Value Hunter : It's easy money - Quick ways to stretch the budget

In the Value Hunter column in today’s Australian national Sunday newspapers, Jane Hansen provides some hints and tips about quick and easy ways to make money – including the following snippet about SpaceOut :

If you have any spare space like a spare room, sunroom, shed or garage, you could earn a lazy $100 a week by putting it up for rent as space.  Lots of travellers like a place to store their stuff and commercial storage is getting expensive.

It’s a tenant without the hassle says Roget Hawley, who told Value Hunter a few months ago that he had a two-car garage in Brisbane’s north-side, but with only one car, and decided to offer the space for rent on www.spaceout.com.au.  It’s now earning him $180 a month.

Today’s article is a follow-up on a piece that Jane Hansen did in August this year where SpaceOut was featured on Value Hunter’s “Cash in Your Spare Space” article.

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Aussie Homes are now the Biggest in the World

It’s official – Australian homes are now the largest in the world – more 6% bigger than the average US home and amazingly – nearly three times larger than the average home in the UK.

Data released yesterday by Commsec shows that over the last 20 years, the average size of a home in Australia has increased by more than 30%.

The houses are emptier too, with the number of people in each home gradually declining over the last 100 years because of a trend towards smaller families.  This trend has only just started to change, with the number of people to a dwelling rising slightly last year – the first time it has done so in over a century.

However, with the increase in house sizes, there appears to be a corresponding increase  in rental costs.  A report from BIS Shrapnel has  also forecasted that rents are expected to spiral with a rise of 5% a year in most capital cities over the next few years.

So, if you (like many Aussies apparently) are living in a large home  and have more space than you know what to do with, now is a prime opportunity to cash in on it.  You can convert that empty,  unused, or spare  space into a regular extra income – simply advertise your space for rent, make some extra cash, and provide an opportunity for someone else in your community to save money on storage costs.

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What's the Best Gift you can think of?

I was brainstorming on the ideal gift the other day – and all sentimental value aside – guess what I decided would be the best thing anyone could get… a passive income!

I mean, just think about it… you as the receiver just suddenly have cash flowing in that you didn’t otherwise have – without having to do anything for it.  And I don’t even think the amount is all that important, just the fact that each month or week, you have kind of free money that you wouldn’t otherwise have.

It might stop you going further into debt if that’s where you’re headed, or it might mean you can afford a new monthly luxury that you didn’t have the capacity for before hand.

As fantastical as this may sound, these days you can give this gift, or at least a very good chance of it.  Tell your friends and family about SpaceOut.com.au.  It is total no-brainer income.  How happy will one of your friends be if they start making a few hundred a month just because you told them how to use that spare space.  Go on, it’s too easy.

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Money for Jam (Final Episode) - SpaceOut, Kids Jobs, Washing Powder and Small Business Ideas

Well it’s been a while coming, but SpaceOut finally made it on to the final Money for Jam Episode in this series.  Episode 8 went to air – Wednesday night (4 November), with the final round of tips on how you can  make or save  a little extra money.

This episode featured SpaceOut in a story about some innovative Small Business ideas for making money. Paul Clitheroe, one of Australia’s leading media commentators on financial issues said :

“One Idea that I really like is SpaceOut.  I love this idea of making money out of things that we already own.  SpaceOut is a website where you can list a spare bedroom, an empty garage, or a farmer could even list an empty paddock for animals for agistment.  It’s kind of making money out of nothing – that’s got to be a really good idea.”

The Final episode also included stories about :

• Making your own Washing Powder - is easier than you think and a way to save a packet on your laundry costs
• Kids Jobs – becoming a referee for their favourite sport – or busking can be a great way for kids to make money
• Family Daycare – ever thought about setting up your own Family Day care centre ?
• Small Business Ideas – setting up your own small business (like SpaceOut) can be a fabulous way to make some extra money

We are excited to see that SpaceOut has once again been recognised as a great way for ordinary Australians to make some extra money (by renting out unused space in your home and business) or saving money (by finding cheap and convenient space to rent).

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Brisbane CBD Fringe Free Parking to Go

There will be a dramatic increase in the number of parking meters in Brisbane’s inner city under Brisbane City Council plans to push out free parking from the CBD’s fringe.

Brisbane inner city suburbs including Herston, Kelvin Grove, Bowen Hills, Teneriffe and Newstead are to be targeted.  The overhaul would see the number of parking meters increase by 240% from 3750 to 9000.

The council’s Labor Opposition has labelled the expansion plan a “grab for cash”.  Labor’s Cr David Hinchliffe said “What is unstated is that this is about parking meter revenue and reducing the number of parking permits that will exempt residents from having to pay for meters. That is what it is all about”.

In the 2008-2009 financial year, 2900 Brisbane parking meters earned $7.5 million. Since July, about 800 more meters have been installed in the inner-city. About 5200 new meters would be added under the changes.

Residential Parking Permit  rules change

There is also expected to be a tightening of the current residential parking permit scheme, which gives exemptions to city fringe residents who do not have access to off-street parking.

Currently, about 19,000 parking permits are issued to residents, most of them in the suburbs of Woolloongabba, Dutton Park, West End, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Kangaroo Point and St Lucia.  Residents can apply for one residential parking permit and one additional permit.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the current permit system – which allow residents to park on inner-city streets without having to pay parking meters or pay parking fines – was being abused, with some permits were being photocopied, given to neighbours and sold for up to $10 each.

The council is also facing pressure in a number of inner-city suburbs with commuters from outer suburbs driving into the inner-city before catching public transport to the CBD.

Under the suggested changes, residents of inner-city Brisbane will need to prove that they the homeowner or renter with a tenancy agreement of more than six  months. They will also have to provide a current vehicle registration certificate and  need to demonstrate that they do not have enough room to park off the street.

A Golden Opportunity for SpaceOut Members

The proposed increase in parking meters and changes to the rules for residential parking permits are certain to make it much more difficult to find parking spots close to Brisbane city.  This presents a fabulous opportunity for residents to rent out parking spaces, that they are not using and turn their unused space into cash.

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SpaceOut - Finalist in SmartCompany Best Web Awards 2009

If you think your website is humming along quite nicely, it might be time to think again – the inaugural SmartCompany Web Awards highlight exactly what you’re up against.

SmartCompany Web Awards 2009

The SmartCompany Web Awards were designed to show just how good small business websites could really be.  There were more than 200 entries, from small and large businesses – Australia wide.

We were very pleased to learn that despite very heavy competition – against much larger businesses and websites that have been established for considerably longer – SpaceOut made it into the finals and was considered to be one of the top 3 Best Small Business Websites.

SpaceOut makes it to the finals

We are pretty proud with what we have achieved already (in such a short time)  with SpaceOut – and whilst we knew that we had a great idea, a cool website,  and offered a fabulous service, it is still very satisfying to get this type of recognition. This is a great pat on the back for us and inspires us to forge ahead with our plans, and make the site and  service that we offer even better.

We are also excited to be able to prove that it really is possible for relatively small start-up business to compete with big businesses that have considerably larger budgets. When it comes to great websites, it’s not necessarily how much money you spend but how you spend it.

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SpaceOut Space for Rent - in the News

SpaceOut’s reputation for providing a new and innovative alternative for renting space is growing, and has started to get more exposure in the media and online.  We’ve listed below links to a few of the recent articles and some of the places we have been getting recognition online :

• Inside Self Storage – Hot News
  SpaceOut Conducts Survey of Australia Self-Storage Prices, Reveals Results
  Provides a summary of our Australia wide Self Storage Price Survey
  
• Money for Jam Blog
  Money tight? – Now you can make it out of thin air
  It is now possible for average Aussies to make real money out of unused space in their homes or businesses by renting it out as storage.
• Lifehacker Australia
  Storage Priciest In Sydney, Cheaper From Independents
  It’s no big surprise that renting storage space costs more in Sydney ($800 per month for a garage-sized space) than anywhere else. But it might surprise you to learn that independent storage providers are generally cheaper than national chains.
• Optus Business Biz Think Tank – Featured Business of the Month
  The Optus Biz Think Tank showcase a different business every month that have used a mix of innovation and technology along the way.  SpaceOut is the featured business for Oct/Nov 2009.
• Low Budget Prosper
  Crisis business idea – renting storage space
  Seems like a perfect crisis business idea… paying for unused office space or ignoring the opportunity to earn money by renting spare space or a parking spot is truly impractical. This business idea just hast to be successful!

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Money for Jam : Episode Six - Garage Sales - Money from Pets - Scrap Metal

Money to Jam Episode 6 (two more to go)  went to air – Wednesday night (21st October), with  another batch of tips on how you can  make or save  a little extra money.

The 6th episode included stories about :

• Garage Sales – an age old favourite – and a great way to clear out the things you no longer sue (and make some money)
• Money from pets – training your pets for film or TV can be very lucrative
• Any Old Iron ? -  You can make some extra cash by collecting and selling scrap metal

Remember that one of the easiest way for you to make money is by renting out unused space in your home and business.  You can earn $200 or more (that’s over $2,000 a year) by turning your wasted space into cash – now that really is Money for Jam.

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Money for Jam : Episode Five - Booming Business - Community Garden - Money Tips for Kids

After a couple of weeks break (to make way for the Hey Hey it’s Saturday Specials) Money to Jam Episode 5  went to air – Wednesday night (16th October), with  another round of tips on how you can  make or save  a little extra money.

The 5th episode included stories about :

• Business is Booming – despite the economic downturn some business are still doing very well.   Businesses (such as SpaceOut) that provide cheaper or smarter alternatives are booming
• Community Gardens – not only provide a source of cheap healthy fruit and veggies – but also encourage you to interact socially with other members of your neighbourhood
• Extra and location work – can be a lucrative and fun way to make money
• Teaching your kids to save money – is a great way for them to learn the value of money and could encourage them to be the entrepreneurs of tomorrow
• Talented Kids – find out how talented kids can make money

Remember that one of the easiest way for you to make money is still by renting out unused space in your home and business.  You can earn $200 – $300 a month (or more) by turning your wasted space into cash – now that really is Money for Jam.

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Families still struggling to make ends meet

Despite an apparent turnaround in the economy, in the first half of this year one in five Australian families have still had difficulties paying their bills and many have been forced to seek help from family and friends during the economic crisis.

A new Australian Government report released yesterday, reveals that a frightening number of Australians suffered financial pain in the first six months of this year.

The survey of over 1600 families found more than a third considered themselves financially worse off in the six months to June 2009.

• 1 in five families reported levels of hardship that meant that made it hard for them to pay their utility bills.
• Of the families unable to pay their rent or mortgage on time, nearly 80 per cent were suffering this way for the first time.
• Of those who had gone without food, 70 per cent had not experienced this before.

Coincidentally, the government survey was released on the same day Anglicare Australia released its annual State of the Family report. The Anglicare report also highlights that Families have been under increasing pressure because of rising costs.

Families are using a variety of strategies to save money and reduce their costs including :

• One in 10 is putting off plans for a new job
• Five per cent have put off having a child until the economy improves
• Five per cent have postponed their wedding celebrations in order to save money
• One in three is travelling less
• One in four is spending more time with the family
• One in five is planning to grow their own vegetables

Obviously SpaceOut also offers a great option for many struggling families – to either make money by renting out unused space in their homes – or to save money on self storage costs.

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Turn Your Castle into a Cash Cow - How to Make Money from your Own Home

SpaceOut was featured in – Turn Your Castle into a Cash Cow on tonight’s  A Current Affair program on Channel Nine.

The story covered a range of opportunities to make money out of your home.

• House Swap – If you’re planning a holiday, you don’t have to necessarily pay out of your own  pockets for accommodation.  You could save money on accommodation and car hire as well by doing a house swap.

• Make Your House a Star – You could earn up to $5,000 a day by renting your house out for filming of television commercials, series or film production.

• Renovate and Reap the Rewards – Effie Zahos from Money Magazine says investing in some construction work on your house can make the value soar. “Dropping in $5,000 to tart up your place could actually get you around $25,000 return,” she says.

and of course

• Rent Out Your Space – Rent out unused space in your home or business (or farm) and turn it into cash – making money from nothing has never been so easy.  You can Register for free and Create your own Listing - Right Now.

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Money for Jam : Episode Three - Boarders, House-sitting & Franchise Opportunities

Money to Jam Episode 3 went to air Wednesday night (16th Sep), with yet  another round of hints and tips on how you can easily make (or save) a little extra money.

The 3rd episode included stories about :

• Boarders and House-sitting – make money by taking in foreign students or save money on rent by looking after someone else’s house while they are away.
• Franchise Opportunities – there are currently over 800 different franchise opportunities available in Australia – covering a huge variety of business types
• Glam Van – an innovative Sydney based business providing a mobile Hair Styling & Make up service

Remember that one of the easiest way for you to make money is still by renting out unused space in your home and business.  You could earn $200 – $300 a month (That’s more than $3,000 a year) by turning your wasted space into cash – literally making money from nothing.

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Money for Jam : Episode Two - Promo Work, Community Spirit & Burlesque

Money to Jam Episode 2 went to air Wednesday night (9th Sep), with another batch of hints and tips on how you can easily make (or save) a little extra money.

The 2nd episode included stories about :

• Promotional Work – wearing a silly costume around to promote or advertise a product or business could earn you $20 an hour
• Sorting through other peoples Junk that they’ve placed out at the kerbside cleanup is a fantastic way to convert rubbish into cash
• Getting together with your neighbours can create a vibrant healthy community and presents an opportunity to share costs for things such as babysitting, and buying fruit and vegies in bulk.
• OK so Burlesque is maybe not for everyone, but it’s certainly a different way you could earn an extra income.  Have a look at your own “special” skills and see what you may have to offer

Remember that one of the easiest way for you to make money is still by renting out unused space in your home and business.  You could earn $200 – $300 a month (That’s more than $3,000 a year) by turning your wasted space into cash – literally making money from nothing.

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Aussie Farmers rave about SpaceOut Opportunities

As one of the 3 mates that helped start www.SpaceOut.com.au , it’s fantastic to see people benefiting from this new service. Sure, people in the city have taken to us like ducks to water however; we are discovering many other communities love the concept as well.

On Saturday night I was at my Brother in law’s farm for his 30th, and he was telling all his farming mates about www.spaceout.com.au  . I was not saying too much – just letting Rick tell his farming mates about us and to my surprise they loved the concept! Of course they share their neighbor’s space all the time for stock agistment (you pay to have stock on someone’s paddock), share cropping, machinery and produce storage. However, they rely very much on word of mouth and their own contacts.

My brother in law Rick said – “I could think of a heap of ways that SpaceOut could help me.
• I have storage for hay and grain on this place.
• At times I have a heap of feed for agistment.
• At certain times of the year I am looking for places to store my gear when I go around doing contract harvesting.
• If someone in town has a caravan or motorhome they need to park in a shed I have the space”.

As the conversation went on they all chimed in with ideas. Stables for horses…”I have a spare couple of stables said Peter from up the road”. I might find a close Shearing Shed when I need one. Someone from town could store there boat here and on they went.

www.SpaceOut.com.au is all about community pulling together to make and save money. Farmers are great community-minded people.
I reckon farmers could really get a lot out of this service. SpaceOut is still free, so now is the time to get on board.

Nathon

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SpaceOut Social Media Release

andy@spaceout.com.au has sent you a SpaceOut Social Media Press Release.

 Money for Nothing!

 Home and business owners can earn money for nothing by renting out space
Home and business owners can earn money for nothing by renting out space with SpaceOut
Click here http://pitch.pe/24394 to access your release or copy and paste the link into the address bar in your web browser.

 Andy Henderson

 SpaceOut
http://www.spaceout.com.au
andy@spaceout.com.au

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Great Way to Store your stuff while you travel

Here is a great low-cost storage option that anyone planning on traveling overseas for an extended period should be aware.

Spaceout is a free service that helps people that need to store there gear whilst they travel OS to find someone who has a spare room/garage who is able to store it.  With this service you can store your gear at a much more affordable rate than traditional storage - and use the money you've saved to travel a bit longer.

If you are planning a trip and need somewhere to store your things then check out www.spaceout.com.au for a cheap and convenient storage option. Or, if you've just returned from your travels, and need to scrape together some cash for the next trip, you can rent out a spare room, garage or shed for storage, make a bit of cash and help  help out a fellow traveler.

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SpaceOut featured in Value Hunter column of Australian Sunday papers

SpaceOut was featured in today's Sunday Newspapers (Australian Wide) in the highly regarded  Value Hunter section.  Value Hunter is a consumer advocacy column that has been appearing since the beginning of 2009 in all News Ltd Sunday newspapers. The Value Hunter Column provides useful, simple, and  practical information about how to make and save money.

See a copy of the “Money for Nothing” article on the Space for Rent Blog by SpaceOut.

The Value Hunter Article provides info on  a variety of SpaceOut members who are already benefiting by renting out (or renting) Storage and Parking Spaces through SpaceOut.  The list includes :

·         a guy from Brisbane making $180 a week (that’s  over $2k a year) by renting out a part of his garage for storage

·         a bloke from Sydney renting out an unused  bedroom for storage – and making and extra $280 a month ($3,360 a year)

·         an apartment owner in Brisbane CBD advertising his parking space (which he does not use during the day) for $320 a month – earning money while he is away at work !!

·         a Brisbane recruitment consultant saving over $400 a month by using a parking space she found through SpaceOut

The unique service being offered by SpaceOut is awesome – find out more about renting Storage, Office or Parking Space

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Shared Office Space Available for Rent - Northcote, Victoria

Creative office/studio space in downtown Northcote

Are you looking for a highly professional, well presented space that gives your creativity room to breathe?  Then welcome to 19 Eastment St, Northcote, Melbourne.

Mono Design is a Melbourne-based graphic design and copywriting studio that has been running since 1996, and have operated out of their Northcote studio since 2004.

The space for rent is  a shared creative office / studio space which is available  right now.   On a practical level this fully renovated, open plan studio in downtown Northcote will provide you with:

• a large desk to call your own
• fully networked environment including ADSL 2
• plenty of storage
• well appointed meeting room
• kitchen
• a large upstairs communal space
• price includes all bills except phone

Ruth from Mono Design had this to say about Spaceout : “Wow! You are so responsive and have way exceeded any expectations I had . It really is rare to get such good customer service … Much appreciated.”

If you have unused space in your home and business, or are looking for Office Space, Storage Space or a Parking Space to Rent – you can Make or Save Money on Space Rental with SpaceOut.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Money for Jam - Simple ways to make Money for Nothing

In September, Channel Nine will be broadcasting a brand new television series called “Money for Jam”  that’s all about ideas on how to put more money back in your pocket.

As you are probably aware the saying “money for jam”  means easy money. Your “bread and butter” relates to your regular income and “the jam”, is a bonus on the top – quick cash that makes life so much sweeter.

Money For Jam promises to offer plenty of easy advice and money-making tips to leave you feeling excited about just how easy it can be to save and make your money go further.

Remember on your quest to either make or save money, that advertising your office, parking or storage space through Spaceout also gives you a great opportunity to get Money for Noting or Save Money on Office, Parking or Storage Space..

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Melbourne has 1.3 Million unused bedrooms !!

Right now, there are 1.3 Million bedrooms in Melbourne that are not being used. This accounts for nearly a third of all bedrooms in Melbourne, and highlights what a massive opportunity there is for these home owners to convert that unused space into an extra income.

If you have an unused bedroom in your house – you could convert it into a regular income by renting it out for storage – find out how to rent out your space now.

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Money Tight? – Now you can make it out of thin air

These days, with increased petrol prices and a higher cost of living, most of us are finding it a little harder to stretch our budgets. If you are struggling to keep up with the mortgage payments, or keep the car running, or if the prospect of a holiday is simply out of the question – how much of a difference would an extra couple of thousand dollars a year make ?
It is now possible for average Aussies to make real money out of unused space in their homes or businesses by renting it out as storage. A spare room, a garden shed, an unused garage or office, parking space, wasted space under your house, or even an empty wardrobe can all be easily harnessed to earn you an extra regular passive income – literally making money out of thin air

People from all over Australia – some in your own town or suburb, and maybe even your own street - are already doing it right now, and if you have some unused or empty then you can probably do it too.

A new free service called SpaceOut (launched earlier this year) is a whole new business concept which provides Australian Home and Business owners with an opportunity to turn their spare (wasted) space into a regular passive income. In these times of financial uncertainty and increased living costs, an extra $200 a month (or more) would certainly be a help to most of us.

To get started, all you need to do is create a Space for Rent listing on www.spaceout.com.au and people looking for space in your local area, can search and find your listing. A simple search shows listings on a map, making it easy to identify spaces in or near a specific area.

If you are looking for storage, office or a car parking space, and there is nothing currently available to match your specific needs, you can even create your own Space Wanted listing.

“The idea just popped into my head” says Damon Russell – one of the founders of SpaceOut. “I was visiting a mate before I went Overseas, and noticed his garage was half empty. I asked if I could store my stuff with him while I was away and he said Sure! My next thought was – Hey, wouldn't it be great if everybody could do this... and SpaceOut was born.“

Already the site has been a resounding success, with hundreds of listings for Office, Parking and Storage space Australia wide. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with most people commenting on what a great concept this is - often followed with the words “Why didn't I think of that!”. With membership and listings growing fast, SpaceOut is looking like becoming one of the big internet success stories of the year.