Hi all! If you are interested, I have published a downloadable e-book titled "Common Sense Organizing" by Orderly Manor. Check it out by clicking this link to Lulu. Hope you take a look!
By Patty McPherson GateHouse News Service Posted Apr 23, 2009 @ 02:25 PM Last update Apr 23, 2009 @ 02:27 PM
Springtime is upon us. The flowers are blooming; the birds are singing; and, yes, we're spring cleaning.
Whether it's inside or out, the warmer weather makes us itch to declutter, tidy up, purge and scour and beautify.
But cleaning and organizing are two different things. Organization is more long-term and systematic. Springtime is a great time to not only clean, but get organized as well.
The financial costs of disorganization can really mount up: missed opportunities and savings, late fees, items left unused and spoiled, plus buying unneeded duplicates. By keeping things in predictable places or arranging them in an orderly manner, you will be able to find them - and others can to, even when you're not there to show them.
Bottom line? The less stuff you have, the less you have to handle, move, clean and store.
"Lean and mean is easier to clean" is true. And it's something you can control. Maintenance is the key to keeping a home clean - but you have to keep up with it.
Here are some major principles of organization I use with my clients, time and time again. These "commandments" will help you to get organized when it comes to clutter, both at home and at work.
Handle it once
This rule applies to anything that requires you to read it (such as mail, invitations, kids' schoolwork) or decide what to do with it (marking it "action item" or "to file"). As long as you avoid saying "I'll deal with that later" and leaving things in limbo, you'll be more organized.
Put it away (and if it doesn't have a designated place, make one)
As an organized person you will come to realize that it is always easier to put something away rather than set it down "temporarily," creating a second and third step - actually remembering that you need to find it and put it away. Very often, these temporary homes turn into permanent homes. This is an especially important lesson to teach children.
Use labels
For kids (as well as adults), putting a label on something makes it official. Once a drawer has a label that says "socks" and a storage container is labeled "dolls," they become the official homes for these items. As long as everything has a clearly labeled home, the chance of items finding their way back to their homes become much greater. Avoid junk drawers and using the label "miscellaneous."
Be discriminatory with printed material
Be realistic about what you really want to read on a regular basis. Be brutal about keeping things you get in the mail and reading material you bought at the store. Use an upright magazine holder to contain periodicals and catalogs. And once it's full - purge!
Write it down The average person can only keep so many thoughts in his or her head, especially when there are distractions. When you must remember, write it down (in a planner or notebook). Don't put it off, because other thoughts are bound to take over and something will be forgotten. Plus, once it'd written down it becomes real and you're more likely to deal with it. Only two options: less stuff or more storage
Generally, increasing storage (i.e. building another room or closet or buying more furniture) is not always realistic or in the budget. It's better to start by reducing your inventory (purging) and then utilize your existing storage more effectively.
Here is my article recently published in my local papers for my column "got clutter?". Hope you enjoy!
Got clutter?: Staging a profit on your home
By Patty McPherson
Fri Dec 19, 2008, 01:08 PM EST
Trying to sell your home or thinking about doing so? It's a tough road these days for a lot of homeowners. But if you'd like a competitive edge, consider home staging.
According to the Real Estate Staging Association, home staging is "the process of preparing your property for sale bysetting the scene throughout the house to create immediate buyer interest in your property [by] highlight[ing] all the benefits - space, traffic flow, curb appeal and overall ambience.
The main benefit of hiring a professional to stage your home is that they will look at your surroundings with an experienced, tasteful and objective eye. They won't be attached to grandmother's antique table, nor will they have the same affinity you may have for that pink bathroom. They will be able to tell you which items should be removed or added, and how best to feature your home.
There probably isn't a single house that couldn't benefit from some design evaluation - even if it's simply some reorganizing, freshening up and clutter removal. Often, suggestions and changes from professionals can amount to significant increases in the bottom line profit when selling your home. StagedHomes.com, a leader in home staging services, cites an average of at least 3 percent increase in the final sales price for homes that had been staged, versus those that had not. On a $300,000 home, that's a $9,000 increase, and well worth the staging fees. Remember, when you are selling your home, you are concerned with how potential buyers are going to like it, not whether it is decorated in your taste. You are trying to appeal to the broadest audience and your country cow collection in the kitchen may only appeal to a small minority. Again, here is where a staging/redesign professional can help to market the potential of your house in a tough real estate market.
Even if you are not putting your house on the market, the staging principles can still be applicable.
One of my organizer/redesigner pet peeves is when clients place items and furniture around the perimeter of a room with lots of floor space in the center. I joke that, unless they are holding aerobics or dance classes in the room, all that empty space and air is unnecessary. You want a living room to be inviting and cozy, and clearly suggest where you want people to congregate. For a good conversation area, make sure the furniture is arranged so people won't be more than 10 feet apart. Hang artwork so it's connected with a conversation area, grouping, seating or vignette (i.e. lamp, side table, reading chair), not merely placed in the center of a large wall.
Rearranging a furniture layout and mixing things up in a new way allows you to look at the elements of a room differently, and during the process you may also purge, clean and reevaluate items. Nothing is set in stone, so you can move things around without commitment. Try new placement options: a sofa or cabinet at an angle; using the backside of a couch or desk to create a virtual wall or room divider; shifting furniture to see if a new layout will work. Start with what you'd love it to be, and then work backwards through what you can realistically do. Just see how something works in another spot or if you can shift things around to make a better design statement, allow for better traffic flow, or accommodate changing needs.
Do you spend a lot of time on the computer or reading? If you're like most people, a good portion of your day involves the printed word (certainly if you're reading this article). Add the daily influx of mail, numbers, dates, events, etc. we receive on the phone and in conversation, and we're talking information overload.
Be realistic about what you really want to read on a regular basis. Limit magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Be brutal about keeping reading materials you get in the mail and buy from the store. Use an upright magazine holder to hold periodicals and catalogs. And once it's full, purge. If you find an article or coupon in a magazine, rip it out then put the page in your "To Do" or action file; don't store away entire magazines for future reference. Do not put a magazine aside with the idea that you'll look at it again later and get to that task. That's how periodicals pile up. And you won't remember why you kept them. The same goes for catalogs: Almost every page has the Web address or company name on it, so you can always order an item later.
A popular guideline for reading materials is "one in, one out." When you buy a new book, choose an old one to donate or sell. Or share magazines or books with friends and family.
For your home or work computer, take the time to "unsubscribe" from unwanted e-mail sources (the link is usually on the bottom of the e-mail), instead of just deleting it. If the spam gets too out of control, consider changing your e-mail address. Bookmark Internet pages you want to look at later, but then make time to purge your "favorites" or delete Web sites you don't need anymore. I recommend reviewing, from time to time, how your files are set up on the computer and doing some sorting and purging (just like real de-cluttering). Sometimes I make too many sub-folders and it is like conducting an archaeological dig to uncover a document - too many layers. Highlight and move all your files back into the main folder or onto your desktop. Then look at the list, delete anything that's no longer relevant or not needed and see if more logical categories present themselves. You want to be able to find and access computer files just as easily as you would if they were paper in physical folders.
Keep in mind that successfully taming information overload involves organizing how you collect information.
Do you have a myriad of sticky notes, slips of paper and envelope corners with return addresses stuck into an old address book? If you cannot retrieve phone numbers or dates easily, this adds to the stress of information collection. An address book is essential, but you can have a classic tangible one or a contact database stored in your PDA or computer. You can make a list of Internet usernames and passwords to keep handy for when you're online. Takeout and delivery menus can be stored in sleeves of a 3-ring binder close to the phone and the kitchen. Don't forget an organizer's best friend - labels - for containers such as magazine holders and bins. The important thing here is that you are able to access the information when you need it in a place you can rely on. Treat the information you get at home as seriously as you would information at work. After all, the dates, paperwork, and reading you do may affect your whole family.
Patty McPherson is the owner of Orderly Manor in Plymouth, and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, the American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners and the Real Estate Staging Association.She can be reached at 774-269-6519 or by e-mail at patty@OrderlyManor.com.
Hi everyone! I am new to Active Rain, and still trying to figure it all out. Since I already have a blog that I post to frequently, I don't plan to do 2 blogs. But I can redirect you to my existing blog, and would love for you to view it. I write on lots of things related to organizing and home staging, and sometimes issues that come up as a Professional Organizer.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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