Getting your home organized

Some people are born organizers, possessing the inherit ability and desire to find the right place for everything. For the rest of us, staying organized requires a great deal of effort. This month's newsletter focuses on ways to conquer the clutter in your home.

Where to begin

The hardest part of getting organized is knowing where to start. A strategy will come in handy, because at some point you're likely to feel overwhelmed. Here is one approach:

Take stock
Organizing requires not only an evaluation of the "things" in your home, but also a careful review of the storage areas being utilized. Analyzing both your needs and how you currently are meeting those needs will help you see the shortcomings of your current situation.

For instance, when evaluating the contents of a kitchen cabinet, note where each item is located, how often each is used, and how easy each is to access. Look for any unused or poorly utilized space. Have the items in the cabinet been organized for a specific reason, or are they ordered by habit and chance? Does anything about the setup bother you? Does anything seem out of place? Be sure to take size (both of items and of storage spaces) into account during this stage.

Sorting through
Now begins the sometimes-painful process of sifting out the superfluous clutter in your home. The least stressful approach is to sort everything into three categories: "to stay", "to go", and "not sure". Consider the functionality, value (both monetary and emotional) and redundancy of each item. The "to stay" items will be a part of your reorganization, while the "to go" group can be put into a garage sale or donated to charity.

Items that end up in the "not sure" box can be re-evaluated later. You may put sentimental items into such a box, and decide months later that you do wish to keep them. In a sense, the box is a kind of purgatory between your home and the trash can!

Look for unused space
This is a great time to look for any untapped storage potential in your home. Could an extra hanging rod free up space in your clothes closet? Is there potential for built-in cubbyholes or shelving underneath the stairway? Are there decorative upper panels on the front of your bathroom vanity that could make way for small drawers? Are you using the space between your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling? Are the backs of deep cabinets unused?

Reassign space
Hopefully your early evaluation presented some obvious areas for improvement. Some basic guidelines:

The most accessible storage spaces should be reserved for those things you need constantly. Save hard-to-reach places for items rarely used.

Many storage improvements can be made easily without spending a lot of money. Lazy Suzan's, pull-out racks and baskets, and adjustable shelving are all tools to maximize the space you have.

Store items by weight, with the heaviest items at waist or chest height and the lightest items overhead.

Kitchen space is at a premium. Avoid using this space for items that could be stored elsewhere, such as tablecloths or phonebooks

Organized life
A full-scale home organization project can be a daunting task. If you're worried that re-organizing your entire home may be too much to undertake all at once, try a room-by-room approach. Focus first on the areas of your home that need the most help. Reorganizing one room can improve the way you feel about your whole home and can help you be more organized as a person.Tips for a successful garage sale

Most of us have more "stuff" than we really need. A garage sale is a great way to free up space in your home and earn a little spending cash. Some garage sale pointers:Planning

Pick a date two to three weeks away to leave yourself ample time to prepare. Aim for a day with good weather if at all possible.

Weekends are usually best, but avoid conflicts with holidays or other special occasions.

A joint sale with friends or neighbors enables you to pool resources and can increase the public's interest.Choosing sale items

For ideas on what to sell, look through your attic, garage, basement, closets, and storage sheds.

Items that sell best: appliances, electronics, furniture, books, movies, dishes, antiques, and clothing.

Don't sell items that are broken, cracked, or badly stained.Pricing

Be realistic when pricing items. If you find yourself worrying about selling an item cheap, you're probably not ready to let it go.

Purchase self-adhesive tags at an office store and affix clear prices to each item.

Be prepared to reduce the price of items. Your primary goal is to clear space!Display

Group items into logical categories. Books, music, and movies should be displayed with titles facing outward.

Set up temporary racks to hang clothing, and group them by type and size.

You may need to rent or borrow additional tables to avoid stacking items.Selling

Make sure to advertise: post bulletins at the grocery store, place an ad in the community newspaper, and post signs (according to local regulations) the day before the sale.

Make a bin of special "25-cent" items, or even free items, to peak the interest of buyers.

If you prefer cash, specify this in any ads and be sure to post a "cash only" sign at the sale."Day-of" reminders

Keep plenty of cash for change, especially ones and fives. Have about $5 in coins as well.

Let your neighbors know about the sale if you haven't already. Request that they not park in front of your house.

Don't do it all on your own: have a friend or relative help with the cash handling and other duties.
Organizing your paperwork

A day's worth of paperwork can amount to quite a sizeable stack on your kitchen table. A few days later and it will likely be a growing pile of scraps and slips. By the end of the week you'll be lucky if you can find the table at all.

Many of us find ourselves getting bogged down by junk mail, receipts, bills, bank statements, and letters that never seem to stop accumulating. Not only is paper clutter annoying and unsightly; it also can lead to late bill payments, lost documents, and seemingly endless frustration. Often organizing your paperwork is the most important step in creating a well ordered home.

Create an established "office" space
A home office doesn't have to be an entire room with a huge desk and rows of file cabinets. It can be as simple as a small area in your kitchen, dining room, or guest bedroom. You can use a small workstation or rolling cart as your desk if you like, and some places sell fold-up "desks-in-a-box" for those with limited space. The important thing is that you dedicate one area for your office needs.

File naturally
If you find papers piling up, it may be that you're a natural stacker. You might be most comfortable with a system of trays or bins to organize your paperwork. For the more traditional, accordion files or file boxes will make more sense. The important thing is to have a place for everything: supplies, ongoing paperwork (like bills), and isolated paperwork.

Deal with things as they come
Try to handle the paperwork as it comes to you. You should be able to determine whether to pay, file, or trash each document. If you have a set time each month when you prefer to pay bills, you may want to set up a "to be paid" box for temporary holding. Avoid making any sort of "to file" area, as it will encourage lazy filing habits.

Keep clearing those stacks
You may find things piling up every now and then despite your best efforts. Keeping organized is a continuous process, so don't feel bad if you slip into clutter every so often. Just take a deep breath and spend the necessary 15 minutes or so to sort through everything.

Cindy Joynt is a Prudential Real Estate Agent serving Forsyth County
400 North Lake Lanier
925 Sanders Road Cumming, GA 30041

Phone Number
Primary: 678-313-4018
Office Phone: 770-844-8484
Business Fax: 770-844-9875
http://www.cindyjoynt.prudentialgeorgia.com