Stuck in a decluttering slump by by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

We are a few weeks into the Scottsdale Real Estate Team decluttering challenge and its just about time for the post-holiday, sick-of-this, when-will-it end slump.  Here are some quick hacks that can help you beat the decluttering blues… Limit yourself to one small space, in this case, a “junk bowl,” where you can keep those odds and ends that don’t fit anywhere else. What’s in The Nife En L’Air’s junk bowl: “accessories from parties, receipts, business cards, hairpins, Totoro mini plushes from Japan… And it is fine, since this is, after all, a Junk Bowl.” It’s hard to get rid of things. Especially if you purchased with them expectations of loving them, so be prepared to accept getting emotional about decluttering. We find having a place we can donate old clothing, shoes, and accessories to before we begin decluttering makes a difference. Find a local donation center or charity that you can easily leave lightly used items with. Having an idea in mind where you wish your stuff to go can make things easier. You can declutter at your own pace. You don’t have to go crazy and do it all in one week or one weekend. Going at your own pace increases the chances you keep it up and develop a good routine. If you already know why you keep clutter, then you’re more likely to spot it and (possibly) stop yourself the next time you decide to hold onto something past its prime. Save photos of nostalgic items, rather than the items themselves. Use attractive baskets for quick living room decluttering.  Incorporate some practical aspects of Feng Shui decluttering, like opening the windows and dressing comfortably. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

Decluttering your Living Room By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

There’s a trend in homeownership sweeping the country about decluttering and purging items from your drawers, closets, and corners. One of the great gathering places for clutter and “nowhere else to put it” or “drop it here for now” rooms is the living room. Unless its holiday time, this room can become a catchall for everything from mail to clothes to dishes to linens.  Here is a simple formula that applies to cabinets, furniture, chests, tables, and storage units.

1. Take everything out of the space.
2. Purge like crazy.
3. Put like items together.
4. Corral like items.
5. Label! (optional, and only pertains to certain items)
6. Refill your space.
7. Train yourself to put things back in their spot.
8. Don’t be afraid to change up systems that aren’t working.

Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.  

Tips to Make Decluttering Easier by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

The Clutter Is Overwhelming and I Don’t Know Where To Start

This goes hand in hand with not feeling like you have enough time. You stare at the piles of junk and the overstuffed closets and you don’t know where to start. You ask yourself how things got like this and you feel it’s gone too far to ever go back. NOT TRUE! It will take you less time to declutter your whole house than it took you to get into this mess. You can continue to let it get worse and worse, or you can stop the madness!

Add Some Fun And Ask For Help

You can lessen the overwhelm by adding some fun and asking for help. Add fun by turning on your favorite tunes or even your favorite television show. Also, try setting a timer to see how much you can get done in a set amount of time. You want to get your house so that all flat spaces are clear of clutter. Maybe they have a toaster on them, maybe a decorative candle, but not a lot of clutter. So start with one counter. Clear off everything possible, except maybe one or two essential things. Have a blender you haven’t used since jazzercise was all the rage? Put it in the cupboard! Clear off all papers and all the other junk you’ve been tossing on the counter too. Maybe you don’t feel like doing a huge decluttering session right now. But if you take the time to schedule it for later this month, you can clear your schedule, and if you have a family, get them involved too. The more hands pitching in, the better. Get boxes and trash bags ready, and plan a trip to a charity to drop off donated items. You might not get the entire house decluttered during the weekend, but you’ll probably make great progress. Pick up 5 things, and find places for them. These should be things that you actually use, but that you just seem to put anywhere, because they don’t have good places. If you don’t know exactly where things belong, you have to designate a good spot. Take a minute to think it through — where would be a good spot? Then always put those things in those spots when you’re done using them. Do this for everything in your home, a few things at a time.  Once you start, it becomes a habit to put things away or get rid of them. Using your fitness tracker and racking up those steps in a 15-minute block of time can help your body and home at the same time. Many times I do this when I have to be somewhere in half an hour and I’m ready to go. I don’t feel like starting something so I walk around my home for 15 or 20 minutes putting stuff away, throwing stuff out. This waiting time is also handy for moms waiting to pick up kids – a great time to declutter purses, bags and the car. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

Why is Getting Rid of Things So Hard for Some Homeowners by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

This week is a catch-up week. You can revisit the bags of donation sitting in your garage or simply call for picking knowing you haven’t missed them in the last month of decluttering. This week we are going to talk about why giving things away can be really hard for some people. Once you understand why its often easier to let go.

First, I want you to understand that there really is a lot of psychology behind how we think about our material possessions. We often link our possessions to different memories, emotions, feelings of self-worth and so on. We often subconsciously make a link between what we have and who we are. We feel as if letting go of our possessions means letting of go of part of ourselves. While you can express yourself through your possessions, don’t let your possession rule who you are. The material possessions you have obtained in this life do not make you worthy or worthless. Your heart is what really matters. So don’t let what you possess own you. Learn to let go and free up some space in your home and your mind. Learning how to declutter will do so much for you than give you more space in your home.

I Can’t Find Time to Declutter

The biggest reason why decluttering is so hard is because you don’t feel like you have time. Time is hard to come by. This life is busy and society puts pressure on us to be busy. It’s like if you aren’t on the go all of the time, then you are doing something wrong. I get it. Time is hard to come by, but it’s also an excuse. You make time for what is important. Really want to declutter? Then make time.

Declutter in Sections

Okay, so, I realize that is probably not what you wanted to hear. Just remember it’s a process. Give yourself a break and don’t expect to get it all done at once. The best way to make time is by chunking up your house into a bunch of small sections. Don’t think about decluttering your bedroom. Think about decluttering your closet. If you have a big closet then think about decluttering one rack or one shelf.

Declutter As You Go

It also helps to do things as you go. Need to declutter your makeup bag? Take 5 minutes and go through it when you finish up your make up. Go through extra products in the bathroom on your bathroom cleaning day. Clean out the refrigerator while you wait for water to boil.

Get A Baby Sitter

Another way to make time is to have grandma watch the kids for a day while you tackle as much clutter as you can. Do this a couple of times and your house will be in tip-top shape in no time. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

Decluttering Linens, Towels and Tablecloths by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

One of the reasons that our house has clutter is that I don’t get rid of things that are still useable. Our linen closet used to be filled to the brim of older comforters, threadbare towels, and overflowing with hotel samples of shampoo/conditioner/shower gel. Tablecloths, napkins, placemats can all pile up. Something most people didn’t really know before running a decluttering mission is how they really love to collect and use cloth napkins, of every sort and variety. They really are very pretty, and you can easily accumulate a lot of different colors and patterns, as well as have napkins for basically every holiday and season. Digging into the linen closet poses a bigger challenge for some homeowners.  Here is a handy list from SettingMyIntentions.com for decluttering:

• Pull everything out of the closet – sheets, towels, washcloths, and bins of “extras”
• Place out all the items from on the floor to inspect
• Throw out anything stained, ripped or outdated – if still good donate, or use for cleaning cloths.
• Put extra fabric, extra duvet covers, and bed skirts that we won’t use anymore for the donation pile.
•  “Extras” you can’t live without are rearranged to fit neatly in the back on the top shelf.

You can do this. There are people in need of your good-condition used items and if you think you might miss it – take a photo on your phone. of it so you can remember. Many times an item reminds us of a person, place or time and a photo will do the trick. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

Decluttering the Dining Room Storage Areas by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

If your house has a formal dining room and a breakfast nook, the dining room may not see a ton of use. This plus the fact that it usually has a large flat surface– the table– can make it a prime dumping ground for clutter. We’re going to remedy that this month! Dining rooms tend to have storage pieces with lots of drawers and cabinets (like buffets and china cabinets), so try to go through each and everyone to make sure to have everything from the day’s category all in one place. I also scan the tops of surfaces because they tend to collect a bunch of stuff.

Things like decorative items or fancy serving pieces that we got as wedding gifts are easy to throw into the bottom of the china cabinet and not think about, but they could be taking up valuable space that we could be using to hold the items we actually use and love. Or clearing them out could leave more open space, which is also great too! Things like gifts can be hard to part with because we feel that twinge of guilt that comes with getting rid of something that someone else gave to us, but if we’re not using it and loving it, it will be much better off in the home of someone who will, so we can donate or sell the item guilt-free. And just think how great you’ll feel when your dining room is looking all neat and tidy! If you’re still feeling the guilt, do a test run where you put the item away in a bin in a storage area for a while. Set a reminder on your phone to check back in on it in a month or two. If you haven’t missed it at all, it’s probably safe to let it go for good. The biggest battle in the dining room can often be keeping the surfaces uncluttered. It is so easy to walk in the house and throw things right onto the dining room table– it’s big and flat and practically BEGGING to hold our excess papers and bags and books, right… Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

3 Ways to Make Keep a Clean Dining Room by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

The biggest enemy of a clean dining room is the everyday clutter that tends to collect there. Each Night Clear off your Table before things have time to build up. When your table is the heart of your home, everything gravitates there—books, paper piles, purses and gadgets. The best way to battle this beast is simple: Every night before dinner, dump everything into a basket and tuck it away at the edges of the room. Later that night, you can put those things away. Or not. Let the basket be a permanent stand-in for the table top and collect the things you like to keep close by. For things that can’t be picked up between meals, like an especially tough puzzle or a craft project that needs to be left to dry for hours, try this trick: Before diving in and spreading out on the table, get yourself a big sturdy craft mat and lay that down first. When dinnertime rolls around, you can lift and carry the whole project over to the floor or bed for a little while you enjoy a clutter-free meal. If you’re able to migrate your dining room’s non-essential activities to another place, rule number one should be “Not at the table.” But sometimes coloring and craft projects do need their space. To better regulate the table time share, mentally and verbally put your dining room on a schedule. Think to yourself, or say out loud to your housemates—”Ok, we’ll start the puzzle right after lunch, but it has to be cleaned up by dinner. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.    

5 Best Ways to DeClutter your Pantry by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

For many families, entertaining and eating is done right in the kitchen, which means that not only do you want a clean kitchen for cooking, but you’ll also want space for having company over and be able to find everything quickly!

1. Use closet racks as cabinet organizers. Trim the racks to length with a hacksaw and then mount screws to the back side of the face frame to hold the racks in place. The back side of the rack simply rests against the back of the cabinet. Now you can easily find your soup and check the rest of your inventory at a glance.
2. T-molding designed for wood floor transitions makes a perfect rack for stemware. Just cut it to length, predrill screw holes and screw it to the underside of a shelf. For a neater look, use brass screws and finish washers. Prefinished T-molding is available wherever wood flooring is sold. A 4-ft. section costs about $25.
3. If your spices are jammed into a drawer with only the tops visible, this nifty rack that slips neatly into the drawer will solve the problem. And it only takes an hour to build. Make it with scraps of 1/4-in. and 1/2-in. plywood.
4. Small spice containers use shelf space inefficiently and are difficult to find when surrounded by taller bottles and items. Use a small spring-tension curtain rod ($3) as a simple shelf. It’s easy to install and strong enough to support the spices.
5. Free up drawer space by hanging measuring cups inside a kitchen cabinet onr on the back of a pantry door . Position and mount a wood strip so that the cups will hang between the shelves and allow the door to close completely. Mount a second strip for your measuring spoons, then screw in cup hooks on both strips.

Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.