Selling your home?  Get it ready first!  You only get one chance to make a first impression…. make it a good one!

How you live in your home is very different than how you sell your home.  Your home is a reflection of your style, taste and life. Everyone has their own vision for what a “perfect” house would be… but quite often YOUR style may not be what potential buyers want.  That doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with how you live or how you decorate, it just means that its different from theirs.

From the moment they arrive at your home until they leave, they are trying to envision themselves in your home.  If your home screams country, but they’re more modern – it may be a turn off to them and make it difficult for them to see themselves in the space.  Make it easier for them to see your home’s full potential and it’s features, instead of your decor and belongings.

Preparing your home for sale doesn’t have to be difficult or costly, but in a competitive market, you want to stand out from the crowd.  Here are a few ways to prepare your home so that it leaves a great first impression that will hopefully lead to that SOLD sign on your front lawn. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I was at a client’s home whose basement had been taken over. It has been taken over by memories, old photos, gift wrap, memorabilia, clothes, camping equipment, seasonal decorations, papers and assorted treasures. Now there is nothing wrong with having some of those…but there’s a limit of what you can have in your space. You need to decide what you want. If you want more space, you need to have less stuff.

My clients are wonderful parents, who are expecting their second child just after Christmas. They are a loving couple who have just been taken over by their stuff. They aren’t “bad” or “strange”, but they were overwhelmed, and didn’t know where to start. They would like to finish their basement to have a family room as well as an office. But in order to that, there are steps that need to be taken. We have been purging, sorting and re locating items from their basement. At the beginning, the whole basement was full, we have done our initial sort and gotten rid of items for donation or the dump, but now the hard part begins. We need to pare down the items to fit into the space available.

This is when you need to decide what’s more important to you. The stuff or the space. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not just for cars anymore!!

Neat and Tidy

Garages are one of the biggest wasted spaces that homeowners have.  It often gets overlooked and is the most disorganized because it becomes the dumping ground for all the “stuff” you don’t know what to do with or don’t use often.  Is your garage useful, or is it just being used?  Why not take back that valuable space and make it work for you!

Whether your garage is a workshop, parking spot or solely used for storage there a tried-and-true formula for cleaning out and organizing a garage – the same principles apply for any space in your home. You have to pull everything out to see what you have, decide if it stays or goes and then plan the space.  Once you see what you have left, you can then find the best solutions that work for your individual needs and space available.

A great way to make the best use of your space is to go vertical.  Installing shelving, adding hooks and racks keep items off the floor and leave you more space to move..  Lofts are also a great place to store seasonal items that aren’t used often.  Clear plastic storage containers keep items together and make it easy to see what’s inside. Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know that the average person wears only 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time?

How many clothes have you “lost” because you can’t see them or find them….or forgot you even had them?

Take back your wardrobe and find ways to change it up for spring! Think of it as shopping in your own closet. You’ll find treasures that you lost or may even find new ways of pairing up items. Give yourself a block of time, grab a drink and a snack and jump in!

1. DECIDE -Pull all your clothes out decide what to Keep, Toss, or Recycle.

KEEP- Only what you love, that fits and that makes you feel good in it. Have boxes or bins ready to contain them while you sort.

TOSS- Any clothes that are stained, torn, worn or damaged put into dark garbage bags. These items are in the trash.

RECYCLE- Any clothing that is still in good shape that someone else could use put into clear garbage bags or boxes. You can choose to donate them to a shelter or charity or make some cash and take them into a consignment shop.

Points to consider:
o If you haven’t worn it in a few years… let it go
o If you feel great in it…keep it
o If you don’t find it flattering….let it go
o If you wear it often and fits….keep it
o If you like it but never wear it…. let it go
o If was a good deal but it doesn’t match anything…let it go

2. ORGANIZE – Determine what you have and what you need.

• Sort your clothes by work wear and casual wear. Then break it down further. Group like with like,  ie: Jeans together, skirts together, long sleeve, short sleeve. Then see what you really have.
• Do you really need 10 pairs of black pants? Pare down the numbers again by choosing what you like and fit you best. Get rid of the rest. When you can accurately see how many items that you have you will make better purchasing decisions.
• Invest in some wooden or sturdy plastic hangers, tiered hangers, closet systems, hooks and baskets. When things are sorted and stored together, they’re easier to keep tidy.
• Keep out of season clothing in clear containers under your bed or in your storage area. Spring and Summer together, Fall and Winter together.

Most importantly, follow the one in, one out rule. Any time you buy a new clothing item, one of the old ones must go. Keep a donate box in your closet and fill it as you go. When it’s full, drop it off and start another one.

Cleaning out your closet is a great way to make better use of your space, get rid of things you never wear and feel good about what you have.

As featured in the Spirng issue of Life in Clairngton Magazine

Spring Cleaning!

By:  Jenny McKee, Professional Organizer

Do you feel that your home is out of control?  Do you feel stressed when you walk in the door?  Want to take back your space?

Our days are longer than ever before and many people are finding themselves stuck in a rut and feel overwhelmed with the tasks of daily living.  With such busy lives it’s even more important that your home be a sanctuary and place to relax and rejuvenate. If you are constantly surrounded by mess and a never ending to do list it will be more difficult to take time for yourself.

Every aspect of your home influences your life, either physically or emotionally.  It has a direct impact on your time, finances, health, relationships and your overall happiness and well being.

When people are in balanced and harmonious environments they

• are much happier
• work better
• are efficient and productive
• understand more easily, as a result, learn faster
• feel in control
• enjoy life, themselves, and whatever they do
• have an overall contentment surrounding them

On the other hand, people in chaotic environments often feel Read the rest of this entry »

Office Organization Tips

Today I went shopping for some office supplies… ahhhh…..HEAVEN! An office supply store is like a toy store for many organizers. All the neat little gadgets, colour coded files, baskets, bins, pens, sticky notes, and, of course, label makers!  I thought I’d post a few items that I think are great for helping you keep your office organized and efficient.  Read on… Read the rest of this entry »

Time Organization & Study Tips

I am a proud contributer to a fantastic magazine for pre teen and teenaged girls called “Girls Can Do Anything” It is all about helping young girls boost self esteem, learn how to be “real” and fights a lot of the pressures put on teen girls. Visit their website at www.gcdamagazine.com I recently wrote this article on studying tips for teens. Thought I would share it here.
I’m sure that you are so excited that exams are coming up…that you know that you’ll study every night, have everything prepared, and then ace the exam. Right? What??? You don’t think so?? Well let’s see how we can change that!  Read on to get easy tips to help you ace that exam! Read the rest of this entry »

If you ask anyone what they want more of… the answer will often be more time. Heck I would like more time too!  BUT, are you making the most out of your time? Could you get more done each day? If you’re organized you will. The best way to get things done is to break them down into manageable tasks.  You’d be surprised at how many things you can do when you break them down. When you’re on hold on the phone don’t sit and wait; keep busy. Take those moments here and there to complete small tasks. Waiting for your printer to print?? Answer an email. EVERY MINUTE COUNTS! As I always say…

LESS THAN A MINUTE.JUMP RIGHT IN IT!

Read on for tips on gaining control over your time and getting your entire home & office quickly organized, one little manageable step at a time. Read the rest of this entry »