Baby Gates - Payne,OH

I really like my wall-mounted gates... can't remember the brand or model, but they were about $25 at Babies R' Us. I think it would be difficult for a little kid to open (and especially close) ANY pressure-mounted gate. You could always just fill in the holes with putty and re-paint when you get ready to move (if you install wall-mounted gates).
You could also re-think the location of gates. For example, can your 3-year-old open the bathroom door? If so, you might just plan to use the door rather than putting up another gate. What I did when my girl started getting mobile was go through and "baby-proof" as much as I could. All nick-nacks off of lower tables, block all outlets and power cords, get in the habit of NOT putting drinks/food within reach, etc. Start teaching her what she can not touch, keep toys around the house as easy distractors (when she does start getting into things she's not supposed to).
In my house, the gates were to keep her out of the kitchen (danger & dirty) and to block off the hallway (bedrooms & bathroom--where we kept litter box, cleaning stuff, etc). Now that she is 15 months old, I only use the kitchen gate when I am cooking and don't want her underfoot (she knows not to go in the cabinets or trash). And, the hallway gate is used on weekend mornings to keep her IN the bedroom area (so I can sleep in). We just keep the bathroom door closed and the cat's stuff (litter box & food) is kept blocked off in a corner so she can't get to them.

Good luck!

The best baby gates I've seen are those that screw into the wall. The ones that use pressure are much more difficult to use.

Have you thought about something like a kid corral?
Here's an example: http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

Just looking at their site, there are several different versions, and you may be able to find something that accommodates both kids.
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

Something we did was to take a board, upholster it with batting and fabric and place it between things so we could slide it. It kept the little ones from getting past and allowed the older one to come and go (because they understood the process of sliding it)

I have found a baby gate that I liked and it works for both kids. It is made by Safety First. I found it a Wal-mart. It was very easy to install and the older kids could open and close it, but it also keeps the littler ones where you want them. This one you do not have to mount anything to your walls or door frames. You might look there or online at www.walmart.com. I have found that if it is not in the store, it is online. They even offer the site to store as well.

I would put all of this information on Craig's List and see what you can come up with. I got a really nice gate for $10 on that site.

We've used plastic North States Babygates for years now. They are sold at Wal-mart http://www.walmart.com/ip/North-States-Supergate-III/1132... and they have pet play yard that we used at a playpen for our girl when she was younger. We have three now and they were pretty cheap and have worked wonders. They are pressure secure-able and should be easy enough to open and close for your older child.

can you put one across the hallway instead of in the doorway? that might allow the 3yr old access to the bathroom but not the rest of the house.

we never did gates at home, just closed bedroom/bathroom doors, toilet seats down, child locks on cabinets, and electrical outlet covers... However, at my MIL's who watches my kids, she put a homemade gate at the stairs and arranges furniture to block other things, like the exit on the patio. The homemade gate is a sheet of wood held on with a hook & eye on either side (you'd have to fill the holes from the hook screwed in the wall though).

If you have knobs on cabinets then you can buy safety locks that slip over the knob or use rubberbands or toy links...

good luck, fun times!