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

Organizing your home before the move

People move for different reasons, but one thing they all have in common is that they must organize their homes beforehand. Getting rid of clutter in your home is just as important as organizing and packing up items for the move. Don’t just pack all items in one box if you want a fresh and organized start in your new home. You have to distinguish between unwanted or unused items and valuable items that you’ll pack for the move. You need to be cautious and orderly to avoid getting rid of items you may need in the future. Use the following to classify items you should dispose of:

Items that are not suitable anymore

These are items that you haven’t used for a long time simply because you don’t want or need them anymore. In some cases, you might have already found their replacements. Examples of these items are clothes, electronics and furniture.

Expired items

Food items fall under this category. If they’ve already hit the expiration date or if they’re close to it, don’t hesitate to dispose of them. You can also donate or sell food items that have not expired yet if you don’t think you’ll be consuming them.

Items that are still packed since your last move

If there are items you haven’t unpacked since your last move, chances are that you won’t unpack them in your new home. Think about whether or not you really need these items.

Gifts you’ve never used

You’ve probably received a number of gifts from friends and family over the years. Unfortunately, some of them are not much use, but you might feel obligated to keep them as a sign of gratitude. However, you shouldn’t let such items use up the space in your new home.

Books, magazines and journals

If you love reading, you might find yourself with a stack of reading materials. Don’t feel obligated to bring them with you if you really don’t need them.

How do you handle these items?

When you have gathered all of your unwanted or unneeded items, pack them in storage boxes that are separate from your moving boxes. Make sure to label the storage boxes so that you’ll know what’s in each of them in order to avoid possible mix-ups. Here are possible actions you can take for the items you won’t need in your next home:

Burning or shredding

You can’t leave unwanted private documents in your current home, since this can increase your risk of identity theft. Burn or shred these documents in order to avoid having them land in the wrong hands.

Selling

For electronics and other valuable items, you can list them on trade websites, such as Craigslist or eBay. They may take long to sell, but at least you’ll make extra bucks from items you would have just thrown away.

Donating

Some items may be essential, but they wouldn’t give you much value if you sold them. Items like food and clothing can be donated to the nearest charity.

Giving to friends and neighbors

Instead of burning up your books or magazines, ask your immediate neighbors if they’re interested. Let them have anything they think is useful to them.

If de-cluttering is not an easy task for you, you can trust Silk Touch to do it for you. Using our 4-step formula, we guarantee the safest move, with all your items in tact like they were before the move. Contact us today for your moving needs.

5 Mistakes to avoid when moving

Mistakes to Avoid When Moving

Are you looking to move out of your existing home and into a new one? If so, you are faced with the massive task of packing up all of your belongings and having them moved to your new location. This can be a very frustrating process that can make you want to pull your hair out in the end. But all hope is not lost. Today, we are going to go over some moving mistakes to avoid that will help your next move to go as smooth as possible. If you are a real estate agent, these tips will also help your clients so make sure to pay close attention to the information below.

Five Moving Mistakes to Avoid

1. Hiring the wrong moving company: This can be a huge mistake and you might not even realize you have made it until it is too late. Not all moving companies are the same and some will take you for a ride. To ensure that you are dealing only with a professional moving company, do your homework. Ask to see references from past clients and check to see if they are both licensed and bonded for your protection.

2. Packing too much stuff: Over the years, most homeowners build up a lot of things. Many of these items that we collect we simply never use. When preparing to move, you A happy family fully pack waiting for the movers to take the last box should ask yourself, “Do I really need to take everything with me?” Most of the time the answer is no. A great way to de-clutter and only take the items you need is by hiring someone to help you. A professional de-clutter expert can come in and help you weed out those unused items. You can then give them to a charity of your choice and get a nice tax deduction.

3. Forgetting to label your boxes: This is a common mistake that many people make while moving. The hurry to move can make you forget to label boxes and when you get to your new home, it can make things really confusing. To save time after the move, make sure to label each box with what’s inside and which room the movers should place it in.

4. Waiting too long to schedule your move: Especially during the summer months, many moving companies and truck rental companies will be incredibly busy. If you wait too long to schedule your move, you might find yourself out of luck. Make sure to schedule your move at least a few weeks before the moving date. This will allow you time to plan and ensure that you will have the help you need come moving day.

5. Not having enough insurance for valuable items: Depending on your homeowner’s policy, your more valuable items might not be covered completely. Fine art and other valuables that are easily broken will need to be completely insured to protect your investment. Before your move, make sure to make a list of all your higher valued items and shop around for full coverage insurance.

Hire a Professional Moving Company

Moving can be a difficult task, but when you are prepared and have the right moving team on your side, your move can go much smoother than you thought possible. To find out more about how Silk Touch Moves can take the stress out of moving, contact us today!

Keeping it Simple

Here is how simple we make moving to a new location. Just 4 steps: De-clutter, Pack, Unpack, Organize:

You’ve decided to make a change, or change has been thrust upon you. Working with the Silk Touch team will get you on track, and keep you on track from the beginning (starting with those junk drawers?) to the end (beds made, towels hung).

Silk Touch Moves and Relocations uses a proven 4-step formula to guarantee the best move ever. Since the physical part of moving is based on weight and volume, the Silk Touch team saves you money while we spend one day, or several:

to de-clutter
sort, donate or discard
unnecessary and/or
unused items and artifacts.

Packing and move coordination are part of the system. On the other end, the Team unpacks, and then organizes, the contents of home or office – clothes folded and hung, kitchen/common spaces organized, packing materials removed.

Here’s how it works:

Needs Assessment:

Do you need to de-clutter before you move? (most people do!)
Mover
Shred company
Electronics and technical move management
Packing materials
Measure interior spaces at new space (drawers, closets, etc.) for post-move organizing supplies

Clutter Assessment

Complete tour of the home or office
Open all drawers, cupboards, closets, examine areas beneath beds/furniture
Schedule de-clutter dates with Silk Touch team at least 2 weeks before packing dates

Packing Days:

All packing materials ordered and delivered day before packing begins
Depending on size/scope of project anticipate 1-3 packing days with Silk Touch team
Boxes labeled according to load-on to the truck and according to load-into the new space

Moving Day 1:

Starts when Team leader meets movers at old space to ensure truck is packed according to unloading plan
Team leader follows moving truck to new location
Silk Touch team meets movers at new space within 2 hours of movers’ arrival (to give time to start unloading)
Team begins unpacking

Unpack and Organize Days 3-4-5 (as needed):

This is where the magic happens!
Silk Touch team organizes your belongings into drawers, cupboards, kitchen area, closets, etc. using your supplies or supplies purchased during the Needs Assessment phases.

Beds are made,
linens put away,
kitchen is organized,
clothing is folded and hung,
office is set-up
packing materials are gone.

Like it never happened. Only now it is better!