Spring has sprung and we are all ready to come out of hibernation 🙂
Now is the perfect time to get your apartment residents to come together and participate in some resident events! Here are some suggestions to get neighbours together in your building.
Decorating:
Before the hunt begins, get your building into the festive spirit by organizing a decorating party. This is a perfect time to get everyone together in the spirit of a common goal – making the building look Easter-ready! This can be done weeks before the actual egg hunt itself. Some fun ideas include using baskets, fake grass, stuffed bunnies and colourful posters.
Scavenger Hunt:
It’s not just the hunt for chocolate eggs that create excitement! A good, old-fashioned scavenger hunt can really bring residents together. Put together a series of clues that involve finding various items throughout the building. The payoff at the end could be a piñata full of various Easter treats or gift certificates to a local toy store. Get creative!
Charity Drive:
A great way to bring residents together is by organizing a food drive or other event for a local charity. Residents can vote on which charity they would like to support (again, get that Facebook and Twitter page up and running for this very purpose!) and then you can hold the event. Bake sales are wonderful ways to raise a lot of money for a good cause and allow neighbours to meet each other in a welcoming environment. The charity drives can become a bi-monthly event in your apartment building, with a different charity being the recipient of your generosity each time.
Community Yard Sale:
Here are some tips from getrichslowly.org:
1. Be clear on the purpose of your sale. Are you selling things to make money or to get rid of them? This question affects everything you do, from how you price things to how willing you are to negotiate. (If your goal is to get top dollar, you should really be selling on eBay or Craigslist.)
2. A group sale is better than selling alone. If you can coordinate a weekend sale with your neighbors, you’ll draw more traffic.
3. Advertise effectively. Stick an ad in the newspaper. Put up a notice on Craigslist. Post clear, simple signs around the neighborhood. Make sure your signs are readable. It’s best to use big bold text like “HUGE SALE” with an arrow pointing the right direction.
4. Be prepared. Wear comfortable clothing. Have water and snacks at hand. Get plenty of one-dollar bills and a roll of quarters the day before. Move things out early. Good preparation will help things run smoothly.
5. Display items to their advantage. People will be more inclined to stop if you set up shop in your yard or driveway. Some folks are reluctant to enter a dark and dreary garage. Make your sale inviting and easy to browse. You can lure customers by placing highly desirable items near the road.
6. Think like a customer. As soon as you’ve opened and fielded the initial flood of shoppers, walk through your sale as if you were there to buy something. How does it feel? Are things clearly marked? Is it easy to move around? Are your books on the ground in boxes? Or are they placed neatly on shelves or tables? Would you pay $10 for that porcelain cat?
7. Do not bad-mouth your stuff. At one group garage sale, a friend consistently told customers what was wrong with the items they were buying. “Oh, that book is awful. That’s a terrible movie. That skillet doesn’t heat very well. That game is boring.” We sent this friend inside to drink beer ASAP.
8. Be willing to bargain, but be less flexible at the start. On the first day, you want to get as much as you can for each item. Most people will still buy Aunt Lucy’s soup tureen at $5 even after asking you to sell it for $3. If they’re bargaining, it’s because they want the item. Don’t be completely rigid, but don’t give your stuff away at the start.
9. Do not use a cash box. Carry your money with you at all times. Casual thieves and professional swindlers can both make off with cash boxes in an instant. Some people use a fanny pack or a zippered bank deposit pouch.
10. Have a plan for what you’ll do with your unsold merchandise. Some non-profits will pick up unsold stuff, so research this ahead of time.
Spring Bake Sale: If you have a bake sale coming up, here are a few tips for creating the most enticing items from thekitchn.com.
1. Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate. 
Sometimes the most obvious choice is the best one. Sure, it’s great to have variety, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned brownie.
2. More for Your Money. 
If you’re making cookies, make them smaller and package them with several to a bag. Buyers will feel like they’re getting a bargain.
3. Long Live Cupcakes. 
Think the cupcake trend is over? Think again. Don’t believe us? Just watch how fast they disappear from your bake sale table.
4. Go Vegan
. Vegan treats are sure to be popular, especially if there aren’t many other vegan options. But just because it’s not made with dairy or eggs doesn’t mean it needs to be super healthy. Vegans like to indulge too!
5. The Wild Cards. 
Now that we’ve made a few so-called “rules,” feel free to break them. We noticed at our first bake sale that some lavender cookies and rosemary shortbread were really popular with the male customers. We wouldn’t necessarily have predicted that, but that’s what happens when you think you have people all figured out – they surprise you.
A Few More Tips
:
When packaging your items, be sure people can easily see the goods. Avoid any large bows or stickers on the top of the package, because people will be looking down at the table as they shop. Also, if you’re using cellophane, don’t bunch it together at the top. It will look pretty, but you’ll hide your delicious treats.
Also, look for recipes that can be made a day or two in advance. It takes some time to package items individually, if you’re going that route, and you don’t want to have to do all the work at the last minute.
This is a wonderful time to bring everyone in your apartment building together – the sun is shining, the birds are singing and goodwill is in the air. Take advantage of this time of year and organize some of the events suggested above at your properties!
If you’re searching for Ottawa Apartments this Spring, visit Osgoode Properties!
The RentSeeker.ca Team
