Organizing Home Tips

Organizing your home is a tedious process that presents many obstacles. There may be times when the challenges appear to be insurmountable, but with the proper home organization plan, these challenges can be overcome. Several challenges faced while cleaning your house are creating a strategic plan, finding the right storage products and putting your items back into their proper location. Completing this process is a rewarding experience.

One of the greatest challenges facing the intrepid home organizer is finding time to take apart an entire household and put it back together with some semblance of efficiency. Many people tend to think that all housework needs to be completed at the same time; however, this is not the case. There is nothing wrong with working on the bedroom one day, and cleaning the kitchen a few weeks later. You can even follow this pattern until you clean the entire house. Each room should only take a day, and it can be relatively simply to set aside a day and time.

Another way to reduce the time spent organizing your home is to plan everything out. Take a day and go through your entire house with a pencil and paper. Take note of where everything is located and what can be improved. Draw a rough plan, and then remove each item as you begin organizing your house. This way, you should know precisely where every item is going to be stored. This simple preparation can save hours of work on each room, and in turn, it substantially reduces the amount of time needed to complete the process.

Another major problem faced by budding home decorators, is finding the right resources to properly organize the various items scattered throughout the living space. An investment in the best storage products for the job can turn even the smallest of homes into seemingly spacious abodes. Whether you are struggling with all of the small miscellaneous items that never seem to have a place to stay, or some major equipment from your favorite hobby, there is an organizational tool that meets your needs.

It is important to properly identify what your needs are. If you are an avid cook, then make sure you invest heavily in your kitchen organization, and do not worry as much about spending for the rest of the house. If you are a sportsman, or really enjoy working in your garden, then outfitting your garage with some of the best products should be a priority. However, do not waste your money on items that you are not planning to use. This scenario requires proper planning and inventory.

You do not need to know every item that you own, but you should have a good idea of what you are getting into before investing in storage products. In a broad sense, good storage devices should follow a few rules. The storage solution should allow for easy access to the items that they are holding. The items should also be easy to retrieve. Accessibility is crucial and quality containers or racks should be sturdy, durable, and easy to move around. Reducing clutter is one of the main reasons for getting organized in the first place and because of this you should find the best storage solutions for your home. If your storage containers make it difficult to get everything in order, your may need to rethink your organizational strategy.

Another problem that is often faced while organizing your home is when you begin moving your items around. This issue is the moment when you realize that you have forgotten something important, and have no simple solution. This is where a willingness to be flexible comes into play. Efficient systems are not inherently rigid and in many cases, the more rigid systems fall apart shortly after they are started. This is simply because if you miss one step, the entire process can fail. Be sure to build flexibility into your home. Do not buy just enough storage to cram everything in, because you want to stay organized during the cleaning process. Make sure to leave room for new items that you plan to purchase. Leave extra space for these anticipated purchases, and there may be things that catch you off guard. A flexible system is often the easiest to follow.

Having the efficient and organized home that you have dreamed of is within your reach. With good time management, planning, investment in storage devices and flexibility, even the most difficult projects can be completed in an efficient time frame. Remember to be patient with whatever system you choose, and patience is important for successfully organizing your home. Revising a solid plan is easier than trying to make a new one, and being willing to troubleshoot can save time, money and stress. You can overcome your home organizational problems by following these tips.
About The Author

Nick Kakolowski is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about DIY topics and home care, often focusing on a specific area such as home organization.

http://www.shopgetorganized.com

TAKE BACK YOUR SPACE! Letting Go of Your ‘Stuff’

If any of you have ever watched an organizing show or read a book on organization, the purge is one of the most heart wrenching things to do. Why is this? Why is a broken old vacuum cleaner so impossible to part with? Well, here is the main reason: We are emotionally attached to our things. How can we possibly give them up when they have served us so well? This is their house; they have lived in it all their lives. Can we just kick them out? That would be heartless, wouldn’t it? They hold so many fond memories – would they take them with them?

Please listen carefully (or read carefully I should say), YOU ARE NOT YOUR POSSESSIONS! They should not own you and your space! I am telling you now – TAKE BACK THAT CONTROL. Don’t let them bully you any more! Your house is your house; you’re paying the mortgage or rent, not ‘them’. They are taking up valuable real estate and cluttering up your life. The only things that should live in your space are things you need, use or love, and yourself and your family.

When you are ready to take back the control of your space, these are the questions you need to ask yourself about the things that are currently residing with you:

Do I need this? Be honest with yourself and do not answer that you might, maybe, someday need this. Do you need this now? Does this need to take up space in your house? Is it serving a purpose? I’m referring to things like irons for example. I do not love my iron and I don’t really use it too often, but I need to have one in the house for those special occasions when I need clothes to be wrinkle-free.

Do I use this? Again, honesty is the best policy. If you have things that you used to use but that are no longer serving you, then they can go. Those hot rollers that have sat in your linen closet for the past 5 years because you have short hair now and have no immediate plans to grow it long again, can probably go to someone who can use them. You can splurge on yourself for new ones if you ever do grow your hair long again. A good policy for most things is if you have not used it in a year then it can go, but you can decide for yourself what a comfortable time line is. The maximum time limit you should keep anything is no more than 2 years.

Do I love this? Here is the toughest question to decide on. We all love our ‘stuff’ because of the memories associated with that ‘stuff’. But keep in mind that you do not have to keep all your ‘stuff’ to keep the memories. There are ways to keep those memories alive without actually keeping the item. Pictures are a great way to keep things alive, and a picture of your favorite couch takes up much less space than the actual old, worn out couch sitting in your family room.

Anything that has bad memories associated with it should be let go. This will allow room for new and better things to come instead of holding on to the past. Surround yourself with things you truly love – things that make you feel good when you see them or use them.

Letting go of your ‘stuff’ is the hardest part of any organizing project. Allow yourself to mourn the loss of your ‘stuff’ but keep in mind the ultimate goal is that of regaining control your space. The freedom you will experience through this process will be life changing. I guarantee it!
About The Author

As the owner of Kaos Solutions, Kimberly Eagles works with residential and small business clients to assist them in regaining control of their space and time as well as training and educating new organizers in her area. As an active member of Professional Organizers in Canada, Kimberly is a part of the industry’s leading resources for professional organizing.

Kaos Solutions
RPO North End
Moncton NB
Canada
E1G2L5

Phone 1-506-850-1933
Email sales@KaosSolutions.ca
Website http://www.Kaossolutions.ca

Do you ever feel life is passing you by in a whirl wind of activities and personal drama’s? Do you wish for simpler days? That probably isn’t going to happen but what can happen is that you can reduce clutter and simplify your life just by making a few simple choices and maybe a couple of changes. As a professional organizer I suggest 6 organizing tips to reduce clutter and simplify our lives.

1. If you have a project you have been resisting doing and it keeps nagging at you then complete it now. By getting the hardest task or project done and out of the way you won’t have the worry of getting it done later and you will have the freedom of moving on to doing other things you would rather be doing with a clear conscience.

2. Do you get a plethora of paper coming into your home and your life on a daily basis? You can chose to stop unwanted paper from taking up your time, causing you stress and creating clutter. Get off junk mail lists. Proquo.com is just one of many companies that will remove you from unwanted mail lists. To find other companies that offer this service do a search on the Internet. I have reduced the amount of junk mail I receive by 95% by signing up to have my name removed from lists. Reduce the number of catalogs you are receiving and other unwanted mail.

3. Reduce clutter in your home, office and car. Having too much stuff causes stress because it takes time and effort to maintain it and it takes our attention away from other things we would rather be focusing on. It wastes our time because when we have clutter around we have to search for things we have but can’t find quickly. Donate, sell or give away unwanted and unused items. These are great ways to simplify space. We are not only helping ourselves but we are helping our family and others.

4. Getting rid of debt can reduce clutter if this is something that is on your mind and that you worry about. Or if you use your cards to purchase “stuff” because it is on sale or because it is a good buy or too cute to pass up and you have no need for it. Having less is one way to simplify.

5. Pay your bills on line and have companies send your statements over the internet rather than sending paper bills. This eliminates you having to use your time to write out a check, use an envelope and a stamp (which saves money) and put it in the mail box. Make a folder on the computer to send the notifications you receive when your financial institution notifies you that a bill has been paid. This is a great way to reduce clutter and simplify your life.

6. Instead of trying to remember everything you have to do in your mind use a planner. Take it with you everywhere you go. This will reduce clutter in your purse, car, on your desk, and on your kitchen counter as you won’t have those pesky little pieces of paper with notes and appointments stuck or lost all over the place.

Think of the benefits you receive when you reduce clutter and simplify your life. Keep your eye on the goal as you work towards simplifying your life.

About The Author

Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living.

Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.