems, along with custom storage, are now a part of your property and will add value whenever you decide to sell.

Renovations to Invest In

Kitchens and bathrooms will provide you with the biggest value added to your property’s value. This also applies to a home extension, however as the winter is approaching, this is not a viable option. The best renovations are the simple ones that maintain the floorplan and only switch out the aesthetics. This way you can modernize your property, add a lot of value, all at a reasonable cost.

 

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How to Maximize Space in Your Apartment

Moving into a New Apartment

Congratulations on making the move into a new apartment! We are sure that you are finding the move to not have been as challenging and recalibration to your life with a few more responsibilities not so daunting. But now you are looking to improve the look of your new place and make it more spacious. After having officially moved in and all. This is a very common complaint of many people who get their first apartment, but never fear, we at www.aptsaver.com are here! Below we have listed different ways to maximize the space out of your apartment and make it all the more comfortable and minimize the stress that could come of the smaller quarters.

Make Your Apartment Bedroom Smaller

Instead of cramming all the stuff (much of it unnecessary, right?) in your smaller bedroom, consider just having the necessities. Possibly, just your bed, TV, and a nightstand. Think about it from this perspective too, that is where you relax and fall asleep. You don’t want to have so much stuff stressing you out that you will, guaranteed, eventually have to deal with. The best approach is to not bring it in at all, but if you have already moved in, then our recommendation is to set aside a small amount of time and do some spring cleaning.

Next! Your Bathroom

Take it from us, nothing is worse when you are flying around your apartment, getting ready for the day and knocking stuff over with every move. It is even worse when it is just decorative items. Like your bedroom, we suggest finding a new place for your decorative items, preferably in a place where they won’t hinder you as you are getting ready.

Your Living Room

Perhaps you are in a place where you just moved and your budget is too sore to start accumulating a bunch of decorations. If so, and you still want to make your living room larger, no problem. You may very much like an L-shaped couch or a daybed that you can also use for a couch and sleeping space if you have a friend or family member that wants to spend the night. You may also want to consider buying second-hand furniture that has been reupholstered and recovered as a budget-friendly option until you save up the money to buy something that fits you better. Also, think about swapping a large, ornate ottoman for something smaller and more trendy to give it the modern kick.

Decorating Your Kitchen

So a dining table the size of the one at your parents’ house doesn’t fit, eh? Don’t worry about it! Some more more modern apartments may have a bar area near the kitchen or a small island, but if you don’t have either of those, you can still likely pull up a chair on the other side of your counter or buy a trendy high-top table and some chairs to match. You may also be able to add a second one in depending on the size.

Organizing Your Closet

You are going to quickly find out, if you haven’t already, that the key to enjoying your apartment more is to stay organized. We know, you don’t like to hear it and we don’t like to say it, but the fact is that when you finally get organized, it is much easier to stay organized. It could, actually, save you time when you are in a rush, because you know where everything goes and can put it there and be confident that you will be able to find it when you need it next.

Final Considerations

When you are shopping for or living in an apartment, space is always there, you just have to know how to use it most efficiently. Much of the time, it is as simple as getting rid of a bunch of those old boxes you have been meaning to throw out. Other times, you may need a deep clean, but once you do, your life will be so much easier. If you do, you will likely be ready to implement our next tips when we release more apartment living hacks and stay ahead of your friends!