Month: March 2020

The end of your lease is approaching and it’s almost time to move. One of the key things you may be concerned about is whether you’ll get your security deposit refunded. Our moving-out checklist details what typically needs to be cleaned in an apartment to help you get your security deposit returned. Review the move out cleaning checklist below or download our printable PDF version and tick off all the boxes before you give your apartment keys back.

According to a survey by Rent.com, more than 25{2a3e680f1439d15db2efa1f6e7ed882a5847e72ec9baddde754e69dd847cc2fd} of renters don’t get their security deposit back. To help avoid being in that group, thoroughly inspect every room and ask yourself: Is everything in working order? Is it clean? Any damage? Have there been changes made that need to be reversed?

Move out cleaning checklist

Floors:

• Mop all tile and hardwood floors
• Fix tears, holes or

If you want the freshest produce possible, consider planting your own home garden—after all, you can’t get any closer to your kitchen table than your own backyard. Growing your own vegetables is thrifty, too. According to the National Gardening Association, the average family with a garden spends $70 on their crops—but they grow an estimated $600 worth of veggies!

10 Steps to Starting a Vegetable Garden

To get started, here are 10 steps recommended by the National Gardening Association.

1. Choose the right location

Choose a location for the garden that has plenty of sun, ample space and close proximity to your hose or water source. Find a level area to help prevent erosion.

2. Select your veggies

Decide what produce to include based on your climate, space, tastes and level of expertise. Newcomers may want to consider some of the easier crops to grow, like carrots, beans, cucumbers, … Read more

As winter snow starts to melt and icy roadways clear up under sunny spring skies, navigating streets and highways is a much more pleasurable and safer experience. It’s also the time when motorcycle owners begin to plan their first ride of the season.

But before putting on your helmet and zipping off for an exhilarating ride, you should take time for a thorough inspection of your bike. A lot can happen with your motorcycle during the time it was stored. An annual top-to-bottom motorcycle inspection, from tires to spark plugs and fluid levels, ensures you get the best and safest performance from your bike.

“Just like warming up your body with stretching exercises before exerting yourself, checking and prepping your motorcycle before every ride is wise to prevent any mishaps.” says Peter terHorst, spokesman for the American Motorcycle Association.

Peter terHorst recommends a checklist, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s T-CLOCS … Read more

For many people, Memorial Day is a time to celebrate freedom, in more ways than one. We salute the U.S. veterans who sacrificed to preserve and protect us. And many of us celebrate freedom of the road on this holiday.

Memorial Day traffic is one of the heaviest, which translates into more accidents. According to the National Safety Council , an average of 358 fatal accidents happen per year during the Memorial Day weekend.

Protect your family with these Memorial Day safety tips from the NHTSA:

1. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol and driving is always a bad mix. Every day, nearly 30 people in the U.S. die in a motor-vehicle crash involving an alcohol-impaired driver. If you have young drivers, learn how to talk to teens about alcohol.

2. Keep your tires properly inflated

If Memorial Day weekend means a road trip for you and the gang, make sure … Read more

Now that you’ve survived driving in the winter, getting around in spring should be a breeze, right? Not exactly.

Spring presents its own unique challenges to motorists, experts say. For starters, there can be a “letting your guard down” mentality that sets in as the ice and snow have melted away, and pure giddiness over rising temperatures prompts a sense of abandonment. But there are special, seasonal challenges that drivers need to keep in mind.

With that, here are some safe driving tips:

1. Drive in the middle lanes when it rains

Realize that a wet road can be just as slick as an icy one. Tires will hydroplane and lose contact with the road, which is as dangerous as hitting pure ice. Also, rain causes oil dripped from passing vehicles to rise to the top of the water surface, increasing the slick factor. Stay in the middle lanes … Read more