Move Organizing Archives - Page 7 of 8

The Right Way To Organize For Your Move

At ClutterBGone we have taken on a lot of projects involving a move over the years. They start out as an organizing and downsizing project to get clients ready to move house. Then during the initial sessions the clients see the value and investment in hiring us to assist with not only the downsizing but with organizing the packing, the move, the unpacking, settling in and then setting up and organizing at the new home to make it efficient and functional from day 1.

So with moving season upon us I decided to let you know how best to organize for your move.

Three months before your move have the mover or the rental truck booked. Most important is to get references or a referral to someone you can trust. Summer is a busy time for moving as parents want to get their kids settled into a new school for the beginning of the school year.

Can you move early in the month or in the middle? There will be more availability as most moves are done near month end. If you are hiring a company get references and ensure everything is in writing.

At least 60 days before your move begin the job of sorting and paring down. You are going to be busy enough closer to move day than to be worrying about this task and why pay to have things moved that you are not going to need or use in your new home? You will also have a feeling of calm once you’ve moved into your new home without having that pile of stuff that you don’t know what you are going to do with.

30 days out is the time to ensure you have the correct supplies. Boxes can be ordered from your mover or purchased from a local moving supply company or even a hardware store. Three sizes should be sufficient. If you have hired a moving company you may want to inquire about wardrobe boxes and the cost for each. They are very handy for moving your clothes. You will also need a tape gun or two, good quality shipping tape, box cutters, lots of packing paper, bubble wrap and a few markers and labels.

3 weeks before your move make sure all of your change of address notifications are completed and start packing everything you know you will not need until after the move. As you get closer to the date you can pack more. Once the boxes are sealed mark the room to which they are to be delivered once you arrive at the new home so you are not slowed down. Use up the food you have in the fridge and freezer during this time as well.

Moving day. Pack a suitcase with incidentals in case you need anything during the day. If at all possible have someone look after the kids for the day as you don’t want the little ones under your feet during this hectic time. If at all possible have your own lock put on the truck once everything has been loaded so only you can open it at the other end. And finally, don’t stress it. Be thankful you don’t move very often.

If you are moving this year best of luck. And if you would love to be packed up, moved in and settled in all in a matter of a few days, give me a call and learn how we can make that happen, stress free, so you can enjoy your new home from Day 1!

6 Important Things to Consider When Packing & Moving To A Dorm

in Home Organizing, Move Organizing

So your child is leaving the security of the family home and taking up residence to attend school. Let’s wipe that grin off your face and talk about how to pack and prepare them for the move. Whether they are staying on campus or renting a room off campus, chances are they are going to have a lot less space than they currently do at home.

Furnished room?

Are they sharing the room with someone else? Is there a common kitchen? A shared bathroom? Now that that’s established let’s get started, Keep in mind that essentials only is the way to go. You can always add later with a visit from mom and dad or a trip to Walmart.

Dimensions

Try to get the room dimensions ahead of time in order to determine what can go and what cannot with respect to furniture – bed, table, desk, etc. Think small, streamlined and multi-functional.

Before the move, set up a staging area at home a month or so prior to start to organize what is going. There are 2 reasons for this: One, you can prepare for the move in advance and secondly a visual of what is planned to go can usually work as a visual to determine what is actually essential and what will stay at home.

Clothes

Most kids love their clothes and have a lot of shoes (even males now own a lot of “kicks”) but space is going to be at a premium. Pare it down to what they really need knowing that they will be coming home for occasional weekends and holidays so they can exchange clothing items or even trade the lighter clothing for heavier when the seasons change.

Do not pack into suitcases if you can help it. Once empty they are going to be hard to store in small quarters. Pack into garbage bags that can be repurposed later or tossed out. Garment bags will also work well. If sending along a small dresser, simply pack the items in the dresser, shrink wrap, and away you go.

Personal effects

For personal effects such as toothbrush, razors and the like make sure your child has a small travel bag to carry to the bathroom or even to store these items in. It is easy to carry, easy to identify and less likely to misplace these essentials.

Important documents and possessions

Don’t forget to send some small containers for change, jewelry and other small items that they may have so it all can be kept contained and organized.

Will they need a small safe for money, passport or other important papers?

Most importantly make sure that all prescriptions are up to date and they have sufficient quantity for the time they will be away.

Food & snacks

Send some storage bags so they can keep a few select food items in their room without the nuisance of the smell or bugs.

Many colleges also have a list of items to bring based on their type of accommodations. Check them out ahead of time. Moving from home to a temporary residence for school can be a stressful time for both them and for you, but a little bit of planning can ease the stress and create an organized move and transition to dorm life.

If you wish to learn more about how we can help with getting your child ready for this big step, or if you require assistance in reclaiming the space left behind, contact me here and we can chat.

6 Critical Questions You Should Ask A Professional Organizer

in Downsizing, Home Organizing, Move Organizing, Moving Seniors

Professional organizing is a growing business for a number of reasons. With most families having dual incomes there is more money people are able to spend on tasks they either don’t have time to do themselves, don’t have the skill or the physical ability or simply don’t want to do themselves.

We find that the majority of our clients are focused on spending whatever time they have available to do the things they really want to do and enjoy doing.

Also, many families are now downsizing to smaller homes as they get ready to retire and don’t have the knowledge or ability to downsize themselves. Many do not want to take things with them that they know they will no longer need.

Lastly, many older adults are transitioning from their own homes to community or retirement residences or transitioning to living with family and therefore require help with the downsizing, packing, space planning and the move. As this business grows, so too do the companies and individuals that provide the service.

We are always wanting to educate our current and potential clients so here are the top questions you should ask a Professional Organizer before you hire one.

1. What are your qualifications?

Here in Canada there is a professional association for professional organizers (PO’s) called the POC – Professional Organizers of Canada. Members are bound by their code of ethics to ensure that you receive trusted, confidential and committed service. Beware however that an individual can simply pay membership to the POC without having been trained so be sure you are hiring a PO that is in fact trained and has a good deal of experience and excellent communication skills. Having a background in either psychology or sociology is extremely helpful.

2. Do you have insurance?

Much like movers, Professional Organizers should carry their own liability insurance to cover accidents or damage however caused. Of course we are all careful in our work but you never know when an accident can happen and if it does you want to ensure that you and the PO are covered. After all, it is your home we are coming in to.

3. What is your pricing.

Make sure you have a complete understanding of what you are being charged and for what services. Some PO’s charge an initial assessment fee while others do not. An hourly or a job rate can vary but the least expensive quote may not be the best. Some PO’s charge less than others, but their working pace is a lot slower or they take frequent breaks so you actually end up paying more in the end. Some are just learning the ropes so their cost is lower as well but the outcome may not compare to that of an experienced organizer. Remember, you get what you pay for. In our business we like to say “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!” Attention Canadian casino enthusiasts! Searching for the perfect online gambling destination? Look no further. At https://casinosss.com we’ve curated a comprehensive guide to the best online casinos Canada has to offer. Dive in to find expert reviews, top-rated selections, and all the insights you need to elevate your gaming experience. Why gamble with your choices? Trust casinosss.com for the finest in Canadian online casino recommendations.

4. How many people are working on the project?

Some projects require one experiences lead organizer while others require an experienced assistant as well, or perhaps a team of organizers. Does the company you are contacting have these staff or do they put out a “cattle call” for helpers. At ClutterBGone for example, we have a dedicated team of professionals and don’t bring anyone on a project that we have not interviewed or trained.

5. How long have you been doing this?

I recently spoke to someone whose main occupation was that of a cleaning lady and she came upon an opportunity to make some extra cash to help a client “downsize”. It was an incredibly large project for someone with absolutely no experience as a PO. She called me looking for tips on how to help this client of hers and what to charge. From my chat with her it was obvious she had never done this before, was in fact quite judgmental with respect to the way the client was living and she lacked tactful communication. I was quite taken aback by how she spoke about her client. I did not think this person should at all attempt the project as I was quite concerned.

Without having the skills and training (note that simply being an organized person is not enough!) you can actually cause clients emotional pain. Like any other business it is difficult to get started and to get some experience under your belt but if you have a big job that needs to be done ensure that whoever does it is experienced.
6. Do you have references? You would be amazed at the number of people that are embarrassed to ask for references. Get three and call one or two. Be sure to ask them at the end if they would hire them again if required and if not, why not?

So those are the must ask questions when you are looking for a Professional Organizer to help with your project. Ensure they are insured, experienced and have references to back it up. If you have an organizational project and want to learn more about how we can help you, contact me here and we can chat.

5 Key Benefits of Moving To A Condominium

in Downsizing, Move Organizing

As many of us age we find that we’re looking at condominiums as an alternative to owning a larger home or as an alternative to moving to a seniors’ residence.

Condominiums are taking a bigger piece of the real estate pie recently, both with the young and the “not so young”. If you are in this particular category here are some key benefits to condominium ownership that you may or may not have thought of.

Less maintenance

There will be a lot less maintenance owning a condo, not only on the outside but the inside as well. No more grass to cut and trim, no more driveways to shovel and no more repairs to the furnace, siding or other unexpected expenses that come up.

There is much less maintenance on the inside as well due to decreased living space to clean or to repaint. If you love to tend a garden many condos now have roof top garden plots for you to grow your own vegetables or herbs or just to plant your favourite flowers.

Location

Many of us have left the hustle and bustle of the city and moved to a quieter area with a bit of property situated on a bit more than a postage sized lot. As we get older we appreciate being closer to theatres, restaurants and excellent health care. Most condos are now being built in the city within a short distance to all of these must have conveniences. Condos are being built in all areas of the major cities, not just in the downtown areas where all the action (noise) is.

Amenities

How would you like to have a swimming pool, movie theatre, billiards’ room, terrace, entertainment room and gym all in your home? Well, all of these are at your disposal with most of today’s modern condos. If you are worried about not having room for a large group, fear not. Most condos have rooms that you can book for large groups to have private dinners or parties that even have their own kitchens.

So if you love to cook for a large family or gathering of friends, don’t worry about that not being an option….in the new condos it is!

Resale value

It is no surprise that real estate values have gone through the roof over the last several years. What is surprising is that condos are at the top of the list for number of units sold and increase in value over the last year.

Most people just cannot afford a detached home these days and are turning to condos to get their foot into the real estate market.

Affordability

As stated above, most homes have soared in value and selling your current home and purchasing a condo can provide an influx of cash to be added to your current retirement savings. The average detached home price in the city of Toronto recently hit $1 million. The average condo price is now about $400K. That leaves a lot of equity that can be added to your retirement savings.

If you are thinking of downsizing and purchasing a condominium make sure you not only enlist the help of a trusted real estate agent but also a trusted and insured professional organizer to help you with the critical decisions that are required in any downsizing and organizing project and make your move a smooth transition for years to come!

5 Crucial Tips To Keep Your Summer Move Organized

in Move Organizing

The moving season is slowly upon us, and if you’ve moved before, you know how chaotic and daunting it can be. Don’t panic! You can get organized and eliminate stress before the moving truck arrives. Here are five easy tips to set you up for success and ensure that your move is organized and worry-free.

1. Start Early

Eliminate last minute scrambling and stress by starting to pack early. Start in areas where you keep items that are not used often, such as the attic and garage. Even if you pack a box every other day, in a month you will have packed fifteen boxes!

2. Leave it Behind

It’s expensive, time-consuming, and unnecessary to move things that you don’t really need. If you don’t use the item now, you likely won’t use in your new home either. Before you start packing, get rid of old items such as clothing, toys and anything you no longer need.

Donate anything that can still be used to a charity or if you want to make some extra cash, host a garage sale.

3. Get Some Helpers

Full service movers are great, but not everyone can afford them. Enlist the help of some friends and family, and turn it into a social event with a BBQ to celebrate the move.

And if you have kids who are old enough, get them to help as well! Whatever you do, don’t go at it alone – you will be a lot more efficient (and won’t go crazy) with some friends and family members helping you pack and unpack.

4. Use a Priority Labeling System

Unpacking can seem completely overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Remember, everything you pack does not have to be unpacked right away in your new home.

When packing, use a priority labeling system. For example, if a box contains essential items, such as bedding, label it Priority #1. If the contents of a box are important, but not essential, label the box Priority #2. Other boxes will contain things that you won’t need right away, such as holiday items and out of season clothing. These can be labeled Priority #3.

When you begin unpacking in your new home, you will know what order to tackle your boxes in (#1, #2, and then #3). This is just an example, you can use any method of labeling that makes sense to you.

5. Make a Plan

If you use the labeling tip above, you have already made packing and unpacking a lot easier for yourself, but that’s only part of the hurdle.

Before you actually start packing and unpacking, sit down with your family or helpers and go over a plan.

You should discuss where things will go, who is responsible for what, and what you absolutely have to unpack the first night. Having a plan in place will help things run much more smoothly.

For most people, moving is a chaotic and stressful process. Starting early, leaving unnecessary things behind, enlisting some helpers, using a priority labeling system and having a plan in place can be tremendously helpful. I hope that these five tips have helped you and best of luck with your move!

If getting organized and packed for a move is just too overwhelming for you, contact me here to learn how we can ease your pain.

5 Reasons Cluttered Homes Don’t Sell

in Downsizing, Move Organizing, Moving Seniors

This article was originally published on the Comfree Blog, where I am a frequent contributor. You can view the original article here.

You’ve got several people in line to take a look at your house that you’ve just put up for sale. The lawn is immaculate, the driveway is as smooth as glass, and there isn’t a single wrinkle in your clothes. However, behind closed doors lies a completely different story.

“I know where to find everything in my own house!” you might argue. That might very well be true for you, but what about the couple looking at your home for the first time? Are they convinced?

It turns out that it does matter to other people whether your home is presented as spic and span or as the remnants of a hurricane. The “hygiene” of your house can potentially be the difference between a brief, disinterested house tour and an enthusiastic down payment.

Here are five reasons cluttered houses don’t sell and why you should clear the clutter before putting it on the market.

1. First impressions are critical

From the moment a potential buyer sets foot in the house their opinion on how suitable it is as a home depends greatly on first impressions. It makes sense. Why buy something that doesn’t deliver your specific needs?

It’s critical to ensure that every room conveys its purpose. There shouldn’t be plates in the living room nor should there be newspapers scattered in the kitchen. Only when everything is in its rightful place can a potential buyer assume that the house offers living space appropriate to his or her needs.

2. Potential buyers need to be able to visualize themselves in the home

Not that you need to encourage anyone to make themselves feel at home but if you’re hoping to make a sale you want potential buyers to relate to you as a homeowner. The couple taking a look around your living room should be able to picture themselves sitting on the couch with their feet on the coffee table after a long day.

If your couch is covered in dog fur and your coffee table is littered with old mail, chances are they’re not picturing anything of the sort.

3. Buyers want a home with lots of space to live in

Ultimately, you want to present your house as a place that is suitable for comfortable living. Spaciousness is crucial in illuminating the potential of the house in that regard.

With the right furniture arrangement you can make that effort to appease potential buyers and demonstrate that they too can enjoy living in this very house with as much or as little space as they desire. But of course show them more space as opposed to less and let them see what they’re working with.

4. Your closet says a lot about you

Someone taking a look in your bedroom might like to see how much closet space your room has. Probably so they can know how much junk they can store inside without rhyme or reason.

You should not, however, use your closet that way, at least not during a tour of the closet. Everything inside should be neat and orderly. If you have clothes or other items spilling out, a potential buyer might believe that their own mess won’t fit inside. The trick is to avoid presenting them with a mess in order to show off how much space there actually is.

5. Messy home = messy owners

You know that saying “never judge a book by its cover”? Forget that. Consider yourself judged. How you physically present yourself doesn’t matter nearly as much as how you physically present the house, seeing as it’s the house people are interested in buying.

A messy, cluttered house tells potential buyers that the owners have messy, cluttered minds. If you don’t even have time to wash that tower of plates on the kitchen counter, how is anyone supposed to believe that you have time to clean and maintain facilities within the rest of the house?

5 Tips to Getting and Staying Organized at Home

in Home Organizing, Move Organizing

Getting and staying organized at home is not always easy. If you want to go from clutter to calm, here are a few inexpensive tips to get you started.

1. An old wooden stepladder is a creative way to hold bath and hand towels in a small bathroom where cupboards are non-existent. You can event paint it to match your decor!

2. Small empty jam jars are a great way to contain cotton swabs, cotton balls and other essential and small hygiene items.

3. Takeout restaurant menus can be stored in a handy binder rather than clogging up one of the few kitchen drawers you have.

4. A coffee table that can double as a storage bench/ottoman is a great way to store video games and accessories, throws or even board games.

5. Instruction manuals (we all seem to have a lot of those) can be stored in either a binder or a clear lidded bin or basket. I prefer the latter because then I don’t have to fuss with a binder and can just toss the manual easily into a bin. How often do you really refer to them anyway? And don’t forget to purge the manuals yearly or when you replace old or broken merchandise.

Basement Reno Completed!

in Home Organizing, Move Organizing, Organizing with Kids

FINALLY! The day has come when I can say that our basement renovation is done!!! To say that I’m relieved is an understatement. In my last blog post about this project I mentioned that the painters had to come back to repaint the entire basement. Well, believe it or not, after I wrote that post they had to return on 3 more occasions to finish spots and whole sections that they missed or failed to follow the instructions provided by the contractor. In addition, the contractor has to send his foreman back a couple times to correct some pretty poor workmanship. I remain astounded by this but realize it’s time to move on and put this behind me. With all the other outstanding issues now taken care of, its time to put our basement back together and set up the spaces in a functional, efficient and organized manner.

First came the workout area with the placement of our equipment and accessories all on one side of the back room with everything easily retrievable. Second came the playroom/tv room. I gathered all the toys we have for our visiting little ones (all contained in clear bins for easy identification) and they are now situated in that section of the basement. We are still deciding on whether we will purchase a cubby type wall unit for storage of the toys or whether we will simply leave them in the bins for the time being. For now a simple arm chair serves as a comfortable seat for anyone who wishes to “chill” down there. The third area to tackle was my husbands computer area where he checks emails, downloads all sorts of things and syncs his various technology “toys”. We placed an “L” shaped desk unit that we previously had in an enclave area of the basement which is the perfect niche for him to work in. The final area to tackle (and the most challenging at this point) is the workroom where we keep tools, household maintenance items, gift wrap, etc. and which we determined was also going to contain my organizing tools and accessories for the business. If you could only see the size of this little space – it is definitely a challenge.

At the moment everything is on shelving, but not yet organized. When we have a few hours to spare we will begin to organize that final space, using the organizational principle of SPACE (sort, purge, assign, containerize and evaluate). I’m just itching to get that done but my clients come first at the moment and I know that there are a couple of days vacation I will be taking in a couple of weeks when we will definitely get this basement organized completely! For now we live with it and function as best we can. The reality is we can only do so much in the little time we have available. Prioritize, organize and saturate your space with the things that make you happy and enjoy life!

Creative Office Organizing

in Home Office, Move Organizing

Sometimes when we’re organizing offices we need to be creative. It may be because of a lack of space, needing the area for a multiple of purposes and activities, or simply because of the way our client’s function in the space. For this particular project it was the latter. Many of my clients are challenged with ADD and ADHD. Although smart as a whip, our client is challenged with ADHD and therefore paperwork organization was difficult for him. Running a very successful business from home can have it’s drawbacks. One of those drawbacks is that it can be overwhelming to keep up with all the paperwork that comes with the business. I can certainly attest to that in my own home office. Organization is really the key to maintaining any successful business. Otherwise things gets lost through the cracks, including cheques!

I thoroughly enjoyed working hands on with this particular client. He has an amazing sense of humour which can be very helpful for everyone when sorting through papers. Typically, when organizing business documents and paperwork we use file folders. However, with this particular client, file folders was not a workable solution for him and his way of thinking and working in his space. At least not for his accounting paperwork. He had already tried to organize with baskets and bins, however the system was not working because pieces were missing from the set up. Working with him we created a bin system of filing accounting papers as well as one special bin strictly to contain papers for filing when he just did not have the time to deal with it. This particular client was not fussy on fancy labelling or worried about aesthetics. He simply needed a functional system for organizing his papers. Here’s what we created and what now works efficiently for him:

This may not be a workable solution for everyone but it proves that every client is different and we need to customize our solutions to fit our client’s needs, no matter how diverse. A simple and effective solution to organizing papers for easy filing. No fuss, no muss! What kind of filing system do you use? I’d love to hear your creative ideas.

Gift Wrapping Centre & Craft Storage Organization

in Misc, Move Organizing

So many of my clients request a wrapping centre and craft storage that I thought this would be a good opportunity to share what we did to organize one of our client’s storage rooms. With limited space, wrapping paper and craft products are often relegated to a closet making it difficult for clients to access and find what they need for wrapping or creative ventures. This client in particular originally had quite a bit of craft and scrap booking products, as well as a large amount of gift wrapping and party items which needed to be contained and stored for easy access and return. Budget played a major role in this re-organization and we were able to utilize the client’s existing storage units which is always a bonus.

It was essential that the storage was contained within a closet in the finished basement. Hereare a couple of photos of the closet before we started the project.

As you can see, there was little organization and the closet was in a state of chaos. Although the closet went quite deep under the stairwell, there was no access without moving everything out and then back again. This system (or lack thereof) was not working. After first sorting and editing the items we were able to see exactly what the client had to store in terms of volume. With input from our client we were able to create a vision and solution that was workable for the way our client functioned within the space. She specifically requested that her gift bags were hanging so she could quickly view and pick the right one for the right occasion. Here is a photo of the closet after our re-organization. The gift wrapping centre storage unit is on the left and the scrapbooking storage unit is on the right. The second photo shows another angle so you can see how access to under the stairs is now possible.

Finding space can be challenging but with a little creativity, a vision and the right process of organization a workable system can be created and maintained. Our client can now easily open these drawers, locate what is needed and return items with ease. Don’t forget to label your drawers so that others in your household can also easily use the new system too!