Issues client was facing:

• Moved location and boxes were quickly placed in storage cage
• Records filed by consultant and not easy to locate specific files
• Records dating back more than 7 years, no longer needed and taking up space
• Cardboard boxes falling apart and losing contents
• No time to organise area

After discussing issues with client, Finer Details organised the area by:

• Separating financial records from client records
• Sorting records by year
• Removing records no longer needed as specified by client
• Sourcing, purchasing and delivering plastic containers
• Labelling each container with year, description of contents and destroy date
• Clearly labelling containers on 3 sides
• Storing containers in year order, with the oldest and latest records at the front of storage cage (oldest need to be removed and destroyed first; latest were files client specified as needing easy access to).

Issues client was facing:

• Office is a home office and included both personal and work items
• Miscellaneous home items stored in corner
• Needed to make space for a new employee
• Office visited by clients
• Desk covered with papers with not much space to work
• Archives took up a lot of cupboard space and boxes were falling apart
• Lots of drawers, some not utilised fully

After discussing issues with client, Finer Details organised the area by:

• Moving archives to garage
• Sorting through personal items, and items either repaired, thrown out, given to charity, put away or archived
• Sourcing, purchasing and delivering plastic archive containers
• Labelling each container with year, description of contents and destroy date
• Rearranging folders and placing only frequently used books and folders on bookshelves
• Organising cupboard with clear areas for stationery, items to be archived, books and folders not frequently used
• Clearing desk and creating drawer filing system, including current projects
• Researching desks and ordering

Issues client was facing:

• Two rooms merged into one after living arrangements changed and too many items in small area
• Closet doors left open as chest of drawers accessed often
• Room hard to tidy and clean

After discussing issues with client, Finer Details organised the area by:

• Removing toys and books no longer used and giving to charity
• Moving room around to make items easier to access and put away
• Clearly labelling chest of drawers and toy storage drawers

Issues client was facing:

• Small kitchen in rental where no structural changes could be made
• Different people helping and putting things away in different places
• Kitchen got messy easily
• Pantry deep and hard to get to items at the back
• Fridge not working properly - not enough time to ring around

After discussing issues with client, Finer Details organised the area by:

• Sorting through items and throwing away or donating unneeded items
• Making items easy to access and more obvious to put back by sourcing and purchasing removable storage items
• Sourcing new/replacement fridge prices and delivery information

Issues client was facing:

• Too busy to sort through
• Stationery spread over different areas and mixed in with other things
• Items not easy to find
• Area not easy to maintain
• Area too cluttered

After discussing issues with client, Finer Details organised the area by:

• Removing items that did not have a use in the office
• Sorting and grouping like items together
• Using containers and in-trays more effectively to making items easy to find
• Sourcing and purchasing additional organsing items that would help keep the area tidy

1. Schedule time
   Commit to your project and allocate time to your de-clutter: don't let other things creep in and interfere with that time. Block it out in your diary and stick to it.

   In saying that, don't over commit! When organising a room, divide the room up and tackle small areas at a time (if necessary, spread the project over a few days). If you start pulling everything out and then have to leave it, you will find it much more difficult when you come back to it.
    

2. Prepare
   Following the scouts' example, it's good to be prepared! Be strong-headed and ready to make decisions. Have containers and rubbish bags ready to help you with sorting items
    
3. Where to start
   We recommend you start with what is already out in the open, so your floor, work areas and other surfaces would be a good place to start. Then move to shelving, drawers and cupboards.
    
4. Sort items
   
Using your containers, start to group similar items together. Use broad categories or you will end up with too many containers and it will become confusing.
 
5. Work quickly
   Don't procrastinate - sort your items quickly into the containers.
    
6. Analyse
   Go through one container at a time and consider whether you really need each item - ask yourself:
    
   • Have I used this in the last 12 months? Do I still need it?
   • Is it really useful? Does it serve its purpose properly? Try not to keep things for the dreaded 'just in case' scenario - be ruthless!
   • How much would the item cost to replace, if you haven't used it but think you might one day - is it really worth cluttering up the space or could you just as easily replace it if the occasion ever occurred?
   • Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork - do you really need it? Could you recreate it or get it from another source.
   • Look at any double ups you have and really consider if you need them -having a spare is one thing, but how many do you really need?
   
    
7. Decisions
   Anything you want to keep, place back in your container.

   Anything you don't want to keep - could you give it to a charity, a friend/client who could use it or could you sell it? If you're not that passionate about it- donate it or give it to someone you know who would enjoy it. If you have items to give away/sell - set up one container for all these items.

   Quickly sort through your items and try not to procrastinate! If you find you have items you can't decide on, create an 'undecided' box and go through it at the end. We usually find clients become a lot more decisive after they have finished trawling through all of their belongings.

   
    
8. Don't get distracted
   If an item is in the wrong room, place it by the door (or a marked container) to be put away at the end of the session - don't put it away immediately: you risk getting side-tracked, which will slow down the sorting process.

   Be wary of shifting one pile from one room to another to 'sort' later as you are just shifting the problem.
    

9. Be gentle with yourself
   This can be quite an emotional journey.

   Remember to take a deep breath and to take breaks - if it all gets too much consider going for a walk.
    

10. Organising
    After de-cluttering an area, the next step is to organise the area. Think outside the square when looking at how to re-organise your room or area - need help? Ask the Organising Agony Aunt your question or request a free initial consultation: Contact Finer Details