spotter22's Profile

i've always had good luck with "I'll supply the labor, you pay for the materials". But i'm kind of handy so that was easy for me. I've stripped wall paper, painted, landscaped, torn up old floors etc. If the jobs are bigger than DIY, I think if you show your part of the investment and the fact that they will be retaining a good tenant for a long period of time, it might strengthen your case. I have threatened to withhold rent for things like way old/gross refrigerator etc...

I recently inherited a musty smelling love seat. The only thing that kills must and mold is the sun (or one of those expensive uv treatments). I took it out side in the bright sun on a very dry day. Actually I did this for 4 days rotating it so all the parts got sun. I also took the dust cover off the bottom so the sun could get inside. Then On one of the days I spritzed the hell out of it with vinegar water until the whole thing was damp. Then the following days I dumped boxes of baking soda on it and rubbed it into the fabric, later vacuuming it. I wouldn't say the musty smell is 100 % gone, but it made a HUGE difference. We also have a slip cover on it which helps I think.

I was thinking the stepped idea too. I do that in my kitchen cabinets and it's great to easily see what is in the back. you could then store the books on the higher back shelf and still have a nice display area in the front of each shelf. You could get really fancy building boxes, or just get some wood the depth of what you want and cut to length to fit in. stack the pieces to create different heights depending on what you are putting in each shelf.