Often we accumulate an excess of things without even realizing it because, at the time, it’s just a “must-have” cute sweater, or a birthday gift from a friend, or a new innovative tech gadget that we have to have. Unfortunately, that sweater enters a closet filled with old “must-have” clothes, and that old tech gadget too often gets tossed in a drawer to be dealt with later. Before you know it, your home is overrun with stuff you don’t need, and the thought of decluttering can feel completely overwhelming. Following these five tips for decluttering can help you know where to start and help you get your space to a place that gives you peace, not overwhelming anxiety. If You Don’t Use it, Get Rid of it! We all have things in our homes that we don’t use; it’s inevitable. Often those unneeded things linger around much longer than they should; It’s easy to forget about them or tell ourselves that we may use them “someday” and store them even longer. In the end, causing ourselves countless hours of wasted time organizing items we don’t need and taking up valuable space in our home to store them, this seems like a lose-lose to me. One of my favorite ways to start decluttering any space is with the “Four-Box method.” To complete this method, you will need four boxes, and you will need to label them: Trash, Give Away, Keep, or Re-locate. Picking one room at a time, you can place all the items from this room into one of the four boxes. Try not to leave any item out, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. You may be shocked how quickly you can cut down the amount of stuff in your home. Make Sure That Everything Has a Place If something doesn’t have a home, it’s time to either make it a home or get rid of it! This theory is arguably one of the best decluttering tools to refer back to as often as possible. Clutter is usually caused by a failure to return things to where they belong; If that thing doesn’t have a home and you can’t discard it, then it will always be out of place and cluttering up your space. Pantry Decluttering If you’re not sure where to start, the pantry is always a great choice. Pull all the contents of the pantry out so that you are starting fresh. Make sure to remove and throw out any expired items. Then set aside any unwanted items to donate to your local food bank or someone you know in need. Once you have cleared out all unwanted items and wiped down your shelves, it’s time to put the remaining items back into the pantry. By decluttering the things that have expired or that you won’t use, you can maximize the space that you do have. You will want to group similar items together by type, making them easier to find in the future and make sure you put your foods that will expire earliest at the front. You can also utilize many different storage options when it comes to your pantry. Wire shelving can help you use vertical space, or wall hooks can help maximize wall space. This task does not have to be done all at one time. You can always tackle it one shelf at a time if you work better in shorter intervals. Try the Box in, Box out or Tape Methods As already suggested above, the beginning process of all spaces should be similar, doing a sweep and donating, selling, or throwing out any items that you already know you don’t use. With the “box in, box out” method, once you have removed all unwanted items, place the utensils remaining in your kitchen into a box and decide on a time frame. When I used this method in my home, I decided on a one-month time frame; If I didn’t use it in a month, I didn’t need it. (This timeline may vary for you depending on how often you’re actively using your kitchen.) At the end of the month, I donated all the remaining utensils in the box, minus a couple of seasonal items that I knew I would need come turkey time, of course! I have also tried the tape method in other areas of my home, and I loved the result. With the tape method, you will place a small piece of masking tape on each item and only remove the tape when you use the item. At the end of the month (or whatever time frame you established for yourself), anything that still has tape attached can be donated or thrown out. Managing Your Overloaded Closet We should treat our closet like any other space; Your first step should always be to remove things you know you don’t want. Once you have removed these items, you can move on and try the hanger trick! A method similar to the box and tape methods, just this time, you’re using hangers to help narrow down the clothes you don’t wear. Turn all your clothes hanging in your closet around so that the hangers are facing back-to-front. For the next six months, when you wear an item of clothing, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct way. You should consider donating any clothing on hangers that are still hung back-to-front at the end of six months since if you haven’t worn them. Decluttering can take some time. We don’t generally accumulate all this excess stuff overnight. So we shouldn’t expect to get rid of it overnight either. If you have items that don’t have a place in your home but you’re not ready to get rid of yet, feel free to contact our friends at Crate It Storage to help you find a storage solution that works for you!
12 Foolproof Storage Hacks for Holiday Decor this Christmas
Whether you’re the winter wonderland type or just traditionally filled with Christmas spirit, you’re going to have holiday decor crowding your home by the end of the month.
A 3-Step Cheat Sheet to Downsizing your Office
Circumstances don’t make a person. Likewise, office size doesn’t make a successful business. In the modern world, there are about a million ways technology plays a greater role than the physical space we work in. Remote workers, high rent, and economic changes are all reasons you may want to downsize. If you decide to do so, it should be done the right way. It may even lead to more productivity for reasons we’ll touch on below. But first, let’s start at the beginning. 1. Preparing to win Plan ahead and set goals If you manage your business all by yourself — that’s great. You don’t have to refer to anyone else for decision-making. However, DO make decisions early — and that’s with or without a team. Additionally, ensure you set concrete goals that are in line with your company’s goals, values, and anything else that could be affected by the move. Discern your office needs You know you’re going smaller but how much smaller exactly? Figure out what your office requires in anticipation of the change. Is smaller equipment an option? Would you be better off using electronic storage? What type of layout suits your employees? — We’ll go more into detail on that one later. For now, just be clear on your workspace must-haves. Get help from the professionals If you have the means to do so, allow an expert step in to help with packing, storage, and moving your office to its new location (Relocate Stress-Free are pros here). Know your purpose and act on it Be aware of what specific purpose all parts of your office serve. A more limited space does not have to mean less efficiency. On the same note, use multi-purpose supplies and furniture to make the most out of space. 2. Doing the work Organize with intent The groundwork for moving goes in a similar fashion to planning. Conscious organization is key. When packing boxes, remember to use simple but effective labels so you won’t be lost when unpacking. Rent a storage unit Renting a space to keep important items will probably work out in your best interest. There are lots of options available, but we’d recommend Crate it Storage here for many reasons. As needed, be sure to inform your storage company of the labels for the boxes. Also, don’t hesitate to force yourself to donate or — as appropriate — throw away what you don’t need. Get rid of some furniture Similarly, feel free to rid yourself of too large or unnecessary furniture taking up space. Yes, that lounge chair is the most gorgeous thing on the floor, but if you don’t allow your employees to take naps on it — and you probably should — then consider getting rid of it. Go vertical or go home Before we talk about telecommuting, let’s discuss even more space maximization which you can achieve by using vertical furniture instead of traditional horizontal pieces. We’re talking desk-top shelves and otherwise spending practices. Employ interior design expertise If you don’t spend money on any other expertise… well, who can blame you? HGTV has made an interior designer of us all. But for real, employing a professional can make a huge difference. Meanwhile, we advise the use of light-colored paint and large mirrors to give your office the illusion of spaciousness. Sometimes, the illusion is as good as reality, so just enjoy the magic. 3. Boosting productivity Consider remote work You won’t miss your large conference room if you make use of telecommuting with your employees. Consider the use of virtual conference meetings, or, you can even rent a hotel conference room if meetings are irregular. In 2019, there’s an endless range of options for meetings online. Plus, more organizations than ever are granting flexibility through remote work and guess what — at least one study showed that workers were more productive. Enjoy a physical connection Of course, this all has to do with how well you carry out such a plan. In the meantime, feel free to encourage your staff to embrace the physical closeness they are now succumbed to. They’ll bounce into each other more often, and this will lead to a greater sense of community and increased creativity as good vibes and shared focus is exchanged. Don’t forget work-life balance Always keep in mind that employees exist outside of work just like you do. A happy wife makes a happy life, right? Well, a fulfilled employee makes, well, an engaged and productive one. One disclaimer though: Nothing can be guaranteed to fix your human resource problems except modern behavioral experts. However, we hope that the above can help conquer your business’ downsizing battle with ease and perhaps leave you better off than when you had that big fancy office.
Packing to move? Here are our top 5 expert tips!
When beginning to pack for your move, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start and how to pack certain items. Fortunately, we’ve had a ton of experience packing all kinds of things and both large and small volumes of items. Here are our top ten expert tips to put into play when you’re packing to move to a new home! Start Early When you start packing early, you save yourself a ton of stress. For an average 4 bedroom home, you could easily spend 4-5 days packing-which is a lot of time. That timeline also assumes you have all of your supplies on hand and experience no delays. With that in mind, the earlier you can start packing the better. Anything you won’t be using until your move can be packed away. Some great items to start with early on (even months in advance) can include seasonal items, home decor, guest bedroom furniture and items, and any collectibles or items of sentimental value. Since these are all items you won’t need before your move, it is simple to pack them away safely well in advance. Packing early also saves you from rushing through, running the risk that some items get broken. Don’t Leave the Kitchen for Last Many individuals leave the kitchen for last when they are packing. We highly advise against that. Kitchens are the room in your home that takes the longest to pack by far. Think about the number of breakable items, small appliances, or oddly shaped items in your kitchen. That’s why it takes so long! To avoid packing your kitchen up at 11 pm the night before your truck arrives, pack all the non-essential items up in the week leading up to your move. Save only a few cups and glasses or opt for paper plates and cups to save yourself even more time or opt for take out for a couple of days before your move. Taking the time to pack your delicate kitchen items properly will be well worth it-we promise! Label Your Boxes This is not optional, so don’t skip this one. When packing to move you need to know what is in each and every box, which room it belongs in, and if it is fragile. It’s incredibly helpful to your moving team to know this as well. It saves you from getting to your new home with a pile of boxes in your living room and no clue where anything is. When your moving company is aware of what is in each box and where it belongs it makes the unloading process straightforward. Invest in Good Boxes You may be tempted to take all of the cheap or free cardboard boxes you can get your hands on to save some cash when moving- afterall it is expensive. We highly recommend you don’t. Cheap, or overused boxes are going to be flimsy and lack the strength to keep your belongings safe during your move. Invest in boxes that are actually designed for residential moving. They are made to handle household items, and even give recommendations of the kind of items to use them for. Using proper packing supplies will keep your items safe, and give you the best opportunity for things to arrive at your new home in pristine condition. Resist Reminiscing As you’re packing you’re going to come across an old photo album, some baby items or even an old toy and be tempted to take a trip down memory lane. We know it can be exciting to come across these items you haven’t seen in a long time, but reminiscing can end up eating up hours of your packing time. Push yourself to push through the packing and allow for reminiscing on the other side of your transaction when unpacking. You’ll have more time to go through your memories and think about past situations when unpacking vs. packing. You definitely want to save yourself the time during packing so you’re not scrambling all night the night before your move to finish packing. Trust us-you’ll be glad you put that extra time to effective use. These tips will help you to pack efficiently and effectively. The experts at Relocate Stress Free are here to help you and support your move!
Ten Tips For a Successful Estate Sale
Estate sales can be a great way to get rid of the clutter in your home and make some extra money all at once. While there are some definite positives, there can also be some hiccups. Estate sales can be tricky to plan, and it’s hard to know what will make them a success. Here are some tips to help you have a successful sale. Do Your Research You don’t want to price an item too low based on an instinct to then find out later it was worth substantially more. When you’re still in the planning phases, research items that you aren’t familiar with to see what similar ones are selling for. Places like Facebook marketplace, Kijiji, and eBay are good places to start. Clearly Mark Your Prices Bargaining is a normal part of estate sales. By having your prices clearly marked, it makes it easy for customers to see what you’re asking and make you a reasonable offer or begin negotiations. Clear prices make shopping easy for customers, and the easier it is the more you’ll sell. Make Sure You Have Enough Hands on Deck It’s not enough to just have one person available to collect money from buyers. You should ask for help from family and friends and have them dispersed throughout different parts of the home so they are easily accessible to shoppers. Setup a Place for Purchases You’ll need to set up a central place to receive payments. Make sure you have a table big enough so shoppers can set down their items, and handle their payments easily. Convenience is key. Get a Cash Box with Change A float is a necessity when holding an estate sale. You’ll need to be able to break bills and make change for customers. There is no way you want your customers to have to leave to get exact change somewhere else! Be Prepared for Crowds Many people who shop estate sales, do so first thing in the morning before items get picked over. It’s not uncommon for these sales to happen as early as 7 am so be prepared by prepping your home the night before and have everything set and ready to go. It makes for a long day but a successful one for sure. Keep your Pets Contained We all love our pets, but an estate sale may not be the perfect place for them. Check if your furry friends can go to a friend or family members house for the day to ensure your day isn’t spent chasing your dog or cat who got out or trying to quiet them down every time the doorbell rings. Advertise This is one of the most important points. How is anyone going to know you’re having an estate sale if you don’t advertise? Use your local newspaper, put flyers around town, post in local Facebook groups, put posters up on community bulletin boards, add your event to Kijiji and more. As your friends and family to share your event on social media for even further reach. Use Signs for Directions Many people stop by estate sales because they see signs while they are out and about. Place signs on major roadways and guide customers to your front door with clear, legible signs that are easy to read in a passing vehicle. Keep it simple-just add directional arrows and your address! Hire a Pro There are companies that focus on helping people set up for estate sales. Because this is such a big job you’ll need all hands on deck to be prepared. Relocate Stress Free makes preparing for an estate sale a breeze. Our friendly, and knowledgeable staff are able to jump in and give you a hand to ensure the day of your sale goes smoothly. With the spring weather finally here, now is the perfect time to prepare for an estate sale!
Downsizing? Here are 5 Tips to Make the Process Simple
Living in a large home is great until it’s just not. Large homes come with more space to clean. As well as, higher utility costs, higher maintenance costs, and can become more of a burden than something you enjoy. Many people choose to move into a small home but may feel overwhelmed when they start packing. After all, a larger home means many things you may not have room for at your new place. Here are five tips to help you effectively downsize your items minus the stress. Minimize your Duplicates We all have duplicates and once you get packing you may be surprised to see just how many duplicate items you have. Kitchens are one of the most common places you’ll find duplicates and are a great place to start when you’re looking to downsize. Think about this-do you really need 5 spatulas and 10 wooden spoons? Probably not. So keep your favourites and place the others in a giveaway box. Cups and silverware are another thing people tend to have a lot of. If you don’t regularly host multiple people for dinner parties chances are you don’t need 2+ sets of cups and silverware. Make a Profit One of the most important things you can remember when downsizing is that you may have items valuable to others. Sure, there are going to be items you put in a giveaway box or toss but chances are you have some items to get rid of that others would pay for. Consider having a yard sale or selling your items online through Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist. Some of the best items to sell are furniture, toys, clothing, home decor items, movies, and more. Making a few extra dollars before your move can help to offset your moving costs, or bulk up your savings. Measure One of the biggest challenges we face is moving furniture into a space that is too small to accommodate it. When you’re downsizing, be sure to measure your living room, dining room, and bedrooms to ensure your current furniture will fit well in the space. If you find you have items that are just too big or bulky, you’ll be able to sell or donate them before the moving which saves you space in the moving truck and the headache of trying to rehome your furniture upon your arrival at your new place. Keep the Clutter Out It’s important to remember the size difference from your current home to your new space when you’re packing your belongings. With less square footage, you will clutter up a space faster with fewer items. Where you can, keep your space as clutter free as possible. Consider hanging your TV on the wall instead of using a bulky TV stand, and utilize floating shelves instead of a large bookcase just as a couple of examples. Think Multipurpose In your current home, you may have a couple of spare bedrooms, a home office or crafts room, and a master bedroom. When you downsize you’ll need to consider how to make your new space work with fewer rooms. You will still have your master bedroom, however, may be down to just one spare bedroom. When looking at the space, think multipurpose. There are some great ways you can have a spare bedroom double as a craft room or home office. Choose a space-saving desk, create a storage system in the closet, and utilize nightstands and under the bed storage too. If you’re looking to invest in new furniture, there are some amazing Murphy bed options now too! If you or a loved one is looking to downsize, Relocate Stress Free can help! We have extensive experience assisting with downsizing and would love to speak with you!
Tips to help a hoarder move
There’s so much to deal with with when moving. However, the situation becomes a little complicated when it involves a hoarder. Research shows that hoarders are different from one another, in marital status, social standing or age. Obsessive compulsive disorder makes it more difficult when moving a hoarder. However, through proper guidance, it’s possible to help hoarders sort through their items. The first way to help is acknowledging that hoarding is a disorder and not a behavior. This guide isn’t intended to replace professional assistance, but it can help make a difference in handling the situation. Negotiate a common ground Finding a compromise is a best approach. Sometimes it can be difficult to persuade a hoarder to dispose of some things. The only option may be to find a compromise. One can suggest using Crate It Storage to hold their items during the move. It is also important to assure them that their items will not be disposed of without their consent. Involve them through questions Asking questions about the things they’d like to keep can also help with the move. It’s good to remember that even though some items may seem like trash, they may hold some significance to loved ones. You should respect their wishes, even if it means keeping a large number of the items. Find professional help If they have a therapist, this is the time to suggest visiting a professional. Additionally, seeking de-cluttering services from Relocate Stress Free can also help. Collaborating with a hoarder and suggesting they seek professional help before moving is an approach to making things easier. Hoarding does not stop even after a successful move. It usually gets worse because they are distressed over losing their belongings. So even after dealing with the current situation, the problem continues. Seeking long term help will be necessary for the future.
Decluttering Kids’ Rooms
Decluttering children’s rooms are a challenge. This is because emotional attachment is involved by someone who isn’t mature enough to understand. In simple words, it is a bit tricky and overwhelming. When downsizing, decluttering children’s rooms will be mandatory. Otherwise, the new home’s space isn’t going to be sufficient to accommodate everything. We are decluttering experts at Relocate Stress Free. However, if kids are deeply attached to their rooms, parents should work on a strategy so their kids don’t get infuriated in the process. Let the kids understand the reason Instead of telling kids they need to dispose of some toys, parents should discuss the reasons for doing so. For instance, kids may be told that more play space is being created. They could also discuss assisting other kids through charity. This way, they might be more willing to let some the toys go without arousing emotions. Begin with the non-emotional items This simply means disposing of the trash first. Items such as, broken toys, old shoes, outgrown clothes should be removed first so the room looks less overwhelming. Make the decisions together on what stays and what goes Most kids especially below eight years are difficult to reason with. This is due to their possessiveness tendency and lacking perspective. Parents simply need to help kids find toys they no longer need. Get everything organized Downsizing experts usually like using this approach. Organizing everything in their right place makes it easier to identify expendables. So much progress can be made by organizing. While organizing, like items should be placed together. The sooner everything gets organized, the better. Crate it Storage can assist in facilitating the organization process. If piles are left lying around, kids may get attracted to them and starting afresh will be harder. Decluttering kids’ rooms can be very stressful. If possible, do this task bit by bit till the job is complete. Once done, regular maintenance is necessary to keep rooms tidy.
6 Tips to Downsizing a Room
Whittling a lifetime’s belongings can be emotional and quite difficult. There are certain rooms in a home which are often cluttered such as garage, attic or basement. But it is also possible to have a cluttered living room, bedroom or kitchen. When moving to a smaller house, there is a higher possibility of having virtually every room full with clutter. So before moving out, downsizing is really necessary to avoid having cluttered rooms in the new home. Here’s a simple guide on how to decluttering a room. Starting early Decluttering a room can take much time. So the earlier it starts, the better. Beginning three months prior to moving is much better. A single morning or evening every week is enough to get every room of the house decluttered before the moving date approaches. Being realistic No matter how the new space is looked at, paring down the stuffs is going to be necessary. Things that won’t fit in the new room should be done away with. For instance, if moving to a smaller bedroom but have a king size bed, it’s definitely not going to fit. In such a case it may be sold through auctions and a fitting one sought before moving. Evaluating the needs and wants It is possible to have rooms stuffed with lots of things which are only wanted but not needed. In a living room, a couch is needed. In the bedroom, a bed is needed. The extra things should be evaluated using similar approach. Comparing the size of new room with current room For instance, the new living room is most likely to be the size of the current bedroom. It’s possible to think that squeezing two sofas in the space will be possible but making the comparison with the current living room can help get a better insight. Utilizing storage tricks The vertical space is ideal for storing things. Things that won’t fit but are needed can be replaced. The new kitchen will be smaller, so it’s best having the pots hung up on the wall and fitted with half sized fridge. Disposing of unwanted items Most of the things will still be in good condition, so they can be sold through auctions or garage sale to get an extra paycheck. Some can also be given away or donated. Relocate Stress Free can assist with this approach and how to go about the process if there is difficulty in going through the process alone.
4 Tips on Organizing after a Move
We are sure your recent move has left you exhausted but it is time to get your house to live-in ready. Those stacks of boxes aren’t going anywhere unless you do something about them. Relocate Stress Free recommends these 4 Tips on organizing after a move. Hang Curtains and Set up Beds To make your house homier, set up your beds in each bedroom and hang curtains on all your windows. This will eliminate clutter and make the rooms cozy. You will also have a place to relax at the end of the day for a good night sleep. Unpack Rooms Most Livable to Least Livable You will feel unorganized after a move, but as soon as you unpack your major necessities it will seem less hectic. So start with the rooms that are most used, such as the kitchen. Cleaning Clean every room after it is unpacked. Once you have organized the room it should be cleaned thoroughly. This will help ease your stress as you will have a very clean space. Empty Boxes It can be frustrating having rooms filled with empty boxes so choose an area in your house whether it be a closet or a corner and start a pile of flattened and unpacked boxes. Remove the boxes from your house when you are done to be returned / recycled. Donate If you did not declutter or donate items during your packing, there is still time to do it now. As you are unpacking if you come across items that you no longer need or just have not used in the past year, it may be time to donate and get rid of these items. Happy unpacking! If you require any assistance with your unpacking, contact Relocate Stress Free and they will be happy to assist you.