Clutter, which is defined as things that lie about untidily, is often linked to creativity. So, just how much imagination will it take to tidy up your space? To be exact, you can make it happen in 10 easy steps.

Step # 1: Set A Schedule

You are much more likely to stick to a routine, whatever it may be, if you work on a schedule. In addition, this allows you to clean when you can minimize interruptions and maximize your time.

Step # 2: Set A Goal For Each Room

If you can visualize what you want, you will be better able to achieve it. By setting goals for each room, you can note the things that need changing and work toward that goal one day at a time.

Step # 3: Create A Timeline

When do you hope to have your home completely free of clutter? One week, two weeks or even a month? Depending on your schedule and the amount of clutter that you have, it may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before you can kick back and relax again.

Step # 4: Start Small

The clutter in your home didn’t appear overnight, and it won’t disappear overnight either. If you start small, you will be less likely to get frustrated and give up midway through your cleanup.

Step # 5: Categorize Your Clutter

When cleaning, it’s important to categorize your items into groups. By separating the items that you want to keep, toss and donate, you will be able to move through your clutter quickly and efficiently.

Step # 6: Letting Go

A good rule of thumb for uncluttering your home is to get rid of anything that you haven’t used within the past year. If it’s still useful, consider donating it to a good cause. Otherwise, toss it.

Step # 7: Storing Your Seasonal Apparel

When storing seasonal clothing, purchase a sturdy plastic storage bin with a lid and roll your clothes instead of folding them in an effort to maximize storage capability. When full, snap the lid on and slide the unit into your closet.

Step # 8: Closet Organization

Did you know that your choice of clothes hangers can greatly impact the storage capacity of your closet? Wire hangers take up less space and can save your shirts from getting that annoying shoulder bump that often arises from the use of plastic hangers.

Step # 9: Shoes Blues

When it comes to storing shoes, many homeowners are fighting a losing battle with clutter. How many pairs of shoes do you own? How neatly are they stored? If your shoe storage has you down, try purchasing clear lidded shoe boxes. These handy creations can house each pair of shoes and can be stacked neatly in your closet. And best of all, you can see your shoe collection without having to sift through a sea of sandals.

Step # 10: Read The Labels

If you have medicine, food or anything else with an expiration date in the home, check to make sure that the items are still good. If the expiration date has already come and gone, throw them away.

What is a cap rate? Whenever searching for an investment such as a stock, currency, commodity, real estate, or any other type of investment, typically an important factor is what is my return on investment? If you’re new to the real estate game or trying to learn more you probably have not heard of a cap rate or have, but don’t quite understand what it means. This article will discuss what a cap rate is and what a bad cap rate is and what a good cap rate is.

To start, simply put, a cap rate is just a return on investment. It applies to any real estate investment you may be considering and the cap rate will help you determine if the investment is worthwhile. To calculate the return you must take the net operating income and divide it by the price you pay for the property, and then multiply it by one hundred. That will give you the percentage of return for the investment property.

Example: A 500 SQm Single Family Home in Paranaque has an NOI of 600,000. If you buy it for Php 7,000,000 you’ll be purchasing it at what rate?

Cap Rate = NOI/Value
Cap Rate = 600,000/ 7,000,000
Cap Rate = 8.5%

The next question, how do I know what a good return is? Well, the answer to that question is it depends on certain variables. The most important concern for any deal should be that the return is greater than the interest rate of your mortgage. For example, if you have a property that has an 8% return and you are looking at mortgages for the property. It is best to have a mortgage below 8%, ideally the lower the better of course. The reason for this is that if the interest rate exceeds the return, then you are essentially paying for every percentage point past your return on that mortgage. It means you lose money, typically a lot.

Thus, it is best to always have a return that is much higher than the interest, not always possible, but best to aim for it. You probably now can figure out what a bad cap rate is based on what I have just discussed, but I would like to add one thing. We now have established what a good cap rate is and what is bad. This does not mean go and buy any investment property that is less than the return. You must make sure that there is a reasonable safety net, for example an interest rate of 5.8% and a return of 8%.

In the real estate business you must realize there is a possibility of vacancies, there are unexpected costs, and more. If any of your costs end up exceeding expectations or you have a vacancy, the property will quickly result in a negative cash flow. Thus, you will be spending money to keep your property a float.

The benefit of using Cap Rate as a measure is that its quick, easy and almost every real estate investor uses it. The Cap Rate is a great tool to compare a property’s performance to that of similar properties.