The Summer/Winter Swap

Yesterday I came downstairs to find the boys playing Lego. I'm actually not sure if they were playing or simply trying to cover every square inch of the first floor in tiny plastic building blocks. After I successfully navigated to the kitchen without stepping on any Lego. I thought about the last time the kids used the Lego. I concluded it had been awhile since they are usually outside enjoying the warm weather. This got me thinking about the Summer/Winter swap.

A basic tenant of organizing is that the things we don't use often should be stored more remotely. During winter not only do we need cold weather clothes but we also may put out holiday decorations. This means it is time for our summer items to take a backseat, no matter how much we wish we were somewhere that required a beach umbrella. In a perfect world we would snap our fingers and our seasonal items would disappear. Assuming we don't know magic the summer items need to be swapped out for winter ones.

Clear bins work well for warm weather clothes, sports, beach or BBQ items. While packing take a few moments to donate or toss any item that is in disrepair or that the kids may have outgrown. Also be careful of packing outdoor items as they may have sand, dirt or even mud that will need to be cleaned before sitting for four months. 

Another added benefit of the summer/winter swap is that it allows us to set up clear and easily recognizable areas for different categories. If you have an attic, basement or garage these areas are perfect for remote storage. By having a home for everything you know what you have leading up to the seasonal swap.

Uncluttered Holidays - Priceless

Holidays are fun once we are gathered with our families, feasting, drinking and enjoying the holiday spirit. However, the energy it takes to get there can be exhausting. Time is limited, we are all running around trying to stay fit, work, volunteer, eat right, and take care of our families. Finding the time to purchase gifts either by going to a store or even spending the time online is hard to do. When trying to figure out what to purchase as a holiday housewarming gift, a gift for dad, a gift for Uncle Rich, a gift for Aunt Jill, often we get confused and overwhelmed. How many times have you opened a box with another pair of black gloves, another sweater, another scarf or yet another candle?

As professional organizers we see many holiday gifts shoved in closets or hidden in bins in a basement or attic (often never even opened). One of the many ideas we encourage is to give an “experience” over actual material gifts. For example, wouldn’t it be great to open up a package and see tickets to your favorite concert or play? How about a gift card to a spa for a day of rest and relaxation? Maybe a gift card to a favorite restaurant or exercise class?  Hmm, maybe a gift card for someone to come organize the playroom or garage? By doing this you have not added more “stuff” to the person’s home, and have given the person something they will really remember.

This applies to children as well as adults. Yes, it is fun to watch kids tear open gifts and see their happy faces when they get something they have been asking for. How about just a few presents and a few experiences. Trust us, the Doc McStuffins nursery will be out of style next year and a new toy will be more popular. It will sit in the corner of a playroom, collecting dust and end up being eventually donated. By giving children experiences, you will have less clutter in your home which will put a smile on their face and yours. How about tickets to a children's performance or museum, just think of the terrific memories they will have. When grandparents ask what to get, maybe suggest movies tickets and ice cream after?

Another idea is to give the gift of time. As mentioned above, our time is so limited and valuable. Weekends are spent at kids sporting events, kid’s birthday parties, visiting children at college or elderly relatives in assisted living, paying bills, food shopping, etc…Finding time to catch up with friends and family can become almost impossible. How great it would be to open a gift and see written: “lunch and museum in the city with me my treat!” Or, “dinner and movie together, on me!” Being with your partner or best friend, spending time together no matter what the monetary value is priceless. It doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive, just hanging out talking, laughing and making memories is better than a sixth pair of gloves, sweater, scarf or candle.

Guest Post: Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Organized for Your Home Sale

Getting organized is a popular topic these days, whether it’s with your time or bookshelves. But selling a home comes with its own special requirements because a lot of organization goes into getting a house show-ready. And trust me, it’s worth the effort to give your house its best chance on the market.

The secret is to go one step at a time. Here’s a list of helpful home-selling tips broken down into categories. Follow these tips and the end result will be an open, clean, depersonalized home that attracts potential buyers and allows them to imagine living there. In fact, organized and decluttered homes can get 3-5% higher offers than other houses.

Steps to Take

The categories are: decluttering, cleaning, staging, curb appeal, and extras. These tips are for DIY, but all steps can be handled by professionals. These tips also assume that any major repairs your house needs are done.

Decluttering is first. You want buyers to look at the house and not be distracted by your personal things or mess. Clutter must go, inside and outside of the house, from everywhere buyers will want to look. And they will look everywhere.

• Label some boxes or bins as Keep/Pack Away, Donate, and Not Sure. Also have a supply of trash bags.

• Research places to donate different items. Some organizations will even do pick-up.

• Set dates and time on your calendar to declutter, and stick to them.

• Start with one room, or just one area, and complete it. It will add up in the end.

• Clear surfaces such as shelves, mantles, counters, and tables.

• Clear floors of laundry, toys, reading material, etc., and remove family photos or random decorations from walls.

• Partially empty storage, such as closets and cabinets, so they look spacious.

• Take down window dressing, leaving simple blinds or shades.

• Clear the property of leaves, weeds, snow, bikes, gardening tools, etc.

• Paint walls neutral shades, and keep a consistent palette throughout the house.

• Don’t let clutter sneak back up on you. Deal daily with mail, work papers, kitchen utensils, backpacks, toys, or other things that tend to pile up easily.

Once the house is decluttered, it is vital to deep clean absolutely everything.

• Gather your supplies, including gloves, various cleansers, sponges, small brushes, rags, brooms, mops, and vacuums.

• This time, don’t go room by room. Instead, do one step throughout the house. From floor to ceiling, dust, wash, scrub, sweep, mop, and vacuum.

• Clean inside appliances, under sinks, windows, back corners of cabinets, grout, and all nooks and crannies.

• Have someone clean and service the furnace/HVAC, including the vents.

The house must stay this clean, which can be a challenge with daily life going on. But it must always be ready to show, or you could lose the sale. Establish a routine so that every day you:

• Wipe tubs and bathroom surfaces, put away all bath products, and keep the toilet clean.

• Put away laundry, dirty or clean, and don’t let loads pile up.

• Wipe kitchen counters, appliances, and fixtures. Wash dishes. Put things away.

• Dust surfaces in every room.

• Sweep or vacuum, especially in high-traffic areas.

• Keep pets, pet beds, and litter boxes clean.

• Make all the beds in the house.

• Deodorize if there are cooking or other odors. Lightly scented candles or essential oils make a nice substitute.

Staging takes a house from clean to eye-catching. Minimal furniture and props give it a neutral but comfortable look.

• Arrange furniture to emphasize features of the house, such as a fireplace or view.

• Create easy walking access through and around rooms.

• Use furniture and staging props to give each room a purpose.

• Add some color to your neutral background with pillows, plants, a bowl of fruit, a few books or objects, or some art. Create small vignettes that show off the lifestyle the house offers. For example: fluffy folded towels, a candle, and a glass bottle of bubble bath; a soft blanket and open book on a cozy chair; a seasonal centerpiece on the dining table; a kitchen island with morning coffee.

Curb appeal is the first thing people see, so decluttering and staging needs to happen outside, too.

• Rake leaves and/or remove snow from traffic areas daily.

• Mow the lawn often, and reseed if necessary.

• Trim bushes and trees.

• Add flowers or greenery to fill in beds and add color.

• Fix peeling paint on trims, shutters, etc.

• Stage outdoor areas with vignettes. Pay particular attention to the entrance: good lighting, bright paint on the front door, potted plants, etc.

Find a top realtor in your area that can give you advice and feedback on DIY organization and recommendations. Some organizing extras will help your realtor help you.

• Let your realtor know your preferred contact method(s) and how often to be in touch.

• Collect all paperwork from the house, including renovation and maintenance records, past sales history, appraisals, and contact information for professionals you’ve used.

Once you’re organized and the house is showing, these last tips will help you be ready to accept that offer and close.

Lin Nulman has been writing for HomeLight.com since 2016, and her work has been featured on many other websites. She teaches writing and literature at Bunker Hill Community College. Her poetry and arts writing has appeared in a number of journals, anthologies, and websites.

The Downsizing Dilemma

3 sets of china, silver from a grandparent, a dining room table and chairs from the 1940’s, multi-generational photos, antique lamps, these are just a few examples of decisions a homeowner has to make when downsizing. Trying to figure out what to take and what to keep is daunting as many of these items have been passed from generation to generation. What can make this even more stressful is moving at an advanced stage of life. Older adults may feel even more anxious due to the amount of “stuff” they have accumulated as well as the emotional aspect that comes with moving. Many seniors have lived in their homes for over 30 years.

They are used to things being in certain places and in a certain order. Change is difficult and being flexible is not as easy. As professional organizers, one of our most important jobs is to be sensitive and respectful to our client’s needs.

In many situations, children do not live close to their parents. Calling a professional organizer to help make decisions is sometimes the only option that a family has. In addition, seniors do not always have the mobility to move and lift items. Older adults may need assistance with boxing up donates or keepsakes, help to bring stored items down from an attic, or unpacking boxes which may have been stored for years in a basement or garage. This is where an experienced organizer can really make an impact.  A professional organizer will help a homeowner get appraisals on items of value, help determine what is important to bring to the new abode, help box up items for relatives, and help box up donates and plan for their removal.  What a relief for aging men and women to not have to go through the process alone.

Sometimes homeowners are so worried about the move that they have trouble determining what to take with them. To begin with, we may remove the non-sentimental items such as duplicate kitchen utensils, excess clothing, garage items no longer used etc… We may suggest the “one-year” test. For example, if something has not been used in over a year maybe it is time to discard and donate? Photographs should be removed from frames. Relatives can help transfer photos to scrapbooks or other media.

When moving to assisted living, seniors quite often do not have the space they may have had in the home they have lived in. As professional organizers, we can help them choose what furniture they can bring and help determine the best way to remove the remaining furniture. They may be comfortable with the layout they have in their current home so many times we suggest they photograph rooms they wish to recreate. A familiar layout is calming and can alleviate stress. Once in the new surroundings, we can help them unpack and organize, keeping in mind how to bring the comforts of the past to the new space.

Most importantly, when dealing with seniors we must be PATIENT. Listening and understanding to our client’s concerns are key. This is challenging, but an experienced and "professional" Professional Organizer can make the difficult task less stressful. At the end of the day, nothing is more rewarding to us than hearing “I couldn’t have done with without you” and knowing we made a huge difference in helping someone move into the next stage of their life.