Make this your year to get organized! These expert tips will help you shed all that unwanted stuff- as quickly and painlessly as possible-and find the right spots for everything else.
Every three months or so, reserve one Saturday morning for a family clean-out. Se a timer for 30 minutes and have each person find things in his or her own space to donate or throw away. Box up the donations and drop them off right away, then reward yourselves with lunch out.
Avoid zigzag organizing. Scattering your efforts over multiple rooms prevents you from seeing progress. For visible, dramatic results, work one room at a time, one section at a time, completing each area before you move on to the next.
When you-re trying to decide whether to keep something, ask yourself three questions: Do I love it? Do I use it? Could someone else use it?
A system that’s a natural extension of your habits is easier to stick with than one that forces dramatic change. So set up solutions right where clutter collects, such as a labeled pail for each family member’s shoes and other equipment and store in a bookshelf right by the front door.
Give frequently accessed papers (take-out menus, sports schedules, phone directories) a dedicated spot, rather than in a pile on the counter or stuck to the fridge. Three-hole punch all that paper, and store it in a pretty binder with labeled tabs.
Create a repair center for clothes that need mending, toys that need batteries, things that need gluing. That way, unusable items aren’t in general circulation, and you know where to look when you have time to tackle a project.
Relegating a sentimental item you no longer have use for to a box in the closet, basement, or attic does nothing to honor it. Instead, take a photo of the item and put it in a scrapbook or load it on your digital picture frame. Then donate the item. It’s both spaces-saving an respectful.
Each spring and fall, do CPR on your closet: Categorize, Purge, and Rearrange. Carefully consider each item. If it doesn’t make you feel wonderful or look fabulous, its a no. Put it in the “to donate” box, and put that box in your car right away.
A tighter focus for your to-do list clears mental clutter. Include only your three most important tasks, and don’t let less important busywork distract you. If you complete everything on your list, great. If not, at least you’ll know you spent time on the highest-priority tasks.
I spend a few minutes every night before bed restoring order to my purse. I remove all trash, return floating change to my wallet, and replenish tissues and business cards. It makes me feel ready to start the day.
Tackle your junk drawer first. Remove anything you don’t use at least monthly, then sort what’s left into the compartments of a drawer organizer that completely fills the drawer. You won’t have room to stash things that don’t belong there.
Every time you arrive home, clear the car of anything that doesn’t permanently belong in it. Keep a tote or basket in the car for this purpose, and draft your passengers to help-nobody leaves the car empty-handed! Stay vigilant, and it’ll become second nature.
Make clutter-busting a family game. Write tasks on Ping-Pong balls. Each person chooses a ball, completes the task, then chooses another one. After 30 minutes, whoever has the most balls gets a prize – like a no-chores day or control of the remote.
Get creative with storage containers. Try a ceramic egg tray for paper clips and rubber band; a tackle box for craft supplies; a napkin holder for incoming mail; and a garden tote for kids’ art supplies.
Make two coffee dates with a god friend. On the first one, go through her kitchen cabinets to identify and get rid of clutter (lidless plastic containers, mismatched glasses, petrified spatulas, etc…). On the second date do the same in your kitchen.
If you’re having trouble letting go of clutter, whether it’s too many things in your house or too many commitments eating up your time, think about what it requires you to sacrifice. Less stuff means less to organize and less money spent. Fewer activities means less running around and more family time.
“Go clean your room,” can mean lots of things. Give your kid a list of exactly what you expect, and let them check off the tasks as they are done.
Fit a cardboard banker’s box with 13 pocket folders. At the end of the school year,go through your child’s artwork and school papers together to select only as many favorites as will fit in one folder. Memories from an entire school career will fit neatly on a shelf.
Keep a folder labeled “Tax Documents” where you sort your mail. As statements come in, slip them into the folder. When tax time comes, everything you need is in one spot.
Perform daily triage on incoming papers and mail. Set up a desktop file box or wall-mounted file holder, right, with three folders: To Read, To Do, and To File. Sort the keepers into one of the categories, then recycle the rest. Schedule a weekly time to deal with contents of each folder.
Is your linen closet overflowing? Pare down your stock to three towels and washcloths per person, two sets of sheets per bed, plus a set of each for guests. Voila’ a roomier linen closet.
Procrastination breeds clutter. Institute a do-it now policy for a few highly visible everyday tasks – like loading the dishwasher or folding and putting away a load of laundry before starting another.
Designate a separate, labeled bag for each regularly scheduled activity, lesson, or sport on your family calendar. Pack the bags with the necessary gear, and hang them on hooks in a handy spot.
If toys are overrunning your house, quietly tuck a few of them away in a box. If kids ask for a specific item, retrieve it. After a month, donate what’s left in the box.
Attics, basements, and garages tend to harbor lots of items you haven’t seen or used in a while, which also makes them prime candidates for purging. Clear them first so when you tackle your living areas, you’ll have storage space waiting.
A Month by Month Guide to help get those Simple Household Projects Done!
January
A fresh start for the New Year. Make a project list that you want to complete by the end of the year and post it where you will see it everyday.
Take down all those holiday decorations, pack & label each box to make it easier to locate them, buy a few light reels to keep those Christmas lights organized, and clean out any broken or unwanted items.
February
Check your entire house for leaks; sinks, toilets, shower heads, pipes, etc…
To check your toilet for leaks, add a few drops of food coloring to the tank at bedtime. If the water in the bowl is discolored then your flapper is leaking. Just replace the mechanism inside. Its an easy and inexpensive fix.
Replace any old faucets, shower heads, or faulty pipes. You can save a lot of money and water throughout the year.
March
Spring is in the air! Time to get the outside of your home ready for the warm weather.
Repair sagging fences, fix window screens, and check your deck for any rotten wood or damage and make repairs as needed.
Pressure wash the deck, siding, driveway and your house.
Check to see if your mailbox is still in good shape. Replace or repair or just spruce it up.
April
Spring cleaning time!
Pressure wash the outside of your home if you haven’t already. Check for cracks or damage to the siding or brick and make repairs. It will prevent further damage down the road.
While your cleaning, don’t forget the windows-inside & out-, wipe down your ceiling fans, blinds, and HVAC vents too.
Schedule a maintenance checkup on your HVAC system.
May
Memorial Day, Backyard Bar-b-Que’s and Warm Weather!
Before that first Bar-b-Que, give that grill a good cleaning. Remove any rust and grease with a stiff brush.
Check out the foundation of your home, look for cracks and signs of termite damage.
Check your driveway for any cracks or damage that may have appeared or worsened over the winter.
Keep the ants out by sealing cracks and putting out bait traps. Take caution when using traps around children and pets.
If you have a pool-it’s time to open it up. Check the pool and pool deck for damage and make sure the pool equipment is running properly.
June
It’s half way through the year and where are you on your project list that you made back in January? Do you need to reprioritize some of the items on the list, maybe move the more important ones to the top or add a few new items.
July
It’s time to get out the cleaning supplies and get those once a year jobs done.
Clean behind the refrigerator & vacuum the coils, clean under the washer & dryer, check the washer hoses for leaks, check your sinks & dishwasher for leaks and clean under the stove.
Test all your circuit breakers and label them if they are not already. This will help you know which switch controls what part of the house.
August
It’s vacation time. Make sure your home is secure while you are away. Check all windows and doors for secure locks, if you have a security system check to make sure it is working properly and ask a trusted neighbor to look after things and give them your contact information in case of an emergency.
Don’t forget to stop newspaper and mail deliveries.
If you are going to stay home for your vacation. You can organize your garage and gardening tools. Sell or donate items you no longer use or throw out the ones that are broken. You can also work on the list of projects you created earlier in the year.
September
Cooler weather is just around the corner. Check all windows and doors for proper caulking, weather stripping and sweeps. Make sure your attic and crawl spaces are insulated correctly and that loose insulation isn’t blocking vents.
Check out your landscaping. Is it overgrown from the summer? Are trees hanging over power lines or your roof? Call a professional to trim trees if necessary.
Are plants growing too close to your foundation? This could encourage insect damage, weaken the foundation or create a fire hazard.
October
Its time to start getting the house ready for the winter. Clean gutters and downspouts.
If your hot water heater is in an unheated garage or utility room you may want to invest in a insulating blanket.
Bring in any outside cushions, furniture, and plants.
Switch your ceiling fans to reverse to help circulate the warm air.
November
Unexpected company may visit this month, but not the kind you will welcome in. Mice and rats will be looking for a warm place to make a nest like your garage or house. Seal holes around pipes & wires with steel wool. Make sure doors close properly and look for any gaps they may try to sneak in.
Test all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and replace batteries.
Have your fireplace and chimney inspected and cleaned.
December
It’s Christmas time! Time to bring out the Christmas decorations and lights and get to work.
The first rule of thumb when hanging Christmas lights is to “stay off the roof”. It is dangerous and you could cause damage to the shingles which could cause leaks.
Never hammer nails into the roof to secure decorations. There are plenty of other options to secure decorations without causing damage.
If you invested in the Christmas light reels that where suggested in January, it will be much easier to work with them. Still check for damaged or broken lights and consider replacing them with LED lights that are more energy efficient.
Last but not least, check your project list that you created in January and see if you completed all the items. If not you still have a little time, but you can always put them on next years list.
The kitchen is the heart of a home and one of the most important parts of a kitchen is the flooring. There are more types of flooring than ever to chose from. Here are a few examples:
Tile
Tile is one of the easiest surfaces to clean. It is also resistant to stains and bacteria. There are also a wide variety of styles, sizes, and materials to choose from.
The hardness of tile is also one of its weakness. If you have joint problems you are not going to want to stand on it for hours cooking.
Wood
Hardwood is great if you want to flow your kitchen floor into a dining room or great room. It gives you a more cohesive look. There is also the choice of prefinished wood. The finish on prefinished wood tends to hold up better than hardwood.
Wood can warp around sinks, dishwashers, and freezers where leaks are possible.
If hardwood gets flooded, you will most likely will have to replace all of it. That is a big expense.
Cork
Cork is one of the greenest floors to put down. It is design-oriented, functional, easy to care for, comfortable, and comes in a variety of finishes. It is also easy to install, hypoallergenic, and soft, so its easy on the joints.
Vinyl and Laminate
Vinyl today is very different from the 1960’s. Today’s vinyl is made to look like rock, slate, hardwood and tile. They use techniques to make it look more expensive and feel like it too. It is durable, easy to install, inexpensive, easy to maintain, and gentler on the joints.
Laminate is also very different than in the past. Laminate is much more durable than hardwood, it does not absorb stains quite as fast, and it offers many design options. This might be your best choice if you have mess kids or animals.
Before you paint, redo any landscaping, or declutter one room, you must make sure your house is priced correctly. Nothing is more important than price! To price your home correctly choose a real estate agent that uses all the research tools available (MLS, tax records, etc…), but don’t necessarily pick the realtor who quotes you the highest listing price, because what good is it to have your home on the market if its overpriced. Base your choice on what they have to offer as a realtor and what they can do to sell your home.
In the current market we have an oversupply of houses and sellers need to be more aggressive on price if they want to sell. According to experts the oversupply of houses is not going away for at-least three to four years. The homes that are selling are the ones that are priced properly.
The value of your home is determined by the homes that have recently sold in your neighborhood and the surrounding areas. The unfortunate fact in today’s market is you have to compete with short sale and foreclosure properties. These properties tend to bring the values down due to the fact that the banks will take less than what the property is actually worth.
To help your property be more appealing to a buyer eliminate any turnoffs. If you have worn out carpet, water stains on ceilings, damaged tile or chipping paint, you must fix these issues or any others that may occur. The next step, now that you have your price and all major issues addressed is to spruce up your property. A nicely landscaped yard, a freshly painted front door, decluttering, and newly painted walls go along way.
Last but not least, When is a good time to list your property? Some Realtors say you should wait until the spring sales season to list your home, but others say it’s not necessary. If your home is priced right it will sell anytime of the year.
Last week I was picking up my wife from the Norfolk Airport and I saw a young family waiting in the same area I was. My first thought was that they were waiting for the arrival of a Grandparent, since I am now one twice, but what I observed was that it was a good bye to the father, who must have been a solider. The little boy, maybe 3 years old, just would not let go of his father and finally the mom had to pick him up and walk away. It was sad, it was real life, it was a reminder of how much our young service families sacrifice for us. We hear often that Freedom is Not Free, but we forget until we see what it means. God bless our troops and all those that serve, we owe them more than we will ever realize.
Do you know what makes an agent successful? We do. Cross Realty welcomes queries from those who are interested in joining our award-winning team. Call Harry today at 757-434-9084 to schedule a confidential meeting.
Specializing in properties in South Hampton Roads, Virginia.
