[~MoonGypsy~]

The Realtor called just now and said everything was set to go! Yay!!

So we will be moving in our very first house with no roommates or other people to dictate what we do with our surroundings. Well, except my mom but she's so mellow nothing would phase her.

What would be the first thing you'd do to make your house your own and green? Oh, keep in mind it's a rental. What would you do to remove the toxins left behind by previous tenants? (I know, sucks, but better then an apartment).

So far I know I need to:

Set up a clothes line - I haven't be able to line dry in years!
Check for ways to insulate better.
Get a shoe station together - No shoes in the house!
Think of ways to cover/dress the west windows. - Full afternoon AZ sun.
Ask if we can install a security door at our expense. - So we can turn off the A/C and not worry about babes breaking loose.

Take a bath in the huge bathtub!

The backyard is completely gravel, would there be an easy way to setup a garden bed without hurting things too much? I'd have to be able to remove all evidence in one or two years.

Also, how do you feel about introducing yourselves to the neighbors? It's never done here but I was wondering if maybe I should give it a try.

O! One more! Where is a good source of organic/hemp/soy/etc curtains, linens, decor and whatnot? This place has ton of windows.

Wow, could I have possibly asked anymore run-on questions?

 

[crl]

For insulation, you might be able to get your utility company to come out and do an energy audit. If so, they can give you ideas for improving insulation/decreasing your utility bills.

For gardening, you might be best off container gardening. Easy to take it all with you when you leave and no need to try to improve the soil, etc in a temporary place. Plus, that would make it easy to be sure you have an organic environment--assuming you plan to grow some food and that matters to you. The container gardening forum at www.gardenweb.com might be helpful.

For a shoe station, we use an old jelly cupboard--I consider antiques recycling! So you might have luck in thrift/antique stores.

Congratulations on your new place!

 

[snozzberry]

I don't know if this is what you meant, but the first thing I would do is paint every wall with no-VOC paint. Are you allowed to paint in the rental? Painting is such a pain once you have all your furniture in, so if you can paint before you move in, it goes so much quicker.

Fresh air does wonders for cleaning out the toxins in inside air, so I would leave the windows open for a full day before moving in and then on a regular basis after that. (We have an attic fan, which is great for bringing in fresh air!) I think indoor air can be something like 20 times more toxic than outside air.

For introducing yourself to neighbors, what we've done is bake some muffins or bread and bring them over and say hi. It's hard not to get off on the right foot when you're giving away baked goods.