Fall Organizing Project: Get ready for the holidays!

That’s right – Christmas is coming! As December approaches, it’s time to undertake a fall organizing project to get your house ready for the holidays.

Many of us accumulate a lot of “stuff” during December. We have to bring out or buy a winter wardrobe, take out decorations and put them up, and of course, give and receive gifts with family and friends. These items tend to take up a lot of room in a home, and soon enough even more will be added.

Now is the time to undertake a fall organizing project of any rooms that will be affected during the holidays – any major gathering areas, storage rooms for decorations, or toy rooms where gifts are most likely to accumulate. Then, the sorting, purging, and organizing process begins! Carefully go through each of your items, and consider whether you should keep it, donate it, or toss it. Keep these questions in mind when you’re going through your items:

• Do I need this?
• Have I used it recently?
• Why am I keeping it?
• Does it still work, or is it fixable?
• Can (or will) it be replaced?

This process can be time consuming and overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of items to go through. Split the project up by room, and give yourself plenty of time to go through the items. Always keep in mind that the holidays are coming, and you will have even more items to store or put away. If you’re expecting a new gift, or know your kids will be getting new toys, then it’s important to make sure you purge some of these items to make room for new ones. When you’re going through decorations, check through ornaments and lights to see if anything is broken, and if anything is, either repair it or toss it. Christmas decorations can have a lot of sentimental attachments, but if they haven’t been used for decorating in the last couple of years or if you have no room to put them up, consider donating them to someone who can.

It’s difficult to add more closets and storage spaces to your home, but it’s easy to make room in your existing spaces. Take the time to go through the items you already have so your home is ready to accommodate any new additions during the holiday season!

Unsure about how to get organized? Get advice directly from an organizer!

Organizing is no easy task. Many people struggle to achieve the calm and orderly environment they dream of all on their own. With the help of a professional organizer, dreams can become a reality! However, there are some organization projects that are small, or unique to the items/rooms that a person may have. Even after an organizer comes in, there could be problems that come up in the future when people are trying to maintain the organized environment they have established. Fortunately, Calm Order can now help with the important questions you may have about getting organized!

Calm Order is proud to introduce Ask the Organizer, a virtual space where questions about anything to do with organizing, from recommended methods, to products, to moving suggestions can all be answered. Simply follow this link, submit your question, and check back to see the answer from Calm Order’s Founder, Karen. Even if you don’t have a question, be sure to visit the page to see what questions and answers have been submitted by others.

While the internet can provide a lot of different suggestions and advice for how to get organized, consulting with a professional organizer directly provides benefits that you can’t find when you’re searching on your own. By submitting your own question, you can get advice that is unique to your organizing problem.

Professional organizers have the skills and training to help you tackle any organizing problem, and by getting answers from them directly, you can learn about different methods or products that you may have never considered before. This direct contact also allows you to follow up or ask multiple questions, even after your initial organizing project is completed. Sometimes, smaller issues or questions will come up as you continue to maintain the organized space you have created.

Organizing can also be a stressful and emotional task, and it helps to be able to talk to someone who is experienced and knows exactly what you are going through. For people with more complex organizing projects, an initial question or inquiry through Ask the Organizer can set you on the right track by coordinating professional support, or referring you to other helpful resources. Whatever your question or problem may be, it pays off to ask the organizer directly!

What to do with your clutter

The previous blog post discussed the different places and platforms you can use to sell or donate your clutter - but how do you determine which place to go to or which method to use? There are many different factors to consider when deciding what to do with your clutter. How much time do you have, and how much of it are you willing to commit? 

Selling items on your own takes a lot of time. A garage sale requires a lot of planning and preparation beforehand, including setting up posters and signs around your neighbourhood, pricing out items, adding tags to each item, setting them up in your garage and on your lawn, and then spending a day or two selling the items. In a city like Calgary with ever-changing weather, these plans can fall apart under the threat of rain or snow.

Online platforms also require a lot more time despite the apparent ease. You'll also have to post or list each item and assign them a price, and then arrange for pick-up times with your potential buyers. Sometimes, items may take longer than expected to sell, and in that time, your clutter is still sitting in your home.

For a small number of items that you are confident will move quickly, selling them may be a good option. In some cases, items that are in good shape can also turn a decent profit. However, people who may not have a lot of time on their hands may want to reconsider this option.

Another concern is safety, which can be for the physical handling of objects and selling items through online platforms. Larger items like furniture can be hard to move and sell or drop-off at a donation drop-off location. Whether you are not physically able to move it, or you don’t have the car capacity to move it, other removal options may have to be explored. In these cases, it may be better to pay for a removal service or charity to pick-up the items from your home, even if it isn’t economically beneficial.

Online, there can be a risk to selling items to people you haven’t met before. Some people may not be comfortable with sharing their confidential information, like their address or contact information to arrange for pick-ups and payments, so trying to sell their items this way would not be a good option. There is also a potential for sales to not go through and buyers to drop out at the last minute. If you are planning on selling your items online, read through this post for suggestions on how to sell smart.

Whatever method you chose, the goal is to get rid of the clutter that is taking up space in your home. Choose an option that best works with your schedule and your needs. Sometimes, different methods might work better for different items. Just make sure that when you’re clearing out your clutter, you aren’t wasting too much of your time or your space!