Dumpster Rental

You don’t truly know how much you have in your possession until you have to clear your home out. Dumpster rentals are perfect for helping get rid of unwanted goods when you are planning to move out of a home, have a large construction project, or junk removal in general. Here are some details about dumpster rentals if you’re looking to rent one for your next move or project.

Cost of Rental

The cost of a rental dumpster is determined by size and the final weight of the dumpster when the service provider comes to pick it up. Your provider will typically offer a quote that is based on delivery, disposal, location and size of the bin. Typically, there is a set price for each cubic yard of the dumpster. Remember to keep your junk within the bin and don’t go over the top of the bin to avoid extra charges

What to Put in the Dumpster

Most junk can be placed into the dumpster  such as construction waste,  yard waste, household junk clean outs, furniture, most appliances, demolition debris, and much more. It would be best to consult with your provider for a proper list of things that you cannot throw into the bin. Typically those things include, but are not limited to; hazardous materials such as automotive products, paint, chemicals, used tires, batteries, CFL light bulbs, fuels, used oils, lawn and garden products, fertilizers, pesticides, Asbestos, medical waste, and hazardous liquids and cleaners. Additionally, Items such as Freon appliances (refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.) and CRT TV’s are a no go.

If you anticipate there to be lots of junk during your next move, remember to rent a dumpster or find a service provider that may be able to assist in renting the dumpster and doing the physical removal of the debris. Full transparency and insight into your project will help your movers plan accordingly and ensure your expectations are met. Feel free to reach out to our team of professionals as our services can manage the gamut of junk removal needs.. Contact Olympia for a free quote today!

Feng Shui

Feng Shui, in a very literal sense, means “wind-water”. The idea behind it is to balance buildings, objects, and space in an environment to achieve harmony and balance. Natural elements often play a crucial role in balancing out all of these elements, hence why this practice is called feng shui. While it is impossible to compile even a fraction of the practice in this article, with different regions of China practicing differently from one another, and feng shui changing from year to year, there are some core foundations and ideas that can be outlined. Here are some core ideas.

The Four Concepts of Feng Shui

Each of these concepts can be an article of its own, with how in-depth and complex each concept can be. But generally speaking, the four concepts are the five elements (fire, water, earth, wood, and metal), the Bagua areas (energy map of your space), color, and a “command location”. The Bagua would tell us what element each part of your space needs, while the color will help supplement the space

5 Elements

The five elements of feng shui are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Utilizing them properly in your space stimulates energy and promotes wellbeing. Each element has its own properties for specific effects.

  • Wood: Wood promotes health, vitality, and growth. It is often expressed with green and brown. Decorations like lush plants, green cushions, botanical imagery, etc will promote it.
  • Fire: Fire promotes creativity, love, and passion. It is often expressed with different shades of red and yellow.
  • Earth: Earth is the element of nourishment, protection, stability, and support. It is often expressed with beige and other sandy colors
  • Metal: Metal is the element of structure and discipline, efficiency, and productivity. It is often expressed in white and grey.
  • Water: Water is the element of harmony, flow, and renewal. It is often expressed with blue and black.

Bagua Area

Bagua is an energy map of your space. It divides your space into eight areas, defined by the compass direction of your front door. Each of these eight areas corresponds to one of the five elements, which needs to be supplemented in its corresponding area for good feng shui energy. This whole process is a bit complicated and can change depending on who you ask and where you are, so finding an expert in your area will be optimal.

Color

Different colors carry different energy qualities. According to feng shui, it corresponds to the energy of the five elements. This is one of the easiest ways to bring some elements into your home without buying any major decor or making any major changes.

Command Location

The command location is essentially the best place you can be in a room to get the most optimal energy flow. Thus, major furniture pieces like a desk, couch, and bed can be placed with feng shui in mind. The process of deciding where these pieces should be is complicated, but a general rule of thumb is to ensure that you can see the door from where you’re sitting, standing, or lying down.

The next time you move with Olympia, make sure you let your team know if you have anything you want in any particular place. Our team of professionals will be sure to accommodate to the best of their abilities. Contact Olympia for a free quote today!

For Sale by Owner

Selling your home can seem like a complicated and overwhelming task. The standard, most well-known process would include leveraging a local real estate agent while you sit back and see the offers roll in. And the extent of your involvement, apart from ensuring the house is staged and set to show properly, would be to accept or decline offers. And the costs? A hefty percentage of the selling amount.

In this day and age, especially given the market conditions and the level of demand, you may feel underwhelmed at the amount you pay your agent for the amount of work that’s put in. Meaning in a hot neighborhood, the agent may just have to set the price, show a house for a weekend, and boom! You have an offer with tens of thousands in commission headed to the agent. Is there a way to avoid this hefty commission rate?

For sale by owner is an option to consider, but there are factors that need to be accounted for when making this decision. FSBO (For sale by owner) is an effective way to save some of that money while still being able to market and advertise to a similar size audience. In the past, it used to be that the seller had limited access to the marketing vehicles agents did. The seller did not have the network or system access that a typical agent did. However, in this day and age all that has changed, and if you’re willing to spend some money (but still fractional compared to an agent’s commission).

These type of sellers now have access to website such as Zillow, Forsalebyowner.com and FSBO.com just to name a few. There is also the possibility to get it listed on MLS for a flat fee and of course if you’re attune to website creation and development, create your own listing page. These digital activities, combined with the analog activities of yore such as word of mouth and distributing self-made brochures, could garner that audience you need to find that buyer.

Keep in mind though, researching the market and following the correct legal process to properly sell your home are a requirement to ensure that you for sale by owner listing closing holds up to your legal and personal expectations. From a market standpoint, make sure pull your comparables to understand what has sold in your area that is most like your house and use that as a bellwether to price appropriately. If you have limited insight into the condition of key elements of your house (roof age, basement moisture, radon, etc..) that impact pricing, then it may be wise to pay for a professional inspection so you have a complete view of issues that may impact the price of your house.

As far as the rules go for selling, make sure you engage a real estate lawyer and seek the professional advice to help guide you through the necessary documentation for a FSBO listing.

According to the National Association of Realtors, in 2020 approximately 7% of homes were for sale by owner. While clearly not a large portion of home sales are FSBO, it is a significant enough number that had made its way as a mainstream option.

And remember, selling your home is just half the battle! Once you have identified the buyer and signed your papers, there’s still the actual process of moving. As we always recommend, research your moving company and ensure they have the reviews and experience to provide a move that meets and exceeds your expectations.