What Would Sandy Suggest – Week 5

I’m in an Office Mood I think

When I think about what I would suggest when I walk into a room…. I have to stop…. and think.

You first off have to find out what the client wants out of the room.
1) What do they want to use this space for?
2) What is their vision for this room?
3) What storage is available?

You can’t fit 20 gallons of gas into a 10 gallon tank right? So if you have too much “stuff” and not enough space to store it… then something needs to go.

Organizers aren’t miracle workers, we can’t create more space in a home. We can help to utilize the space that there is to the fullest.

“Life” happened to this person. A spouse died expectantly a year or so before, and things went kind of crazy. But they wanted some help and guidance.

There were several cats in the home, and thank goodness I didn’t have allergies. But getting used to the smell wasn’t easy either.

Suggestions:

1) Sort through the Clutter. Separate into A) keep B) Donate C) Store D) Trash/Recycle

2) Rearrange if needed to make a usable space – Move bill area to the sturdy desk and decrease need for the folding table.

3) Use existing supplies (client didn’t have finances to purchase new)

4) Clean the space (cat droppings, dust, dirt)

5) Support the client in her decisions

It was a very long day but we were able to accomplish making a livable, usable space. Simple but workable.

If you are wondering… this person was not a hoarder. The rest of the house wasn’t not this bad. This was the “catch all” room that got out of control.  They were open to getting rid of stuff and were very excited to have the room back.

What Happened:

1) We cleared out most of the clutter.

2) We kept the arrangement of furniture the same. The client liked having 2 separate desks and was not open to combining the work spaces.

3) We did basic cleaning. (Carpet cleaning and deep cleaning were still needed)

4) We separated paperwork into boxes  to go through later.

5) There was still several boxes to the left of this picture that the client had to go through. The budget did not allow for me to come back to help as we had planned. But I gave the client the basic knowledge so that they were able to ask themselves the same questions that we did when we worked together.

Not every space has to be organized to be “pretty”.  Being able to help people with the basics and to utilize what they already have is important. Often times I go into situations that the client really needs help. They might not have the finances to do anything but get the help – meaning… we work with what they have.

So… keep that in mind if you feel you don’t have the “money to organize”. I have heard that so often. Going through your things and deciding what to keep or give away doesn’t cost a dime. It just takes time.

Before:

After:

You can do a lot in one day. It wasn’t perfect, and there was still more work to be done… but together we were able to accomplish a lot.

If you have any spaces that you would like help on and would like to be featured in an upcoming week, please leave me a comment that you would like some help.

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Clutter

Does it drive you Crazy?

Does this look familiar to you?  Piles of things all over. The floor littered with things because you don’t know where they should go?  Your life is so busy it is easier to just “throw and go”?

I understand.  Life can get crazy.  But if your home constantly looks this way…it has to be causing you more stress…on top of the stress you already have.

It if is to a point that you can’t walk into rooms, or you have no where to sit down…and you can’t throw things away – then you might have more than just a clutter problem. You might have a hoarding problem.

For clutter you have to make THAT DECISION to correct the problem.  It is just like losing weight or stopping any bad habit….it isn’t fun. But the results of clearing out the “stuff” is live changing. It will free up your space, free up your home and free up your mind.

Here are a few other related posts that I have written:

Clutter in your Home = Clutter in your Head

The 12 Step Program for Surface Abusers

The 12 Step Program for the Surface Abuser

I love this desk, family work center. But what a desk CAN look like

The 12 Step Program for the Surface Abuser.

1) Admit that you have a problem.

2) Ask for help with your Surface Abuse problem. (Professional organizers are everywhere!)

3) Remove ALL surfaces in your home.  (Only kidding!)

4) Realize that this will take on going maintenance to maintain.

5) Visualize what you would LIKE this space to look like.

6) Start the process with one surface.

7) Get a black trash bag for trash and a White trash bag for donate.

8) Begin the Sorting process. Clear everything off your counter and clean it first.

9) Realize that clearing your counter will lead to some organizing in other areas of your house. (this is a Good thing)

10) Decide what to do with all the papers and clutter.

11) Plan daily to clear  off anything that might have accumulated in this “hot spot” zone and place it in the folders or cubbies you created.

12) Be sure to take before and after pictures so help remind yourself how you want to keep your new clear counter.

Disclosure: The above picture is not from my home (I WISH!) It was from a Parade of Homes model that boasted like the best family organizing center ever!!  But you can find these products at The Pottery Barn.

Surface Abuser

Does your counter look like this?

You May be a Surface Abuser if:

1) You think if there is an empty spot on a counter in the kitchen…then you have “more room to put things”

2) You think table tops and counters look “naked” if there is nothing on them.

3) You haven’t been able to wipe down your counter for weeks because of all of the “stuff”

4) You found a dead fish from 6 months ago under some papers on the counter. You thought the other fish ate it. (true story but not this pic)

5) You don’t have to worry about dust on your living room end tables because there is no wood showing.

6) You find expired coupons sitting on counter tops.

7) You know exactly where that lid to the super glue is…and no one better move it out from under the newspaper from 6 weeks ago.

8) You may have left an egg on the counter in the kitchen….but your not sure, it blends in with all the papers so well.

9) You have to clear the papers at the table in order to have room to eat dinner at night. Then you move them back after dinner

10) Other people call you messy, but you feel proud to have been given the title “Surface Abuser” instead. Nikki from The Guilty Parent was my inspiration for #10! Although she is also very visual (which many surface abusers are…so I called her a “Visual Surface Abuser”.

If you were able to answer “yes” to 1 or more of these questions /statements…then you are probably a Surface Abuser.  There is help for you out there….stay tuned for treatment plans.

Get Organized

What if Everyone Says You Need to Organize, But you Aren’t ready?

This can be tough. What if your husband or wife, friends and family are telling you that YOU NEED help? You may not think you are ready for that step.
First of all you have to think honestly to yourself…..
1) Are you happy with how your house looks?
2) Are you proud of your house?
3) Are you embarrassed to have people in your house?
4) Can you find what you need when you need it?
5) Are you ready for a change?
6) Are you ready to stay in the situation you are in?

These are several things that you can ask yourself….and be honest with yourself. You don’t have to tell anyone your answers.

If other people are telling you have a problem…and you don’t feel you are ready…you need to ask yourself…why?
Why do you want to keep your home the way it is? If you aren’t proud of it…if you can’t have company over because you are embarrassed…..then why aren’t you ready to make a change?
Change can be scary. It can be hard…and that is usually the reason that we are resistant to it. We are scared of things that can be hard. We are scared of things that make us face reality. No one likes to do that. Plus it just seems too overwhelming to us to handle.
When you do realize you need help…then to reach out and get that help is the hard thing….once you get going…it will feel wonderful. It will feel like a weight has been lifted and you can breath.
Imagine if your mother in law or friend decides to drop in at on you at the last minute and you have no problem saying ….”Come on in and sit down!!”….without embarrassment! That would be great wouldn’t it?
Think about it!

Garage Organizing

Before Organizing

Would you like to organize this?  This is the 2nd wave of a full garage I have to work on for this person.
There has been a lot to go through and we are going through it bit by bit. This is the garage after it has been sorted from boxes and storage units but “before” it has been organized.
I will be working on it soon and can’t wait. To me this is the fun part.
Once you have sorted through what you want to keep, what you want to donate and what needs to be just thrown away…then you can decide how you are going to organize it. You will have the “volume” of the stuff and can make those decisions.
Until you know how much you have it is difficult to plan your attack on how to organize it.

Be sure to check out the Garage “After” Organizing