Is de-cluttering and reorganizing your home part of your New Years Resolution? This can seem like an overwhelming task if you try to tackle it all at once. So, break it down into small bites.
You may want to start with one room, one closet or even one cabinet at a time. Whatever is manageable for you at any given time.
Get boxes, bins or bags to separate what you use frequently and want to keep close at hand, things you use occasionally or seasonal items that can be moved to a less convenient location, and items you no longer use but are still usable and could be donated or sold.
Start slowly. The idea is to reduce stress but de-cluttering not stress about reducing stress. If the kitchen, family room or garage is overwhelming, start with the closet, a cabinet or a storage shelf. If you’re still raring to go after that, pick another area to work on; if not, tomorrow’s another day.
Once you have everything sorted out, decide where you want to put things. It makes no sense going to all this effort just to shove it all back where you got it from in the first place. Invest in bins and baskets for storing items on closet shelves and under the bed. Make sure to label the so you won’t have to search high and low for one item when you need it. and avoid using cardboard boxes as they apparently provide food and nesting material for some pests.
When it comes to seasonal items or items you rarely use, check out space in your attic, garage or back yard shed. Personally, I have neither a garage nor a shed and the thought of climbing a ladder with bins and boxes fills me with dread!Fortunately, at StoreRight Self Storage in Brooksville, we have a wide variety of storage units to fit most every need from a climate controlled locker that is four feet wide by five feet deep by four feet tall all the way to an outside unit that is ten feet wide by thirty feet deep by eight feet tall (that’s larger than most standard one-car garages). With security cameras, gates accessed by your personal code and your own padlock, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your belongings are safe.
The items that are usable but no longer wanted can be sold online on sites such as Craigslist or Ebay, or you can have a yard sale or donate them to one of the many local charities – some will even pick up your donations.
Even in the storage business Strange Things can happen. Many Managers could probably share similar stories. I want to share a true story about a scorned lover. I will leave out the names, but the event is actual. A man 80 years of age from New York City stored his multi-million dollar collection of art at the home of his girlfriend in Lantana , Florida. After the couple had a fallen out the girlfriend took the art collection and hid it in a storage unit in Lake Worth. He then contacted police in Lantana and told them that she (the girlfriend) had stolen millions of dollars worth of art. The collection included paintings from the 1700’s and some pieces that date back to the Aztecs. The police officer who worked on the case said ” and ex-girlfriend, flashy cars ( a couple of Bentleys, two Ferraris ) she was upset. The ride was over. The good life was coming to an end. Things got ugly ! Police seized the entire collection and sent it to him in New York. She still lives in his home on Hypoluxo Island and is awaiting trial. Sometimes the truth is Stranger than fiction !! I wonder if she purchased an insurance policy …. This story was reported by NBC news.
