Organizing Solutions
All right, you’ve cleaned out your garage/closet/kitchen/kid’s room/etc. Now the problem is – what are you going to do with all the things you decided not to keep? Here are a few general ideas to get you started on the organized path to keeping your home clutter-free.
Garage Sales
Planning a garage sale requires your creative effort and your ability to carry out the arduous task of dealing with people swarming over your lawn and picking up things for something good to buy.
There are many things which one needs to consider in the management of a garage sale and relieving your self of home items that are way useless in your day-to-day living. Examples of perfect items to sell are personal articles such as old clothing, toys, pieces of furniture, appliances, books, carpentry tools and the like, and kitchen items and other slightly used personal articles.
While items for sale are most important in a yard sale, there are a couple of things one has to consider before one would embark on its actual operation and start shouting SALE in the middle of your lawn!
Physical Stamina
Most people have many items to sell but their tolerance to stress gets in the way to getting into the real action. Organizing a yard sale is not something that one should consider lightly.
This demands so much of your organizational and managerial skills, preparation, strict implementation of the sale rules while taking into consideration the interest of other people involved in the project.
Family Members
Listen to what the members of your family have to say about organizing a garage sale. Perhaps you may start asking questions as follows:
- Are your family members (if applicable) willing to take part in the project and ready to give up their possessions?
- Are they in favor of sacrificing their time in helping you manage the period during which the sale will be conducted?
- Are they all okay with the items to be sold?
- Does your entire family have what it takes to face the questioning crowd regarding the appropriateness of prices indicated on the merchandise for sale?
Emotional Stability
With all the physical preparation going on, you might have come to stop thinking about the effects the garage sale has on yourself and your family members.
Sale-goers may ask you questions about your family background, some may bluntly ask if someone in the family is or has been suffering from a serious disease (especially for buyers who opt to buy kitchen items) just to ensure that they are procuring safe and clean items.
Some may even comment on the absurdity of the prices. This may not be an issue with you but some of your family members may take that personally and may confront the busy shoppers.
Beware of the Law
Local laws govern flea market and yard sales so it is best to check with your local government and check out ordinances that have a direct implication on your intention to conduct a garage sale.
Some local governments allow people to hold a garage sale for specific hours of a day but limit your ability to hold such events once a year while some allow twice a year and others more than two!
Many communities prohibit the use of signage in promoting the event but current laws allow such advertisement across the web. Others require that you secure a legal permit that allows you to operate such events during a specific sale period.
Know Thy Neighbor
While you all have the power to conduct business according to your own willing, others might object to you conducting business operation inside your garage since, more often than not, sale events causes traffic problems and cars occupying parking lots intended for homeowners in your community.
The Right Place at the Right Time
Even if you have the best items for sale, this is not a guarantee of successful sale revenue in the offing. Knowing the best strategic location for conducting such an event is as important as the items you have in place.
Generally, the best time to operate a yard sale is on Fridays and Saturdays when people have the time to travel and do other things besides working.
For weather, spring to early fall is best when people are active and have less chances of staying indoors.
Making the Most Out of Your Space
The thing about real estate is that it never grows bigger. What makes it worse is that you often find yourself having more and more stuff to store leaving you with less and less space to work with.
Fortunately, the problem is not without its solutions. And if you’re tough enough to brave some of these measures, you may be able to reclaim lost space and maximize what you have.
The principal principles
The main idea in making space is being able to use it well. This does not only mean getting the smallest items but also allowing an efficient flow of activity within a space.For example, instead of settling for a small kitchen AND a small dining room, why not allot a big kitchen space and make it work around a dining table setting? Or perhaps combining the living room with a home office setup, which makes entertaining clients a possibility.
The right stuff
Fortunately, appliance and furniture designers have caught on to this need and have developed a wide range of products making the most out of your real estate. A great trend is giving a single item multiple functions such as sofa beds. For household appliances, a machine incorporating an oven toaster and coffee maker are great space savers. Even office equipment such as fax machines, copiers and printers have been integrated into one device saving desktop space.
Space saving savvy
It is also important to know some tricks of the trade that saves you more space. Some are listed below:
- In designing a small room, focus on a corner of the room and build the layout around it. You’ll find that as you move out from the corner, you’re maximizing every inch of space. By the time you’ve reached the edge of the room, your activity area has been laid out completely but doesn’t feel crowded.
- Don’t overlook vertical space. Build tall shelves. (Even ones that almost reach the ceiling!) Place frequently used items on the lower shelves and less-needed items on the top. Don’t forget to have a ladder ready though.
- Conduct regular maintenance and sorting. Be vigilant in keeping your spaces neat to avoid clutter. Also make it a habit to take stock of what’s stored in your space and decide what you can do without.
With a little elbow grease, some prudence and a lot of creativity, finding ways to fully use the space you’ve got will make for a home/office that’s more fun to live/work in with still some room to spare.
Should You Get An Interior Decorator?
If you think you have good taste, a keen sense of what you want and don’t want, a good grip on design concepts and materials, AND have the time to spare, then you’re a likely candidate for NOT needing an interior designer’s services.
But if you feel you’re not able to carry out the task of decorating and planning your home/room’s layout by yourself, it would do you well to consider consulting and working with a professional.
Hiring an interior designer/decorator is the same as hiring any other professional for their expertise. In the case of an interior decorator, their skills in bringing functionality and beauty to your home/office are your basis for hiring them. And these services need not necessarily cost you an arm and a leg if you do your homework and find a decorator with whom you feel comfortable working.
Set your goals, vision and budget
Even before interviewing prospective designers, establish your vision, goals and budget. Have an idea of what you want the room to look like, a particular goal you want to achieve with the room, and an idea of how much money you’re willing to spend.Work these out first on your own and bring these to the table when talking to decorators for the first time. Select photos or get color swatches to help you get a better idea of what you want.
The initial consultation
With something to work on, the prospective designer should be able to give you immediate feedback on your vision, goals and budget. You should at least hear them verbalize what you have in mind to make sure they understood your concept and needs. Some design suggestions can be offered as well.
Most initial consultations are given free of charge, depending on the area you’re in. However, don’t be surprised if some designers hesitate to speak their minds on the first consultation as they may be holding back until you award the project to them.
Working terms
Once you’ve decided which design firm/individual you want to hire, there are several schemes in availing of their services such as:
- retainer basis – a fee is paid in advance for the services yet to be rendered
- fee basis – a set list of specific services are given at an agreed upon price
- hourly rate – consultations are made on a “as-needed” basis, ranging from $50-$300 an hour
- cost-plus – the designer passes off to you all purchases made in your behalf and adds his/her own fee to the bill
Find what works best for you and your lifestyle and you might be well on your way to a home/office that works well and looks good.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...