Tag: home organizing tips

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Garages Professional-Organizer

Tips to Get the Garage Organized

Fremont, CA Garage

One of the toughest areas to get and keep organized is the garage. It is a catch-all and living “to-do” list. A multipurpose nature coupled with being out-of-sight, out-of-mind makes a garage prone to clutter. No space could be more useful when utilized well.

Perhaps you’re ready to hit the slopes and want to get on the road without having to dig through piles to find the cold-weather gear. Or you have a special project in mind but never get to it because you lack the space to work. Read our tips on the blog for ways to get and keep the garage organized, and you’ll be on the way to having a functional storage and work space roomy enough to throw a dance party in. 

If after reading, you still feel like there’s too much to do, give Bella Organizing a call. We’ll get the garage de-cluttered and set up in no time.

San Ramon, CA Shelf Installation

Garage Organizing Tips

Don’t let cardboard boxes and packaging stockpile in the garage. Many people say they want to keep packaging in case a recent purchase needs to be returned, repaired, or for when they move. If you value your space, recycle product packaging immediately after its return or repair insurance date expires. If you one day need a box for it, you can get an equivalent at a local hardware or office supply store, or free from a supermarket or Craigslist. Your personal space is valuable, don’t clutter it with packaging you only anticipate needing.

Sweep the garage once a week. Each go-over will pick up a little more left over from last time. This is a great way for kids to earn allowance. Have a garage-sweeping checklist clipped on the wall to follow when taking out the trash and mark when done.

Keep things off the floor. Critters love dark, cozy places. Prevent piles on the floor and other exposed surfaces to keep pests from returning to make your favorite things their love and poop nests.

Use heavy-duty bins with secure lids to store your most valuable items. Rodents LOVE eating through cardboard to poop on your precious photos of grandma, and the next rain can’t wait to deliver moisture to your memorabilia and start a mold and mildew party. Secure your stuff in solid bins that cannot be penetrated in a garage, attic, basement, or other space that is exposed to the elements.

Create and honor zones. Automotive supplies, recreational gear, holiday decorations, tools and hardware, cleaning supplies, emergency preparedness kit, memorabilia. If you have trouble getting organized, creating and honoring zones will make a HUGE difference in your ability to find what you need and prevent you from buying duplicates.

Oakland CA Garage / Workshop

Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your garage, attic, basement, or other storage space. Gift certificates are available.

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Professional-Organizer

Six Simple Steps To Get Organized

office shelf with white metal magazine and paper files acrylic bins from container store Bella Organizing Professional home organizers and residential packing and moving management company serving the San Francisco Bay Area.
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My boy Newton. He owns and loves but a few simple toy, but we have the most fun hiking together in the East Bay Regional Park hills.

Getting organized doesn’t happen overnight. 

It’s a process or a “lifestyle change” that develops and improves over time.  The more action you take toward an organized lifestyle, the more time you will have for family, friends, hobbies, life goals, and yourself. With faithful practice, you will become more organized. Here are six simple steps to get you started:

  1. Pick a zone
  2. Make a list
  3. Sort like items
  4. Give Away/Sell/Donate
  5. Organize
  6. Congratulate yourself

1. Pick a zone. 

Choose a room or area of that room where with a little decluttering and organizing you will get instant gratification. Don’t try to tackle the entire garage or house in one day…stick with a SMALL area of one room, such as one small closet or cabinet. Focus on getting this area completely organized just the way you want it. The positive feeling of SUCCESS helps to keep us moving toward our goals.

2. Make a list.

Prioritize projects to complete within that zone before moving on to another (1., 2., 3., etc.). For example, if decluttering and organizing a pantry:

  1. Pull out and compost old and expired food
  2. Wipe down shelves with a cleaning solution
  3. Arrange food into categories
  4. Make a list of food that needs to be replaced and/or organizing supplies to pick up that will help streamline the pantry.

3. Sort like items.

Do you have multiples of something you prefer to store in this zone in different areas around the house? Bring them together. Don’t stray too far! Stick with organizing this zone. Finding things that don’t belong here? Put them in a pile and find them a home later or drop them off in the general area that *should* be their home and leave them there for now. You’ll fine tune later. Get back to sorting your priority zone. Do a little dusting while here.

4.  Give Away/Sell/Donate. 

Gather paper or plastic grocery or trash bags, cardboard Amazon or moving boxes, and label them accordingly for Give Away, Sell, and Donate. Fill them with things found in this zone that you want to bestow upon someone you know and love (Give Away), things you would like to make money back on (Sell) and things you don’t want that aren’t worth the time to sell but still have a little life in them (Donate). Place a Recycle and Trash bin or bag nearby, in case you come across this stuff in the process. #4 is an optional but very important step to de-cluttering and downsizing. 

5.  Organize. 

Place items where it makes the most sense to you. Should everything in this zone be tidied up and left here or taken somewhere else in the house where it makes more sense to be? Did you find keys that should instead hang on a hook by the door, or go in a specific drawer in the kitchen? Did you happen upon a set of winter gloves that should go into a drawer in your dresser, or into each jacket pocket so they are instantly there when you need them? (I leave mine in my jackets and LOVE always finding them there.)

6.  Congratulate yourself for coming this far.

Great job! You completed organizing a zone. Now set up a date with yourself to tackle another zone and add to the accomplishments.

Isabella Guajardo has provided professional home organizing and residential move management services to hundreds of individuals and families from all walks of life including single parents, school teachers, college professors, lawyers, doctors, Pulitzer Prize winners, and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The thing 90% of them have in common? Too much stuff they were ready to downsize. Bella Organizing helps you to tackle and reach your declutter and organizing goals.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.

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Professional-Organizer

5 Home Organizing Mistakes To Stop Making

Kids_Room_declutter_organize

If you are like many people, you dream of finding time to get started on a few home organizing projects. Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid and tips to stay on task and be productive:

#1 Trying to get another adult organized.

I often get calls and email from thoughtful family members, friends, and neighbors asking for help for someone they love that’s living a cluttered life. The disorganized person may or may not live with them. If you want to help someone declutter and get organized, start by gently letting them know why you are concerned, that professional organizers exist if they are interested in getting help, and then live by example.

If you are living with the cluttered person and it bothers you, have a gentle talk and make an agreement to set space boundaries where they put their stuff, and you put yours. If it’s a shared home office, draw an imaginary line down the middle of the room and keep your things on one side, and theirs on the other. Then keep your area neat and organized and tune out the others persons space. Yes, learn to TUNE IT OUT. Your own organized space can become an inspiration for the cluttered person to get their act together. In time, they may start looking to you for advice or help.

If someone asks you to help them get organized and you agree, it’s important to not push them to get rid of things, which can start a serious argument and damage a relationship. You need to earn their trust over time if you want to be effective, which can take great patience on your end. Read this article before beginning to work together. If it’s a serious clutter or hoarding situation that violates health codes or puts you and/or another person in danger, contact a specialist for advice. Bella Organizing assists with light levels and borderline hoarding, but for serious issues, consider learning more about the topic and gather resources through the American Psychiatric Foundation.

#2 Thinking you can organize everything at once.

An organized home isn’t built in a day. Getting organized is a process, a lifestyle change that is learned, develops and improves over time with regular practice, much like getting your body fit and toned. You may clean and organize a certain area of the house one day, but then it’s back to its cluttered state a week later if you have not kept up the cleaning. Instead of doing a big job all at once every six months (or years), get in the habit of cleaning and organizing an area a little at a time and more often. For example: your desk. Take 15 minutes at the end of each day to file paperwork and clear it of the days clutter. Set your phone alarm for daily reminders or put a big sign above your desk to remind you. Clean and organize one small space 15 minutes daily for 21 days in a row and magic will start to happen. Learn to love the process of organizing as well as look forward to the end goal.

#3 Organizing without letting go.

It’s a fact of life that we collect stuff. Like squirrels and nuts, we hunt and gather and fill our homes with wonderful goods. As more things enter the home, we find ways to store them in closets, cabinets, drawers, and buy new bins and baskets. The baskets and spaces start to fill and spill over. Time for another basket, closet, or storage unit?

No. It’s time to purge through what you have before thinking about another trip to the Container Store. Getting organized isn’t only about containing things, it’s about learning and practicing clutter prevention methods, and regularly letting go of things you never or rarely use. Every time you clean up, encourage yourself to let go of a couple things that are of no use to you and/or others in your home and take up valuable space where peace and clarity can reside instead.

#4 Allowing toys and kids clothes in the house without setting rules & guidelines.

How much do you remember owning when you were a kid? When you were 18, or 25? When younger, you don’t care quite as much about owning lots of things as you will when an adult. If you’re a parent with a child’s room or house filled with toys, clothes, and kid clutter, really think about how and why it got there. Who bought the toys? Who allowed these things inside the house over the years? Think back to the simplicity of childhood, how you didn’t need but a few, special things to make you happy.

Most kids are too young to understand the concept of feeling cluttered, and will live in it feeling weighed down without realizing they have a choice to live without it (recent studies have shown that collecting and hoarding can be learned in the home!) Help prevent scattered kids stuff and take a load off your kids themselves by not allowing any more children’s clothes or toys into the house until you’ve made some solid declutter decisions and set rules & guidelines together for a healthy in/out exchange.

#5 Organizing without a plan of action. 

When’s the last time you jumped into a home organizing project without taking time to think about what you are doing and why? How did it turn out? How much better do you think the experience could have been or the process a bit more efficient with a little planning? Avoid rash actions that result in an argument with your housemates, partner/spouse, or kids, get organized faster, and enjoy longer lasting effects by setting goals and making a plan you independently or collaboratively work on over time. Use my free downloadable Action-Plan-Template to get started. Complete it yourself or together, stick it on the refrigerator or somewhere else that makes the most sense for it to be, and start making things happen…

Action-Plan-Template.doc
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Professional-Organizer

Home Workshop Makeover

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Storage shelf mayhem (BEFORE)Home-workshop-organizing-before-2

The Transformation…

office-organizing-after

We started with an on-site consultation and planning session to develop goals and a timeline for getting my client’s workshop organized. I assessed the project would take 2-3 sessions depending on how much homework he did between them.

The first session consisted of sorting, purging, and cleaning for a day.

Next, I re-assessed the space to include room redesign plans. Based off what the client decided to keep, what we could reuse, and what needed to be acquired, I created a resource and supply list. The client agreed to be in charge of purchasing items needed to move forward.

I knew the room would function and flow nicely with workstations against the wall, opening space in the center for a project display table. I designed an area for a desk facing the room where he can oversee his domain while working on the computer.

There was not a comfortable space to sit and relax, so a lounge area was planned by the window.

There was not overhead lighting, so we planned for a variety of light sources including tabletop lamps.

The stark white room needed a splash of color, and I knew Plum Wine would do the trick on the far wall.

More “after” photos

All four work stations were moved against the wall. Projects were sorted, given their own bin, labeled and placed underneath to keep tabletops free of clutter until it was their time to come out. Task lighting was placed at each table:

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Provided with placement suggestions and resources, my client saved quite a bit of money by acquiring and installing LED spotlights and additional overhead lighting himself:

workshop-organizing-lights

Tools and commonly used supplies were organized into labeled drawers. My client preferred LOTS of labeling so he can get into the habit of putting things back where they belong. He even made his own drawer dividers. Additional project and supply bins are placed underneath:

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Small electrical supplies were sorted, organized, and labeled. Below is the soldering station with tools and supplies:

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Alphabetizing makes things easy to find. We reused some labels and created lots more that were previously hand-written:

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Using an extra table in the room, a computer desk was set up. Degrees and awards were placed on the wall behind it. A black leather lounger, just the right size for the space, was acquired and placed by the desk and window. A new, more comfortable desk chair and rolling stools were purchased. My client obtained the seating, and saved money by painting the wall himself. He did an excellent job!

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An organized & redesigned home workshop.

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This project was one of my favorites. Why? Because the client was an action-taker, did his homework on schedule, and did it well! It took a 2-person Bella Organizing team 2 sessions to redesign, clean, and organize. We hauled away 1.5 truckloads of e-waste including hundreds of cords and wires, old chairs and misc. to be donated and recycled. With the help of a very motivated client in charge of purchasing, lighting installation, and painting, this home workshop is now ready to roll.

Gift Cards Are Available.

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Professional-Organizer

Breath Light Into Your Home

attic home organizing in berkeley and oakland

Breathe Light Into Your Home

Lighting is a critical element to how well the home looks and functions. Inadequate lighting is a common issue, and often caused by incorrect wattage in lamps and outdated overhead fixtures. This can make a room dark, shadowy and uncomfortable.

Check to make sure the highest watt bulbs recommended by the manufacturer are in your lamps and fixtures. Experiment with clear and frosted bulbs.

Do you have trouble reading in a particular room or while working at your desk? Do you sit close to a window for natural light because the lamps and fixtures direct light upward to the ceiling and not down on the room, book or desk? Is the art, décor, or plants hidden in the dark? If any of this applies to you, it’s time to redesign the lighting in your home and upgrade to what you need. It doesn’t have to cost much.

To properly light your home, you need three types of lighting: general, task, and accent.

GENERAL LIGHTING illuminates the entire room. This includes fixtures that hang on or near the ceiling, and Torchiere lamps that stand on the floor and shine their light up and outward. This also includes Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Cove Lighting, Chandeliers, and Sconces.

TASK LIGHTING includes table and standing lamps, strip lighting, or track lighting directed to specific areas, and is an essential element for working and reading comfortably. Swing-arm lamps connected to a wall are versatile task lighting, more commonly placed at the bedside or next to a favorite reading chair. Some Torchiere lamps come with combination up and down lights that provide both general and task lighting. Strip lighting is commonly used under kitchen cabinets to light up countertops.

ACCENT LIGHTING is used to highlight artwork, sculptures, trees, and plants. Properly lit art and accessories can dramatically improve the look of these pieces and the overall feel of the room. Collections displayed in bookcases or wall units can be illuminated with individual spotlights or strip lighting under a shelf.

Take these steps to improve the lighting in your home:

  • Identify the places where general, task, and/or accent lighting is needed
  • Change bulbs to their maximum wattage
  • Use three-way bulbs in three-way sockets

Remodeling is not necessary to improve lighting. Visit a local lighting store or well-lit furniture showroom for lamp, fixture, and bulb ideas.

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Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.