Thinning out possessions and getting them organized can save a person time, money and aggravation. Over a year, people spend hours of frustration looking for lost keys or papers. In the same year a disorganized person can spend a fair amount replacing shirts, shoes, radios and whatever else they needed but thought lost.
Even if eventually you decide to use a professional, reading a book on home organizing is a good way to start. Places like the Container Store and Home Depot offer inexpensive modular shelving. In some cases people have professionals do some of the work and do the rest by themselves.
Bo and Ceci Mayhew of Fairfax had professionals design and install shelving and storage containers for their main closets. When it came to organizing the guest room closets, they decided to do it themselves.
Books, plans and checklists help, but people still get paralyzed by the thought of getting started. Dumping everything into a closet or short-term rental storage is tempting, but it is only a delay. Most people just have too much stuff.
<mh>Give It Away
<bt>A great way to reduce the mess is to donate some of the clothes and furniture to charity. Besides a tax write-off, you can finally put to good use those things that were just accumulating dust. Besides the Salvation Army and Goodwill, there are many other worthy charities. If there are business clothes you don't wear, professional organizer Susan Kousek of Reston recommends Career Gear and Suited for Change, which help men and women re-entering the work force. For furniture or other household items, Kousek suggested Pathway Homes, which aids mentally ill adults in setting up households.
Things that cannot be given away but are not worth keeping are more difficult to let go. Even useless things are not easy to throw away. Professional organizer Barbara Jolly of Springfield, owner of Getting It Straight, says it can be a challenge to get clients past this I-spent-good-money-on-that phase.
<mh>Getting Organized
<bt>What cannot be given away or thrown away must be organized. For organizer Kousek, the first thing to do is to start with a small area and get that spot into shape. When there is room to work, start grouping like things together and making a place to store them. Getting file folders and plastic bins and labels is important. Once there is a system in place, it is easier to keep things in order.
When other plans fail, it may be time to consult a professional organizer. Especially when it comes to ordering personal and business papers, a professional can be a help. Professionals are not cheap, though. According to Jolly, rates for local organizers run from $35-125 per hour (with the higher range going toward corporate services).
According to Kousek, many times it takes only 15 minutes of reordering a day to keep the mess from coming back.