Spring cleaning can be a daunting task, however, given that most people are quarantined, now seems like a great time to go through closets, basements, garages, and the rest of the house to decide what you want to keep and what needs to be given or thrown away.
Unfortunately most places that normally accept donations are now closed or are not accepting them at the moment. This should not keep you from going through your home. Below are a couple options for what to do with the items you no longer want around your home. If you have items that are still in good shape and would normally be donated, instead of throwing them out, organize a neighborhood swap. Chances are that if you have things that need a new home, so will your neighbors. Plan a day that you can put tables at the ends of your driveways or in your lawn, so you and your neighbors can swap items. Remember to continue to social distance and wear masks. This can be a safe way to freshen up your home with new items while also cleaning out other items. While some of the items you are getting rid of can be donated or swapped, others may be too worn out for a new owner. If you have large items or the items you are throwing away won’t fit in your garbage can, consider sharing the cost of a dumpster with some of your neighbors. Decide on what size dumpster you all can fill, then you can split the cost in a couple different ways. The first way to split the cost is by figuring out what percentage of the dumpster each family will use then each pays that percentage of the bill. Another way is for each family to make a contribution of what they feel is reasonable. If there is leftover money, decide as a group on a charity where you could donate the extra money. In this time when so many are isolated and alone, these ideas for spring cleaning can be a good way to safely connect as a community. It is important to remember in these times that even though we are separated, there are still ways we can come together to continue to work for the good of the community and world.
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Now that it is a month into the new year, let’s check in on your resolutions. Did you resolve to keep a cleaner house? Go through a cupboard every week? Clean out the basement closet that hasn’t seen light for five years? Regardless of what your resolution is we could all use a couple tips on where to start simplifying and decluttering our homes. There are plenty of places to start when it comes to simplifying, but it helps to start in an area you will see the quickest results. A couple of these areas are the kitchen, and common living spaces. When approaching the kitchen, here are a couple things you should think about:
How Long to Keep Important Documents
If you are trying to think of holiday gifts for your loved ones, here are some clutter-free ideas.
Do you have any other ideas for gifts that won't clutter up a home? Share your ideas below! You have decided to downsize, what now?
Moving at any time can be stressful but when you have lived in your home for twenty plus years it can be overwhelming. Often times it is well advised to hire an outside person to help with the overall process, that is where a Senior Move Manager comes in. Perhaps you have heard of senior move managers but have no idea what they do. Here are some of the things they do and what to look for when hiring them. What they do
What to look for
Spring is here and we all want to enjoy this beautiful weather. Before summer sets in and you are tripping over your snowblower or bumping into your bikes take a day to organize and clean out your garage. Pick a nice day to make the project more enjoyable. As you are taking everything out of the garage, assess your need for every item. Have you used it in the last year? Is it in good working order? Will you use it in the next year? If you answered no to any of these questions, seriously consider getting rid of the item. If the items are in good working order donate them. When the garage is empty, sweep or blow out the garage, then check for any issues such as rodents, major cracks/holes or water issues. If they can be taken care of immediately handle them, otherwise schedule a time to address the issue. If you do not have a convenient place for your rakes, shovels and hoes consider putting up hooks or a hanging rack. If your bikes are all over and falling into your car, get a simple hook to hang them on the wall or under a taller shelf. If you have a number of smaller items on the floor, consider some shelving. If you are handy you can build some otherwise purchase some sturdy shelves at your local home improvement center. Happy Clearing Out! You have heard the saying that “the only thing constant is change” … never truer than in housing transitions.
A client of mine planned to move into a senior living complex that was under construction. She received a move in date and her real estate agent Sharlene Hensrud of RE/MAX Results HomesMSP Team got ready to list her home. Numerous changes happened along the way. The date that her unit would be ready kept being pushed out. During this time, she had a medical emergency that put her in the hospital followed by rehab. Unable to return to her home due to health issues and with her new place in the senior complex not ready she needed to find transitional housing. Meanwhile she needed to get her home on the market quickly. Her daughter who lives out of state contacted me to help with the transition. Her daughter rented a SmartBox and my team and I packed up her condo, filled the box and it was moved to storage. Weeks later her new place was ready, the SmartBox was delivered and my team and I moved her in to her new place. Although it wasn’t what they had originally planned the transition went smoothly and she is happily settled into her new home. As we get a chill in the air here in the north, we need to start thinking about prepping for winter. I like to do as much as I can before it gets to cold.
So you have decided to move into a smaller home. Now comes the challenge of what to take with you and what to let go of. Do you have heirloom china or maybe you have an excess amount of cookbooks and cooking magazines? Perhaps you have a garage full of unfinished projects that have ended up in the abyss of good intentions.
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AuthorLaurie Wrobel Archives
May 2020
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