Being organized helps

From my friend Julie Gram at Naturally Organized some ideas that can help make life smoother, as well as when you are making a move across Denver or the country:

10 ORGANIZING TIPS:

Put "like with like" - that way you know what you have, how much you have, & when you may need replacements.

Purge: clothes, files, unwanted items in your home & office. Disposing of things you no longer wear, don't like, are broken or outdated will make room for lovely new replacements. Out with the old - in with the new.

Donate your discards to your favorite charity or church - consider it compassionate recycling & a tax deduction!

Sort & hang items in your closet by type: blouses, skirts, dresses... Colorize your wardrobe by going from light colors to dark ones so you can easily see & choose the item(s) you want to wear. Think of how a store displays their clothing.

Store things where they make the most sense to find & put away. If you put things in an illogical location (master closet has books, photos, kids toys, etc.), you will have a difficult time remembering where they are & where they belong. Define your closets & storage areas by what makes the most sense to put there.

Things should be convenient to locate & use. Ex: in a home office you should have the necessary tools & files nearby to do your work. Keeping supplies & files in other locations causes confusion, stress, wasted time, & you forget what you have.

Replace publications with updated versions to avoid an avalanche of paper - catalogs, magazines, investment prospectus, etc.

Instead of keeping an entire magazine for one or two articles, cut out the desired article & toss the magazine. Start a binder using sheet protectors & index dividers to catalog these articles for future reference.

Good layout of a room or office is very important for convenience & functionality as well as aesthetic reasons. If the rooms "feels" good & "works", you do too!

When overwhelmed with clutter - get help! A professional organizer can get the job done in a short period of time, & teach you great organizational skills. In the long run you will save money & a tremendous amount of time because you can find what you're looking for at a moment's notice & know where to put it when done!

You can contact Julie at 303-799-8032 or visit her www.naturallyorganized.com. These practical tips are just the beginning and I recommend anyone who fights clutter in their lives to give her a call for a initial consultation. I have clients who utilize the talents of professional organizers every 3-4 months just for the housekeeping aspects and keeping an orderly home.

Pete Doty is has been a Full Time Licensed real estate broker in the Denver Colorado area since 1985. I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home towns! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com. Pete Doty, your Denver Realtor.