11 Ways to Keep Your Apartment Organized With Roommates

Check out the recent Redfin article I am featured in!

Moving into an apartment with roommates is never a simple task. For starters, space is almost always hard to come by. Then comes the difficult task of keeping that limited space organized. It’s easy for an apartment to devolve into a cluttered mess if you aren’t intentional about keeping it in order. 

To prevent this, here are some tips for how to keep your apartment organized while living with roommates. Whether you‘re renting a house in Houston or moving into an apartment in Seattle, these tips from ApartmentGuide and experts will help you and your roommates coexist and stay organized. 

https://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/how-to-stay-organized-with-roommates-2/

How to Cover Home Repair Costs: Tips and Tricks for Homeowners

Home repairs can be a major financial strain on any homeowner. Whether it's a leaky roof, broken HVAC system, or outdated plumbing, the costs of repairs can add up very quickly. Fortunately, there are ways to cover those costs without draining your savings account. Here are some tips and tricks for covering the cost of home repairs, courtesy of Susie’s Organization Solutions , LLC.

Apps to Help Address Repairs

Before you begin looking for financing options, it's important to determine exactly what repairs are needed. This can be done with the help of smart apps and technology, which can make it easier to diagnose and pinpoint issues quickly and effectively. For example, you can use the Frontdoor service for everything home-related, helping you to connect with local professionals and providing key information and ratings for different repair services. You can also use sites such as Thumbtack and Angi as well to find the home professional for you!

Home Improvement Loans and Lines of Credit

One popular financing option for home repairs is a home improvement loan or line of credit. These types of loans are designed specifically for homeowners who are looking to improve their properties and make necessary repairs. Home improvement loans often come with competitive interest rates and flexible repayment terms, making them an attractive option for many homeowners.

A home equity loan or line of credit, for example, is a type of loan that uses your home as collateral. This can be particularly useful if you have a significant amount of equity built up in your property. These loans can often be obtained from local banks or credit unions and can be used for a wide range of home repairs and improvements.

Reverse Mortgages for Senior Homeowners

If you're a senior homeowner, you may be eligible for a special type of loan known as a reverse mortgage. Reverse mortgages allow homeowners to borrow against the equity in their homes, with the loan balance paid back after the homeowner dies, sells the property, or permanently moves out. This can be a particularly helpful option for seniors on a fixed income who may need extra cash to cover home repairs and other expenses.

Personal Loans From Banks and Credit Unions

Another option for financing home repairs is a personal loan from a bank or credit union. Personal loans can be used for a wide range of expenses, including home repairs, and may come with fixed or variable interest rates, depending on the lender. Many banks and credit unions offer fast turnaround times for personal loans, making them a great option for homeowners who need money quickly.

Government-Backed Loan Programs

For homeowners who are struggling to cover the cost of necessary repairs, there are a number of government-backed loan programs available. These include programs like FHA Title I, which are designed specifically for home repair and improvement projects. The goal of these programs is to help low-income homeowners make necessary repairs and improve the safety and livability of their homes.

Home Warranties

Finally, another way to cover the costs of home repairs is to invest in a home warranty. Home warranties can provide peace of mind to homeowners by covering the cost of unexpected repairs and replacements. These warranties can be purchased from a variety of providers and may vary in terms of coverage and cost.

Homeowners have a variety of financing options available when it comes to covering the costs of home repairs. Whether you choose a home equity loan or line of credit, a reverse mortgage, or a personal loan from a bank or credit union, there are a number of ways to get the cash you need to make necessary repairs and improve the safety and comfort of your home. By doing your research and exploring all of your options, you can find a solution that works for you and your budget.

Fun Ways to Declutter Your Home (Yes, There Is Such a Thing!)

While many people don't associate cleaning or decluttering with fun, it can still be enjoyable, depending on how you approach it. Having an excellent plan of approach is an excellent way to get things started. Here are some tips from Susie’s Organization Solutions on how to declutter the fun way!

 

Create a checklist:

It is easy to approach a task enthusiastically — at the beginning, at least. However, it becomes harder to keep up with the momentum the more you get into it. Before long, you may start to feel like this is nothing more than slog work. This is where it may be useful to create a checklist to help you establish a starting point and a schedule to stick to. One trick is to clean your home like you’re selling it, meaning you ensure you scrub everything from top to bottom.

 

Give your home a personal review:

Giving your home a personal review is beneficial, especially if you intend on selling one day. Decluttering will also give the impression of a much more spacious area, which could make your rooms look larger and, therefore, much more attractive to a potential buyer. However, you may not know what to do with all those extra items you could still envision using in the future. In this case, you may want to use self-storage facilities to store all your belongings until a later date to go through them at your leisure.

 

Make it a habit to be generous:

If you feel like your home is piling up continuously, then perhaps the solution to your dilemma is to be more generous. You could make it a habit to look at those items you could simply give away to those in need or those who could make good use of them. This way, you'll avoid accumulating too much too soon and make someone else's day in the process.

 

Getting the little ones involved:

Many hands make light work; this is so true, especially where housework is involved. But it would be even more helpful if you tried to make it an enjoyable experience so that when the time comes for your next home decluttering exercise, you'll be met with enthusiastic high-fives. One of the easiest ways to ensure everyone is on board is to incentivize their efforts. Apart from just making it reward-based, you can add a fun element to it by playing music, having heart-to-heart chats with your kids/family, and emphasizing that feeling of self-accomplishment and self-pride that one gets from taking an interest in their home.

 

If all else fails, follow the 20/20 rule:

If you're having a difficult time with the decluttering process on the whole, then it may be time to embrace the 20/20 rule and be done with it, which says that if you can replace the item for less than $20, or you can replace it in less than 20 minutes, then you need to let go of it already!

Certainly, decluttering is a necessary step if you are seriously considering selling up. So, if you haven't done it in a while, it's best to start sooner rather than later (with a good checklist and strategy backing you up the entire time!) to ensure you get everything done and to prevent everything from getting to you.

Susie’s Organization Solutions is here to help bring functionality and beauty to your environment while helping you feel empowered, calm and at peace. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! 

SOSOrganizeU@gmail.com or 616-554-3175

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Organizing a Smooth and Stress-Free Home Renovation

Organizing a Smooth and Stress-Free Home Renovation

Home renovations can be messy, long-drawn-out affairs that sometimes go off track in unexpected ways. Missed deadlines, overshot budgets, problem contractors, and low-quality of work are fairly common occurrences. If you’d like yours to go off without a hitch, you’ll need to plan it out carefully. Getting yourself – your time, money, and energy – organized is key to success.

Here, Susie’s Organization Solutions, LLC, explains how you can plan a smooth and stress-free home renovation.

You should budget first

Before you begin designing a blue-chip kitchen or bathroom with the latest bells and whistles, consider your finances. Home renovations can be expensive, costing up to $25,000 on the low end and up to $76,000 or more on the high end, according to a Realtor report. Nailing down a budget first is how you avoid debt. It’s a good idea to prepare a wishlist and, after consulting with your contractor, come up with an estimate for the final cost.

Use estimating apps or software to create a budget

Professional handymen use apps to help them with their work, such as bookkeeping, design, project management, HVAC software, and electrician estimating software. We can use estimating software for electricians or contractors to create an accurate budget for the renovation. For instance, electrician estimating software can help us create and send estimates, account for labor and material costs, and send invoices.

Consider the associated overheads

Keep in mind that some renovations are more than a one-time expense. For instance, if you add an external seating area or kitchen, you will have to keep it clean, well-maintained, and protected against rough weather. If you add an external swimming pool, you will have to create a maintenance budget. Consider the pros and cons carefully.

Plan out your renovations – like a home office – with health and comfort in mind

You’ll likely only ever renovate once or twice. Spending time and energy during the designing phase will help you avoid mistakes and come up with something future-proof. Keep your family’s health and comfort in mind at all times. For instance, if you add a home office, it’s a good idea to allow in plenty of natural light. It maximizes productivity and is good for your mental health. If there isn’t enough natural light, investing in overhead lighting is an option.

Set a schedule

Renovations can take a lot of time. Minor renovations – think painting the wall or adding in new flooring – can take a few days or weeks. Major renovations – foundation work or adding a separate room – can take months or even over a year. Make sure you are prepared to oversee the work. You may need to arrange to move out of your home for the interim if the work is extensive. 

Pick professional contractors

Good contractors are worth their weight in gold. You can rely on them to keep to deadlines, not overshoot the budget, do good work, and generally not cause problems. Shop around and compare quotes from various contractors. More importantly, take a look at their past work, if you can, and research their reputations before making a decision. Professionals will be able to help you come up with estimates, arrange permits (if necessary), schedule, and answer questions. HouseLogic offers advice on finding trustworthy contractors.

Get your interiors organized for the renovation

Renovations can be chaotic. Getting rid of the clutter, packing away non-essentials, putting away valuables, and covering up everything that’s nailed down (such as heavy furniture) are some things you should, ideally, do to avoid damage. Also, if your family will continue living there, you may want to section off your living space from the work area. You can get in touch with the Susie’s Organization Solutions, LLC team to help you organize your living space, make extra room for your renovations, and keep your family comfortable when the work is ongoing. 

Conclusion

Getting organized is the key to a smooth and stress-free experience when it comes to home renovation projects. Come up with a budget using estimating software, plan out your home office and other renovations carefully, hire solid contractors, and de-clutter and re-organize your interiors to keep your family comfortable.

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Become an Eco-Friendly Decluttering Expert

Have you ever considered the damage your cleaning products could be causing to the environment? Wouldn't it be great if you could declutter your entire home and office in such a way that your unwanted items didn't end up in a landfill? Today, Susie's Organization Solutions shares some friendly tips and resources for decluttering your surroundings without adding to the clutter of the planet.

Recycling the Big Stuff

Using a landfill may be a cost-effective way of getting rid of waste. Still, the environmental implications mean it's far better to use alternative methods, including the following:

•             Recycling: Large appliances such as stoves and refrigerators, along with smaller items like toasters and microwaves, can easily be recycled. Residents of West Michigan can take their unwanted or broken items to your local recycling center. www.reimaginetrash.org (Kent Co.) or www.comprenew.org

•             Donating: If your appliance or electronic device is still in working order or you have bedding or clothes you no longer use, donate them!  Places such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill, the Red Cross, and local thrift stores would welcome your unwanted reusable items. 

•             Turn your unwanted items into cash: Sometimes, the need for cash means selling your unwanted items is more appealing than donating. Garage sales are good ways of earning extra cash, or you can use online classifieds or marketplaces such as Facebook, or eBay.

Going Digital

The chances are if you were around before digital photography became standard, you're likely to have hundreds if not thousands of photographs lying around cluttering up your home. To ensure your precious memories remain safe and all in one place, you can scan them and upload them to the cloud. Once they're uploaded, you can easily access them through your web browser.  Also check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find a local photo organizing expert who can help you with your collection.

Cleaner, Greener Cleaning Products

When choosing your cleaning products, remember not everything on the store shelf is created equally. Choosing the right product is essential, but it can sometimes be a minefield. Here are some tips to make it easier:

•             Ingredients: If a product doesn't state its ingredients, put it back on the shelf. Transparency is essential when choosing safe cleaning products.

•             What to look out for: Avoid products containing ammonia, which is toxic if inhaled. Other harmful ingredients to look out for include butyl glycol, ethylene glycol, and monobutyl, which are dangerous to the nervous system and phosphates harmful to marine life.

•             Listen to the label: If you see the words danger, toxic, corrosive, irritant, or poisonous on the label, avoid the product.

More eco-friendly products for cleaning, many of which you can find in your kitchen cupboards, include:

•             Baking soda

•             Distilled white vinegar

•             Castile soap

•             Lemon juice

•             Washing soda

•             Dish soap

•             Salt

A Cleaner Home, a Quicker Sale

If you ever decide to sell your property, decluttering and cleaning are essential to staging your home and possibly adding value. Just make sure you keep track of any significant improvements you make by retaining receipts and taking before and after photos to quantify your home's increase in value.

Less Clutter and More Eco-Friendliness

Following the tips outlined above will help you declutter your home, giving you more space and energy to focus. Not only that, but your unwanted items will also be in the hands of others who can either recycle them or gratefully put them to good use!  

Susie's Organization Solutions has helped many clients over the years find their peace with their “stuff” and make their homes functional and inviting spaces. I have always enjoyed helping others. Call 616-554-3175. SOSOrganizeU@gmail.com

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Small Kitchen? ….

We were featured in Redfin’s recent article: 

Small Kitchen? No Problem! Organize Any Small Kitchen With These 23 Expert-Approved Tips

There can never be too much space in the kitchen, especially when working with a small space. And when the clutter inevitably begins to accumulate, every inch of space needs to work twice as hard. 

Fortunately, organizing a small kitchen doesn't need to be stressful. With a couple of clever tricks, you can organize a small kitchen with no trouble at all. To help you get your space back under control, Redfin reached out to experts like us from Boulder, CO, all the way to Stittsville, ON, for their best organization tips and tricks to get the functional kitchen you’ve envisioned. 

You can check out the full article on the Redfin blog.

Why Hire a Professional Organizer?

Do you have too much stuff? Do you just want to streamline what you have?  A professional organizer is just the person to help you in the process of decluttering, sorting and more!  Find a professional organizer who meets your needs, goals and one you feel comfortable with.  He/she can be an objective third party who can give you new perspectives on your spaces and maximize their functionality.   As with any field, there are niches and experts in particular areas.  Look for a NAPO member who has experience in the type of organizing you desire.  NAPO, The National Assoc. of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, is the trade association for the industry. Why choose a NAPO Professional Organizer? NAPO Professional Organizers are trained experts in the field who belong to the association and have learned strategies, techniques, ethics, standards and quality of services with all things organization and productivity related.  It is important to hire an organizer who knows the field, has experience and understanding of the intricacies of handling their clients “Stuff”, mentally and/or physically.  A NAPO member hits all of those marks.   

Can I just have a family member or friend help me instead?   Remember that sometimes family members or friends want to help you in the decluttering and organizing process but may not see eye to eye with you on what is or is not important.  There may be emotions that get brought into the process from a family member or friend who may have an interest in your items or keeping them in the family. That can mean pressure and guilt.  No one likes to have to hold onto items out of guilt and that only brings negative emotions.  Keeping items when there is a purpose and place for them or when the items bring positive thoughts/feelings make much more sense.  Positivity begets happiness and that applies when we are dealing with all of our “stuff”!

Here’s how a Professional Organizer can help you:

1.     Helps with the sorting and deciding process.

2.     Helps with figuring out the best way to use valuable storage spaces.

3.     Reorganizes the spaces using organizing products on hand or recommended. 

4.     Fills the role as the objective person in the process.

5.     Opens up your time to do the things you want to do. 

6.     Reduces anxiety and uncertainty by helping to bring a process and game plan to the table. 

7.     May offer haul away donations and recycling so you can see the progress made.

8.     Can offer ongoing maintenance tips/help.  

How do I find a NAPO Professional Organizer? 

You can find a professional organizer in your area by going to www.napo.net and/or doing a search or www.napomichigan.com to find your local expert in Michigan.  Susie Marsh is a local organizing expert in West Michigan! Www.SusiesOrganizationSolutions.com

If you have chronic disorganization challenges such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, hoarding, etc., you can find an organizing expert at www.challengingdisorganization.org.

Happy Organizing! 

When the going gets tough…..!

We live in a world of uncertainty right now. Political partisanship, democracy challenges, racial tensions, economic turmoil and the covid-19 pandemic. That’s enough for one of those items to occur in one year but we have had them all in the past year! No wonder we are all struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness/isolation and fear. But what does 2021 hold for you? …………. Have you thought about it? Do you consider yourself a resilient person?

Times of uncertainty and the unknown can make us stop in our tracks frozen and afraid to move. It can also be a time when you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and soldier on. It is times like this when you can really take a look at your life, your goals and your priorities. There is nothing like a health challenge or times of turmoil to reset and refocus yourself.

I have been on a health journey in the last year on top of all of the craziness in the world. Has it been hard? Absolutely. Have I wanted to give up? Absolutely. I also realized it was a time to really look at myself and what I wanted to do with my life. I re-evaluated my job, my priorities and my relationships with others. What did I learn?

Here are the top 5 items I learned about myself:

1. My family relationships are my number 1 priority. Without my family, I would have not have had the strength and stamina to keep going through the tough days. Saying Thank you, I Love You and I’m Sorry are now always part of my love language to them.

2. My health is key to all success. If I don’t take care of myself first, I can’t take care of others. This has been a hard lesson for me. I tend to be an energizer bunny with always something to do. Always on the move physically or mentally. I realized that taking time to relax, meditate and enjoy life around me makes me a better & happier person.

3. My work is an important part of my identity but it isn’t wholly who I am. I enjoy helping others and tend to be an empath in feeling everything another person feels. This does lead to compassion fatigue and burn out and I was feeling both. I realized I needed to continue to refocus on the areas of work I enjoy, want to do and have passion to do to make me a better person and professional. Again, this has been a journey in my thinking. I have always felt like I needed to help everyone who needs or asks for my help (can’t take the social worker out of me!) but this isn’t realistic. I needed to dive deep on this one.

4. My spiritual wellness is a necessity. I can’t be whole if I don’t attend to my soul and spiritual connectedness. I continue on this journey as I am sure many of you are as well. Finding out what brings me that connection is my next focus.

5. My relationships with friends is very important. Knowing you have someone in your corner no matter what is the key for me in staying grounded, happy and understood.

I now invite you to dive deep into your own lives. What does 2021 hold for you?

The Lime Green Couch

We all have a bit of history and memory that are triggered through a smell, a touch, a taste or even sight.  In my case, it has been the sight of a 1970’s lime green couch that has brought back many memories.  My grandparents had the big and bright Kohler Sleep-n-Lounge in their living room for as a long as I can remember growing up. My aunt reminded me recently that the couch was actually recovered into this wonderful hue of lime green.   I only remember the lime green woolen fabric on the couch that was boxy and a bit scratchy to sit on.  My three sisters and I grew up making fun of this couch in all of its wonder and ugliness.  When my grandparents passed away in the late 1980’s, many of their possessions went with my uncle to the home he was building.  This included the lime green couch.  Each Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve for the past 26 years, my whole family has made the trek over to my uncle’s home to celebrate the holidays (and visit the lime green couch).  Many of the furnishings in his living room and home were my grandparents so it was comfortable and comforting to be surrounded by those items as we all gathered together.   We have had many good memories in the past 40 years or more of sitting on it to have our pictures taken, sleeping on it  after the Tryptophan kicked in from the Thanksgiving turkey, and even wrestling on it as we all fought to find a space to sit to open the Christmas presents.  

In June of 2013, my uncle passed away at the age of 82.  He was a life long bachelor without children and so my sisters and I along with his sister became his heirs.  I was given the task of managing his estate for the family as this is something I am familiar with as a professional organizer and social worker.  The downsizing, de-cluttering and moving things out is what I do.  I help people every day decide what to keep, what to give away and what to throw away/recycle.  It is a process that can be very emotional and upsetting to anyone going through it.  It is my job to give them encouragement, compassion and understanding. Now with the shoe on the other foot for my uncle’s estate, I was the person needing to give away, throw away or keep items that had been in my family for many years.  It is difficult to let some items go that you know was valued by another family member but no longer has a purpose or place in anyone else’s life.  As my family and I worked our way through the home to disperse the treasures and non-treasures, it became apparent that I was much more attached to certain items than I had expected….his coats and hat that had hung in the entry way….his calendar book….some photos…..and the lime green couch.  I tried to think of a way I could keep that couch but it just didn’t have a purpose or place in my home. So I decided to list many items for sale online including the couch.  I received multiple offers instantly to buy it as it was considered “Retro” and back in demand.  I was astounded as were my sisters!  The young woman who bought the couch was extremely excited to have it and exclaimed to me that she loved the color and said it was perfect! That made me happy and the decision to say goodbye easier.   As we loaded it into the truck and they shut the doors to the van, my heart sank.  The buyer got into the van and left. I began to sob.  It wasn’t just a lime green couch.  I felt like my childhood, my family members who had left this earth and all of the memories were leaving too.  I didn’t expect this reaction.   It took me a bit to gain my composure and think through what just had happened.  I was experiencing the same thing my clients experience when we are going through the process of organizing.  I felt humbled and more aware of that emotional and physical reaction.  It really gives me a deeper understanding of my clients’ thoughts and feelings and how I can support them through their life transitions.

I  said goodbye to the Lime Green Couch and a part of myself in the process.  I hope that the new owner has many good memories that just maybe involve the lime green couch that was a fixture in the background of my family’s life for so many years. J