the house

How to Find Items Around the House That Could Be Sold on eBay

So you have decided to explore the possibility of earning a few extra bucks on eBay selling items from around the house. When determining which items are worth listing on eBay it is important to keep a few thoughts in mind that are frequently over looked. Consider the item you are trying to sell and the type of listing you want to use. Different listings involve different fees. How will you ship the item?

Many items seem to sell well for what seems like a reasonable price, but when you deduct eBay, PayPal, and Shipping fees, you may not net enough to make it worth your time. Keeping all of this in mind, a good general rule of thumb is to start a pile of items you think may interest other eBay users enough to make a profit.

Once your pile has been gathered sit down at your computer and start looking for same or similar items to try to estimate what yours may sell for. One good tip for carrying out this task is to use the "Advanced Search" button to the right of the standard search button. Using the advanced search will direct you to a page that will allow you to narrow your search by several parameters. In this case we want to select the check box next to "show completed listings" then enter our search term and hit enter.

Using this method, you will be able to discover items that are the same or similar to the item you are thinking about listing that have sold recently on eBay. Check the description of the item you wish to sell against the description of the item that has already sold. Make sure to pay more attention to the previously sold eBay listings that are most like the item you wish to sell. An example of this would be a cell phone that you no longer use. When searching for that model under completed listings, make sure that the sold phone you are looking at is with the meant for the same carrier, in basically the same condition, comes with mostly the same accessories, etc. A special note about this: in many cases a small piece of original packaging can make a large difference in the sale price.

Once you have researched items similar to yours, try to estimate what yours will sell for. In the earlier example of the cell phone, let's say that you conservatively estimate that your item will sell on eBay for around $50 with free shipping. Depending on the location of the buyer, the size of the packaging, and the accessories, manuals, etc. that you are including, you should expect to pay between 5-$10 for shipping, around $0.30 to list your item, $5 eBay final value fee, and about $1.50 PayPal funds handling fee plus packaging materials. Let's say about 12-$17 for this example. Your net profit is 33-$38. Not bad really. The phone is just sitting around, you don't use it any more, and where else are you going to find someone who wants to buy your cell phone besides eBay? So you decide to sell the phone and go to the next item in the pile. You continue to do this until you have determined which items will sell, and which items you don't think will be worth your time listing on eBay.

Before you start to list items on eBay, a few more important thoughts you should keep in mind, what format will you use to sell? Buy it Now, or Auction? How many days will you run your listing for? If you list your item as an auction, what will your starting price be? My personal preferred eBay Auction listing method is to list a 7 day auction on Monday evenings with a $0.99 starting bid, and no reserve. This can be a risky method for those less experienced with eBay though as minor flaws in your listing could cause your $50 phone to sell for 99 cents. Once you have listed your items on eBay, it would be a good idea to try to promote them.

Novice eBay sellers and experts alike are capable of making small mistakes such as spelling errors, or mis-categorizing and item. Making these mistakes will cause your item to receive far less traffic that it would otherwise because most buyers use narrow search terms to find what they are looking for. If the cell phone referenced above was a Nokia ba-1581 and you entered "nokia ba-1851", you could expect to see about 70% less traffic, and therefore usually a lower final selling price. To ensure high traffic and maximum selling price, most power sellers and other eBay Pros will utilize outside promotion services to promote their eBay listings. Nearly all of these services are free and are most commonly referred to as "Bump Sites" or some other sort of eBay promotional tool. One of the best auction bump sites to use is xbump.com which simply requires you to enter your item number into the box and hit submit. There are many other bump sites and it is recommended that you promote your listings on as many of them as possible to maximize the exposure your eBay item will receive.

My Dogs Own Place in the House

My kids have their own rooms, I have the kitchen (ha ha), my husband has the garage but where is my dogs personal space in our house? As anyone who has ever observed dogs knows, canines are very territorial. For our dogs to be healthy and have a sense of security dogs need beds. So, in order for dogs and humans to live together in one big happy family, we must keep a few things in mind.

In the same way that dogs become attached to their particular den in the wild, dog also claim ownership to their beds in our homes. Or, for those of us who don't have a dog bed, dogs usually commit to a certain couch, rug, or physical space in our homes. This space is a place of great security and comfort for your pet. They go there to rest, to hide, if he is scared, and even if they just need to be left alone. One of the many benefits of that place being a dog bed is that it's easy to move. When you need to be out of town bring the bed which will create an instant connection for your pet. They will immediately have a sense of calmness and peace.

As we are talking about being healthy, let's evaluate another reason that a dog bed helps us humans achieve healthiness. Many people are plagued with allergies often times from pet hair or pet dander. When your dog has his own bed the majority of the hair that he sheds will be left on the bed. This leaves your couches virtually hair free. When the pet bed needs to be cleaned you just remove the cover and wash it in the washing machine. Your house will be cleaner with the use of your dog bed.

Many pet owners don't set boundaries of where our animals can make themselves the most comfortable. Our dogs sleep on our beds, on the couches, in dads' favorite chair, just about anywhere they want to. After the purchase of your dog bed there is no longer an issue of where your pet will sleep. You may move the bed from room to room with you during the day. Or you simply assign the bed to a certain area of the house and that's where it stays.

Finally what are the physical components of having a dog bed for your dog? There are many types of beds to choose from so if your dog has any special health issues you can easily accommodate them. Older dogs, dogs with bone problems and also mobility issues tend to do well with an orthopedic dog bed. Memory foam dog beds are very popular and extremely comfortable for these types of dogs. Bolster dog beds, or a raised type of bed is a great choice for the cuddling type of dog. There is always the option of getting an outdoor dog bed for your pet to enjoy while your family is out in your yard.

Keeping everyone (pet included) happy in our homes is our top priority! Clearly establishing places for each of our animals to rest in fosters calmness in our home. So, keep on loving and cherishing your pet and they'll bring many happy hours of companionship to your family.

Stink Bugs In The House - 4 Tactics To Help You Win The War

As the summer approaches and temperatures rise, so is the number of people having troubles with Stink Bugs. There is nothing more annoying than looking at your house being infested in no time. I am constantly getting questions from readers asking for tips on how to deal with this annoyance.

Well, I was in the same situation in 2008-2009 wondering if there is anyone in this world that could actually help me solve my problem. Regrettably, this was the start of the infestation wave in the US, and I was not able to find much information on the internet or anywhere else.

Now the situation is completely different and you, my dear friend, can benefit from the experience of others.

Now let's move to the battlefield and explore the tactics for fighting the little buggers.

Tactic 1 - Explore The Battlefield And Enemy Formations

One common problem, which I notice with all my readers is that they do not look for a solution to the infestation until it is too late. Let me tell you - this is a war, and it is better when you are prepared for it.

Monitor the behavior of the Stink Bugs in and around your house. The first signs that you may get in trouble come from around your home. If you notice an unusually high number of the insects in your garden, on the grass or on the fruit trees, be sure that coming in your dwelling is just a step away.

Be alert and look for signs of Shield Bugs inside. If you notice just a few of them, do not simply kill them or throw them away, but do more. Explore your house and see if you can find more of your enemies. Then deal with them immediately!

Tactic 2 - Prepare Your Defense

It is a known fact that any kind of insects will get inside your home attracted by light. We see it every day during the summer. The mosquitoes, flies, wasps and Shield Bugs will do everything possible to go where the light is. When you open your windows at night, do not keep the lights on! I have definitely learned my lesson the hard way, but you can do it right now, before it is too late.

Buy insect window screens to prevent them from coming in. This is a simple yet a powerful tactic.

Seal any cracks in your house, which may provide a good hiding place and also an entrance path.

Tactic 3 - Prepare To Repel An Attack

Sometimes despite our efforts to prevent the Stink Bugs from coming inside, we can still miss something and end up with a home full of them.

I know that the easiest way you may see right now is to go to your local gardening store and buy all sorts of bug killing sprays. However, I have done it myself and was absolutely disappointed by the "effect" these chemicals had. What makes the Shield Bugs different from many other insects is their resiliency to the insecticides we can find on the market. You will spray them directly using the whole bottle of "Raid" and the little bugger will continue crawling like nothing happened.

I have found that the home-made solutions are working best. Remember you do not want to squash the bugs, as they release their horrid smell!

Dish soap and water solution works like a charm. Just mix it up in whatever proportion you find appropriate. I personally put more soap because I want to see them die fast! You can use some old bottle from a window cleaning agent with a spray to pour the solution in. Once done, go after the bugs.

I have also noticed that anything containing ammonia could be effective. Window cleaning fluids have ammonia. Spray directly on the Shield Bugs to kill them.

You may also consider using a dusting treatment. It has a long-lasting smell and seems to produce good results in fighting the infestation.

Tactic 4 - Fight The Guerrilla Units

In all wars, fighting directly on the battlefield is just a part of the whole "game". The hardest to overcome are usually the guerrilla units hiding and sabotaging you.

When you are dealing with an infestation in your home, you have to know that what you see is usually not the whole picture. The Stink Bugs have a hiding spot within your house, which is providing protection and conditions to reproduce.

Explore every corner of your "castle". Seek for dark and isolated places, which are good locations for a guerrilla base camp. Here are some possibilities:

• Attics
• Under or behind the furniture
• Old empty boxes
• Anything else you might think of

Once you locate them, use some of the methods explained in Tactic 3.

Getting rid of the Stink Bugs is much more than just killing the ones that you see. It is a complex task, but definitely not complicated. I know that if I have managed to deal with them, you will manage too.