Top 5 Tips: Moving in a Hurry

Move one room at a time. This will help you keep focus as well as help you keep your items together, which makes the unpacking process much faster! Set goals with how much time you want to take to complete each room. Don’t think about moving on to the next room until the previous one is completely finished.

Organize and label correctly-don’t start putting random items in random boxes. Ensure the box with kitchen appliances is actually kitchen appliances!

Have designated donation and trash piles. At the end of your packing, make a trip to the donation center or the dump.

Put on your favorite music and make the experience as fun as possible.

If you become overwhelmed, call in your posse whether they be friends, family, or a moving company.

Extra Items for Moving Day

Moving day is always a big day as movers are rushing in and out and the place you’re leaving is in utter chaos!! Before things get too crazy – take a breath and use the handy list below to ease the anxiety and ensure you’ll have access to important papers, extra boxes, medications, and the all-important phone chargers!

Set aside several boxes and tape for last minute moving items like bedding and miscellaneous items. Be sure to indicate on the box what is in it to help with the unpacking.

Make a schedule. Make a realistic plan for the events that need to take place on moving day. List back-up plans for unexpected surprises.

Ensure you have the keys for both your new and old homes.

Keep all important papers and documents with you.

Have an overnight bag with an extra set of clothes, phone chargers, laptop cords, dry shampoo, and toothbrush, etc.

Clothing is Not an Option: 5 Top Tips for Packing Clothes

When we’re packing clothes before a move we’re often tempted to lift from drawer to box (and back again in the unpack). Hanging clothes get similar treatment. But our biggest tip before you move is to de-clutter your entire wardrobe before anything is placed into cardboard. After that… Silk Touch Moves and Relocations offers these handy tips for packing up the clothes that you will wear at your new destination.

1. If you have lightweight dressers, keep the clothing in the drawers and wrap the outside of the dresser (ensuring shelves do not fly open) with plastic wrap. Make sure there are no loose change or random items in the drawers.

2. If you have a lot of hanging clothes, use a wardrobe box to keep the items intact and still hanging. The downside to a good quality wardrobe box is the cost and space it takes up. If you don’t want to buy a wardrobe box, group several items together and put them in a yardbag while they are hanging.

3. Before you put clothing into boxes, pack your suitcases so the contents do not take up your cardboard box supply.

4. Make sure you are packing only the clothing you will want to wear in your new home. It’s a great idea to sort through your clothes before packing and purge your wardrobe of items with holes or tears.

5. Pack your clothes in like groups such as jeans with jeans, t-shirts with t-shirts, etc. This will make the unpacking process faster and more efficient.

Top 10 Tips: Moving into a Residence Hall or Smaller Living Space

1. Plan in advance. Important information to consider:

Move-in date
Address
Places to park and unload your items
Roommate contact information
Lists of prohibited items

2. Consider what your lifestyle will be like in this small space. Will you be eating out? If so, nix the redundant kitchen items and cookbooks. Is there a place in the building for entertaining or will you need space for more than one person? What will the weather be like? If you’re moving to Southern California from the East Coast, you will likely not be needing a winter coat, for example.

3. Invest in a small safe for money, important documents, your journal, and other small valuables.

4. After you’ve considered everything you need, make a list of items you must bring. Evaluate the list. What can you do without in your new small space? Stick to this list. Cut back on duplicate and the just-in-case items.

5. Start packing in advance. If you cannot fit all the items into a regular vehicle, chances are you have too many things

6. Mark each box by space (ie. kitchen, closet, shoes, etc.) and fill the box with the appropriate items.

7. Vacuum seal your clothing. This will help preserve the clothing and also save space/boxes

8. Photograph the back of your electronics before you disconnect them so that when they are unpacked, it is easier to see how they plug into different places.

9. Bring an overnight bag with extra clothes, toiletries, snacks, etc., or anything you may need so you are best able to function for the next day or two.

10. If you don’t have much storage space, and items typically hidden behind doors are out in the open, invest in aesthetically pleasing household items.

Moving Without The Mess!

Moving is messy and we know it! As you contemplate your next move from home or office, consider these Top 5 Tips…

1. Get rid of the items you don’t want, use or need before you move. This includes clothing items, accessories, toiletries, furniture that may not fit in your new home, etc. You don’t need to pack up three can openers. Arrange for a donation pickup or garage sale with the leftover items.

2. Make a schedule and start packing one room at a time. Make a timeline of when you expect to complete a room and stick to it. Realistically plan when you will have time to pack and how long it will take you to clear out a room.

3. Leave boxes open until it is time to move. This will give you the opportunity to put miscellaneous items in the correct room where they belong.

4. Before you move into your new home, make a floor plan of where your belongings are going to be placed. Make the tough decisions ahead of time so when you are unpacking you know where to put your items.

5. Label everything! Label the boxes and label the rooms so the right boxes go into the correct rooms.

How To Start Decluttering Your Home from Makespace.com

15 Actionable Tips From Certified Professional Organizers

Decluttering your home can be a massive undertaking, one that sometimes feels too daunting to even attempt.

But like most things in life, the hardest part is getting started. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of no-fail decluttering tips from the experts — certified professional organizers with years of experience under their belts — to help you start decluttering your home and taking control of your space.

De-Cluttering a Kitchen – Top Ten Tips

The Kitchen! OY!!

Some places in our kitchen resemble caverns – dark and deep. We’ve got stuff tucked way, way back that haven’t seen the light of day for years (heck, we could say the same about refrigerators!). In addition, many of us no longer entertain as we once did but our bulky serving trays and bowls are also stuck in time. From my observation, most kitchens have more than one junk drawer (and if it’s junk why do you throw it in a drawer?). Old table napkins take up space, and a birds-eye view indicates more than enough wooden spoons, potato mashers, garlic presses, and spatulas.

The task of clearing the kitchen of superfluous items seems daunting. Planned well, the job may be performed relatively easily. I can’t overemphasize the importance of using your calendar to schedule time to get the work done. If it’s not on the calendar, the likelihood that you will reach your goal of tackling your kitchen is decreased.

Our Top Ten Tips to de-clutter your kitchen provides a good start to creating better flow in the room you use several times a day. For more advice, send an email to me with photos. I can help assess and offer suggestions.

Happy June!

June Top 10 Tips: An Organized Kitchen

1. Start by getting rid of expired or unused items (yes, even spices and tea expire eventually). Discard items that you haven’t used, or don’t plan to use. How many toasters do you have? How many do you or your family use on a regular basis?

2. Take everything that does not belong in the kitchen out of kitchen. Oftentimes, the kitchen serves as a catch all for all activities for all members of the family.

3. If you’re short on space, think vertically and stack items. Hang pots and pans to free up storage space.

4. Avoid counter top clutter by using a cake stand to store salt and pepper and other frequently used items when your cake stand isn’t housing a cake, think of it as a Lazier Susan.

5. Evaluate your cookbooks. Which ones have you used and what is decoration? Are your cookbooks near grease or humidity? Consider taking out the recipes you use and putting them in a binder. Better yet, use a tablet instead of a cookbook to save space.

6. If you don’t have much space and entertain often, consider purchasing a rolling cart. Not only can you easily transport and store heavy dishes, but you will also get extra counter space.

7. Save money by purchasing in bulk and storing in large glass containers or mason jars.

8. Take inventory regularly, Hang a whiteboard near the refrigerator to help keep track of what items you need and what items you have.

9. Get rid of items that are missing their partners. For example, if you have one chopstick but are missing the other, get rid of it. Same thing applies for Tupperware lids and bowls. Mark your calendar to spend some time with the plastic-ware and match everything up!

10. Corral loose flavor packets, tea packets, personal size condiments, etc. into small bins and containers. Bins can also be used to store bigger items like reusable water bottles.

Relocating your home office

Has your business outgrown your home office? When should you consider relocating your home office?

It can be quite rewarding for startup businesses to work at home because it’s a good way to save on expenses. Not only do you save money on rent, utilities, office supplies and personnel expenses, but since you don’t have to commute, you save on fuel and vehicle maintenance. However, the business could grow to an extent where you need more space, but how can you tell if it’s the right time to move?

Reasons to Consider Relocating Your Home Office

You Need More Employees

When you need to hire employees to work at your office, you may not want them entering your home every day. Depending on your business, it could be possible to have them work remotely, but for some, supervision may be crucial. For this reason, if your business has grown and you want to have employees working in the office while you are away, it’s time to think about relocating out of your home.

You Are Running Out of Space

As your business grows, you might be forced to accumulate inventory or technology to enhance your operations. If you find your home office space is getting smaller by the day, then it’s time to consider other options. You could rent a storage space for your product inventory, if that is your only concern. However, if you need to upgrade equipment, such as an industrial printer, and it’s larger than the space available at your home office, you’ll need to move.

Present a Professional Appearance

For businesses where clients need to visit the office before they decide whether to purchase your product, renting an office space can help to improve your business image. The more professional your business looks, the more moving with the help of a certified professional organizer like Regina Lark can ease the stress of any move attractive it will be to customers, and therefore earn more money. If the estimated increase in the customer base or sales is higher than the expenses incurred when renting an office space, relocating might actually help your business to grow.

Finding a reason and deciding to relocate your home office can be quite straightforward, but when it comes to deciding where to relocate to, well, it may not be easy. Here are a few tips:

Proximity to Your Home

If you can find an office space close to home, you’ll save a lot of time by having a short commute. The more time you spend commuting to work, the less time you have for work. However, if your clientele is location-specific, you may need to strike a balance on the distance.

Consider a Shared Office

You can save on rent and curb any loneliness by opting for an open office. In this situation, you share the office cost with others, as well as employees, such as the receptionist. The opportunity for community conferences can also come in handy.

Hire a Moving Company

Since your home office is a source of income for the household, you need to give it the utmost attention when moving out. With the heavy and sensitive equipment around the office, such as desks, electronics, computers, printers, and books, it’s always a good idea to hire a reputable moving company. This will ensure that all of your items are handled with care, and that what would have been an overwhelming experience goes smoothly.

Upon moving, be sure to notify your clients that you’ve changed your address. You can do this by email, phone, with business cards, or put it on your website.

Good luck in your new office!

May and June Speaking Engagements for Regina Lark, Ph.D. CPO®

5/24/16:
Speaker – “Strategies for De-Cluttering your Life”
Brandeis University Alumni Knosh & Knowledge
Rustico’s Ristorante Italiano
11:30 – 2:00
1125 Lindero Canyon Rd., Westlake Village
Closed to Alumni and their guests

6/1/16:
Speaker – “Psychic Debris and crowded Closets – the Relationship Between the Stuff In Your Head and the Stuff Under Your Bed”
Jewish Family Services Life Program at Park LaBrea
Park La Brea Activity Center Theater – 535 S. Curson Avenue, Los Angeles
1:00-2:00pm

6/2/16:
Speaker – “Help for Hoarding: It Takes a Village”
21st Annual Professional Fiduciary Association of California Educational Conference
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa
2:30-4:00pm
PFACMeeting.org

6/8/16:
Panelist – “People who Hoard and those Who Help Them”
LA County Department of Mental Health Hoarding Forum
8:00-4:00pm
1000 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Free

6/9/16:
Speaker – “Help for Hoarding: It Takes a Village”
Silverado Beach Cities | Memory Care Community
11:00-1:00pm
514 N Prospect Ave | Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Free – but RSVP Tel (310) 896-3100

6/10/16:
Speaker – “Strategies for De-Cluttering your Life”
Benjamin Center Cancer Support Community
3:00-4:30pm
1990 S Bundy Dr #100, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Free

Relocating Your Business

Businesses move for a variety of reasons, and moving can often be a logistical challenge, with unexpected pitfalls. There are many approaches to take when uprooting your company, but certain tenets remain the same. You should always be realistic about what you can afford, do your homework, and plan until you cannot plan anymore.

Whether you are moving to accommodate growth, to save money, or to be closer to your market, these steps will help you stay on track:

Assessment

Prior to moving, make an inventory of everything you have. Highlight items you plan to keep, and decide where these items should go. Before you uproot your business, write a list of requirements for your new location. This includes taking into consideration things like price per square foot, lease terms, build-out costs, and space for growth.

It is important to have the essential supplies before moving day. Be sure to have:

Duct tape/Packing tape
Professional quality boxes of differing sizes
Bubble wrap
Packing peanuts
Markers
First-aid kit
Utility knife

Declutter

The cost of moving items is based on weight and volume; sorting through your items to weed out nonessential items now will save money later. You may donate or discard anything you deem expendable. Here are some places to start:

Items that are no longer suitable: Anything you have not used in a while, outdated items, and things you have replacements for. cluttered-desk

Expired items: This pertains mostly to food, but can also apply to items like cleaning supplies; check the expiration date on anything that has one!

Items still packed: if you still have items packed from your last move, then you do not need them.

Books and Magazines: as any reader can tell you, these items are like trophies. But what is the use of an outdated magazine from 10 years ago? If you have to ask, it goes in the trash!

Different items have different disposal requirements. The type of item, its condition, and reusability, will determine these requirements. Here are some key ways to properly dispose of unwanted items:

Burning/Shredding: Anything with your name, address, and social security number should be destroyed. This is the only way to ensure any identity theft or fraud will not result from your move.

Selling: Craigslist and eBay are excellent places to list your unwanted items.

Donation: Ask your family, friends, and neighbors to help themselves to any items you are not taking with you, or reselling. The Salvation Army or another local charity may accept office supplies or other items.

Packing

Once you have everything decluttered, it is time to box it up. You should have all packing materials on-site, and ready, the day before. Depending on the size of your business, this process can take anywhere from 1-3 days, so plan your work schedule accordingly. Be sure to label everything properly; this streamlines the unpacking process. Once you are packed up, it is time to move into your new space!

Moving a business requires more planning than actual production. With the proper tools, game plan, and extra hands, you should have no problem establishing yourself in a brand new space!

We can help! Call Now (213) 798-4748