STEP ONE

MAKE A PLAN

First we must determine what our “goal” is for the space.

This is where we consider what function this space will have and what items will have a home within this space.

STEP TWO

PULL IT OUT & SORT

Pull it all out. Whether is a drawer, cabinet or closet.

We like to start with a “rough” sort going item by item and dividing into categories. Here we can decide if something is to be donated, trashed, moved to another space or kept for now.

This is a good time to remind my clients…

things are going to get a little worse before they get better although we will get through it!

STEP THREE

DOWNSIZE / PURGE

Keep in mind, the goal is to simplify. The easiest way to simplify is to reduce the amount of things you have.

This is where we will go through each category and work on downsizing. Do you really need 3 neck pillows or 10 spatulas? This part will be hard, although we will always respect your decision. To help you through the process we may ask questions like, “When was the last time you used this?” or do “Do you love this item?”.

Some clients may choose to sell items they want to get rid of or hold onto them for a friend or family member. This is always supported. Although we will remind you, those items will just turn into another project, and it is highly encouraged to just let it go to donation.

STEP FOUR

ORGANIZE

This is where we really get to have some fun!

We will assign “homes” for items by storing them in places that are easily assessable and close to where they will be used within the home.

We are a big fan of using items already available in the home to organize first, then purchasing additional solutions second.

Once a home is determined, we will label everything to ensure you and others return items to its home without requiring too much brain power.

STEP FIVE

CONTINUED PROJECTS / SHOPPING

One project ALWAYS leads to another.

Let it be a dump run, donations, or even shopping for things to finish the project we started.

SORT RVA is here to help with the whole process or just helping write the to-do list.

STEP SIX

MAINTAIN

Life is messy and our home in constant use. Things will get disorganized again, although with a new system in place, things should be easier to get back in order.

SORT RVA is always here for you. Some clients have us come back seasonally to help with this.

MAINTAINCE TIPS:

ONE in ONE out.

This is a good reminder, that every time you bring a new item into your home, consider donating a item. One good practice we have seen, is every amazon box that get delivered to the house, get filled with donations to leave the house. Whether its a small or large box its small task that can help you stay on top of clutter.

Set Limits.

When you outgrow your “home” for items, consider purging.

For example if we have a bin for “Spa Products" and it starts to overflow, this is not an indicator that we need another bin. This is the time to check yourself, limit your purchases for these items, gift them to a friend or donate them. Same thing goes for something like “Pants”. We have dedicated a certain drawer to pants, although that drawer starts to overflow, we do not move additional items to another place, its time to considering purging.

Create New Habits

The best example is… Mail. It’s one of the biggest problems in so many households. By creating the habit of going through that mail DAILY and deciding what goes in the trash, what gets shredded, what needs to be paid and what needs to be filed daily will help you stay on top of something that tends to easily get overwhelming.