A wise rule when cleaning out that garage is: A place for everything and everything in its place.
Here are some valuable tips for organizing your garage:
Before you start to reorganize, take everything out of your garage. Have a family meeting to discuss what is there. Consider:

• Do we still use this?
• Do we need this?
• Can we part with this item?
• Where can we recycle or reuse this item so it can be repurposed?

Discard or donate items you no longer use. Itemize and organize the things you will be keeping.
As much as possible, involve all family members in the cleaning, purging, reorganizing process. If they see how much work went into organizing the garage, they are more likely to make an effort to keep it organized.
Compartmentalize. Decide which areas of your garage will store specific items.
Invest in some good shelving so you can organize the stuff you and your family have stored in the garage.
Make good use of all space. Often overlooked, as potential storage is the wall and ceiling space. Put up good heavy-duty shelving on the walls and large hooks on the walls and ceiling to hang rakes, shovels, mops, bikes, and sports equipment to free floor space.
Use stackable storage boxes instead of shelves on one wall or below shelves. Group items and label these boxes clearly.
Place things like garbage bags, trashcans, and lawn care equipment that you will need often near the door. Make sure there is a path to move other items to access these items.
Practice safety. Place sharp, pointed, or hazardous substances out of reach of children and safely stored.
If it is bulky and seasonal, think about storing these items in a shed or even a rented storage space. This might include lawn mower, garden tractor, bicycles, motorcycles, luggage, the BBQ, sleds, skis, snow mobile, etc.
Think about a pegboard wall for tools and equipment. Use Mac-Tac to create an outline for each piece of equipment so it can be quickly put back in its place by every member of the family.
When the garage has been cleaned, with items discarded, shelved, hooked in place, or stored in boxes, take the entire family on a tour. Now they will be able to see where the proper place is for everything in the garage.  

 
Some people greet the coming of spring with a thorough cleaning of the rooms, closets, basement, garage, and attic of their homes. For others, housecleaning is an ongoing activity not reserved just for spring.
No time is more appropriate for housecleaning than when you are grooming your living space for resale.
Why is a thorough cleaning and purging a good idea before you put your house on the market?
Buyers are not just looking at the layout of the house and its amenities. They try to visualize themselves living in this space. Cleanliness and lack of clutter make a house much more appealing than the “lived in” look. Pack away personal items like photos and certificates. Store or donate seasonal clothes and children’s outgrown toys and clothes. Consider packing boxes in garage, attic, or even rented storage space. You want a “bare” look that allows prospective buyers to visualize their stuff in this new space. Your house should be a blank canvas for their imagination.
Buyers get distracted if there is a lot of stuff in a room. Personal items and/or things around take away from the house itself. They make potential buyers feel as if there isn’t enough storage space in the house and garage.
Clutter and uncleanliness give potential buyers the feeling that they would have to work hard to keep the home clean.  A clean house will help dispel this thought, keeping the prospective buyers focus on the space and attractiveness of the home.
If you are moving, you are going to want to do a thorough culling of your possessions before you pack things to go. You might as well use the pre-selling time to get that task out of the way and create a roomier impression in your house for potential buyers at the same time.
Homes with minimal furniture and knick-knacks seem larger and airier. This is the impression you want potential buyers to have.
Buyers will comparison shop. You want your home to make the best impression of all the homes they will be seeing.
A fresh coat of paint is not a major expense when weighed against getting top dollar for your house.
Pay close attention to your home’s curb appeal. First impressions are critical. Make sure grass is tidy, any outside clutter has been removed, and some flowers have been planted. Make sure the front door is freshly painted; the space around it is clean and attractive.
 

 
Most of us have a hard time deciding where to place furniture in our living room so the room looks inviting is always a challenge.
Here are some helpful tips:
When choosing and arranging furniture think about flexibility. Can the couches and chairs be easily moved to accommodate larger gatherings or intimate discussion groups of your book club? Being able to reconfigure the room quickly and easily is a consideration.
Most traditional living room arrangements place the couch across from a point of interest—like the TV, a picture window, or a fireplace. Other furniture pieces including chairs, tables, and lamps are angled to face the same direction so that everyone can enjoy the TV, the fireplace, or the window view. Groupings are often “circled” for meetings, conversations, entertaining visitors.
Traffic is a consideration. If you have more than one door in the room, you need to think about how people will enter and exit the room without running into furniture.
Sometimes less is more. Don’t fill your living room full of furniture. Consider bringing in extra chairs from another room when they are needed and keeping the basic living room furniture minimal to your personal family needs.
If you are tired of your living room arrangement, a good strategy is to sketch your room and use cutouts of the furniture and rearrange it on a scaled plot. This makes it easy to visualize the spacing. Try some untraditional arrangements. Don’t always think about furniture against walls. When you find an arrangement that seems appealing on paper, empty your living room, and start putting the furniture where your sketch indicates.
Don’t be afraid to store some of that furniture for use when needed and not have it cluttering your space for normal family use.
If you are buying new furniture, purchase only a few large items. A sofa, loveseat and a chair or two should be basic. Then add end tables, footstools, and lamps as necessary not just fillers. A good rule of thumb is to start small and add as needed.
Whether your living room is used to entertain or it is just a comfort zone for the family, use a furniture arrangement that makes movement easy and comfortable for all.
 

There are a lot of flooring choices from which to choose these days. Appearance, personal preference, practicality, and cost are all deciding factors.
Here are interesting facts that will help you decide.
Carpeting
Carpet gives a floor a warm feeling. It is soft for walking and in case of falls. Carpeting is quiet for multi-home units like condos and apartments.
 
Carpet comes in a wide price range. There is a plethora of colors and designs so you are sure to find one that suits your décor. Carpet can be installed by DIY’ers.
 
Carpet is likely to cost the least of the three flooring options.
 
However, maintenance and upkeep can be costly. Carpet wears out and has to be replaced. Replacement time depends largely on how much tracking or use the floor gets.
 
Wood
Hardwood flooring is elegant. It adds to the value of your home. Improvements in technology and manufacturing make installation easier. It can be installed by a professional or a proficient DIY’er.
Hardwood can now be installed over existing sub-flooring.
New hardwood floors are easy to look after. In fact, modern technology has made hardwood floor finishes more durable. This makes maintenance easier.
Hardwood flooring comes in strips 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches wide or planks 4 to 8 inches wide. Natural wood choices include oak, maple, black walnut, pecan, chinquapin, and mesquite. Each has distinctive grain patterns.
 
Hardwood costs between $3 and $8 per square foot. Unusual varieties could be as high as $14 per square foot. Installation costs between $5 and $12 per square foot.
Each wood and style has advantages and disadvantages. Be sure to do research to select the best option. Pre-finished floors are more practical. Unfinished floors you have finished or do it yourself provide a smooth, uniform look. Hardwood floors, over time, need refinishing, as surfaces get scuffed, worn, chipped, or cracked.  Laminates and vinyl are easier to care for and yet look like wood. Laminate flooring costs between $1 and $7 per square foot. DIY Installation is possible. Professional installation runs between $2 and $5 per square foot.
Stone Flooring
While attractive, easy to care for, and durable, stone flooring is also cold. If a fall occurs, stone floors are very unforgiving. Therefore, they are bad choices for elderly and homes with small children.
Stone floors will also get condensation if temperatures are very warm or very cold. This moisture layer can be very slippery.
Stone floors are costly to buy and installation is expensive. However, stone floors can last a lifetime.
Depending on the type of stone, there are many color and pattern options to a stone floor. Professional installation is a must!
 

When you live in the South Bay area there is a plethora of things to do without traveling far. Here are some great stay-cation ideas:
If you love surfing, bicycling, rollerblading, wind surfing or fishing the area is perfect with its wonderful beaches and ocean currents. Hermosa Beach offers some of the world’s most exciting surfing opportunities for surfers of all abilities.
Nature lovers will be thrilled with the sea life they find on their oceanfront walks. Take a boat tour to view dolphins or whales up close.
Walk along the Strand and photograph the elusive green flash at sunset. If you are an architectural buff, enjoy the homes designed by such architects as Richard Neutra, Ray Kappe, Dean Nota, Patrick Killen, Grant Fitzpatrick, Louie Tomaro, Larry Peha and Michael Lee.
If night life is your pleasure why not take in a show at Hermosa Beach’s Comedy and Magic Club. This spot is world famous for hosting such rookie comedians as Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Gary Shandling, and Rosanne Barr. You can expect to be dazzled by little known comics and magicians who will later be famous. Take time to see the exhibits of Charlie Chaplin’s Clown outfit, Jerry Seinfeld’s puffy shirt, Oliver Hardy’s giant pajamas, Bob Hope’s hat, Mike Myer’s Austin Power Man of Mystery suit, Robin Williams’ bumper car from “Toys” and Eddie Murphy’s Nutty Professor shirt and suspenders.
Downtown Hermosa Beach also has notable restaurants and nightclubs. Try the food at Chef Melba’s, Hot’s Kitchen, Pedone’s Pizza, Mama D’s, Zane’s, La Playita, La Campagna or Sushi Sei. Rock the night away at Hennessey’s, Saint Rocke, Patrick Molloy’s and the Lighthouse.
If you fancy a shopping stay-cation then downtown Hermosa Beach offers many options. Walk or bike the streets. Browse the windows of Seymour’s Jewelers, Luna C, or Oliovera at the 200 Pier Ave. building. Check out Spyder, Pier, Jack’s, E.T., and Becker surf shops. South on Hermosa are Yak & Yeti. No shopping trip is complete without Buzz Pop Candy Shop for their pop rocks, giant gummy bears and salt water taffy. While you’re there, try Squamscot Sarsaparilla or Dr. Brown’s Diet Cream.
If you enjoy theater take in the opera or a Shakespeare play at the five-hundred-seat Hermosa Beach Playhouse or see one of Angelo Masino’s plays at Second Story Theatre.
Looking for some exercise, visitors are welcome to come and lawn bowl at Clark Stadium on Valley Drive in Hermosa Beach. Games are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:45 a.m. and on Saturday at 9:45 a.m. All you need are flat-soled shoes.