How To Organize Your House
In preparing for the wonderful holidays ahead, you may have realized that you need to get your house organized for events you'll be hosting or for out-of-town guests who may be arriving. Or, the reason for organizing your house may be that you're simply focused on having things look neat and orderly. Whatever the reason, here are some ideas that might help you achieve your goal.
Enlist Help - It may be helpful for you to call a meeting where you will let the rest of the family know that you're serious about getting the house organized and that you'll need each person's help. If you have access to a dry erase board or a chalk board, think about writing down ideas that each member might suggest. For example, if somebody suggests that it's time to clean the garage together, write that down. If you think it would be good to work in pairs, write that down, too. In other words, that list will help you to actually formulate a plan for the project.
Getting Ready - About a week before your home organization project, ask everybody to reserve the day so that all hands will be ready to go to work. Consider buying clear plastic containers in which to store things that will be kept. Short rectangular under-the-bed boxes, shelves for the garage, bins for balls and other sports equipment and other storage objects will certainly make each room neater. Another idea is to call a charity organization ahead of time to request a pickup at your house for the evening or the day after your organization project is complete. A fun idea is to order pizza so you won't even have to stop to prepare lunch.
The Big Day - This is the time to look at the list you made at your family meeting. If teams were organized, get them going in designated areas. If you wrote down that you would be cleaning the garage as a family, think about allowing a big block of time for that major job. In addition, ask family members to go through their own belongings to determine what will be given to charity, what will be sold at a yard sale, and what goes to storage.
Arrange For Storage - If part of the problem is that you just have too much stuff, consider renting a storage unit. This would be great for things like camping gear, your artificial Christmas tree, holiday decorations, off-season clothes and even things like canoes or skis. The great thing about using a storage facility is that you can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the facility provides temperature controlled storage units so that things like clothes won't be damaged. Also, your things will be safe, as there is excellent security provided. The great part of renting a storage unit is that you can access it any time you want to.
Think about having something fun planned for the end of your work day. An evening spent relaxing in your orderly home will certainly be special, especially if you watch a movie together and have snacks while you end your busy day.