10 Tactics to Better Organize Your Home and Enhance Your Lifestyle

If you want to fully enjoy your home and your life, an important step you need to take is to get organized and stay organized. There are 10 tactics that you will want to seriously consider employing to better organize your life today and into the future. Each of these tactics contribute to a comprehensive action plan to bring lasting order to your life.

Write It Down

An important tactic that you need to employ when it comes to leading a more organized lifestyle is to write things down. Writing everything down from scheduled activities to tasks that need to be tended to at your home will help you become better organized. Knowing that you have this level of control over your life will also lessen the amount of stress that you face on a day to day basis.

Use Schedules and Make Deadlines

Another important strategy to use in your life is to schedule and set deadlines. Consider making a weekly schedule of all upcoming activities. In addition, schedule time that you may need for different tasks that you need to accomplish on your own. On a related note you will want to establish deadlines for different tasks and projects that you need to undertake. For example, if you will be undertaking some sort of home improvement project, establish an ultimate deadline for the completion of the project coupled with milestones that will need to be achieved along the way.

Avoid Procrastination

We all procrastinate. However, another strategy you need to consider using to overall your overall organization is to avoid procrastination whenever possible. One tactic you can employ in order to defeat procrastination is to schedule a project you dread undertaking towards the start of your day. When you get an activity that you would otherwise put off undertaken at the beginning of the day, you will get it out of the way. This strategy is an ideal way of lessening stress. You won't have something troublesome hanging over your head throughout the day and even into the next day.

Select Specific Locations for Everything

Clutter and confusions are the dreadful outcomes of disorganization. Clutter and confusion also render you less efficient and your overall lifestyle less enjoyable. An important initial tactic that you need to consider employing in order to create a more organized lifestyle is to establish specific locations for everything in your home. The old cliché really is accurate. You need to create a place for everything and keep everything it its place.

De-clutter Your Home Regularly

Clutter accumulates in a residence in what can amount to a very short period of time. Clutter in your home negatively impacts your life and lifestyle in a number of different ways. The impact can make your home less livable, comfortable, and enjoyable. It can also seriously impact your overall productivity.

If you're like nearly everyone, you view de-cluttering as an utter drag. You can lessen the unpleasantness of de-cluttering by scheduling it one room in your home at a time. A cluttered home doesn't mean that you are a hoarder by any stretch of the imagination. With that said, even clutter can negatively impact the overall usability and livability of your home.

Keep Those Items You Really Need

Another step you can take to organize your home for an improved and more enjoyable lifestyle is to only hold on to items that you really need and use. Clothing is a good example. People tend to accumulate a good deal of clothing, including pieces that they simply do not wear. One tactic you can employ here is to eliminate clothing items that you've not worn in the past year.

Know Resources to Dispose of Items

You will make the process of de-cluttering and eliminating items that you really do not need by fully understanding what resources are available for disposing of these things. The types of resources you need to familiarize yourself with include:

• recycling center
• organization or organizations that take donated items
• sources where you can sell items

Control Bargain Buying

A common mistake people make when it comes to disorganization is overbuying items on sale. While it can be wise to be a bargain shopper, you don't want to overdo in that regard. Certainly, buy items you use regularly when you can find them on sale. However, don't go overboard and make purchases that require you to find extra storage space in your home.

If you are going to take advantage of a sale, make a list beforehand of precisely what you need to purchase. By planning ahead in this manner, you will be less likely to see a good price on something and make an unnecessary purchase of something that you may not have any use, either today or in the future. Planning in the best manner is a key way to limit unnecessary stuff in your home.

Delegate Tasks and Responsibilities

An organized life is one in which you don't do everything yourself. Delegation is crucial. Depending on your life circumstances, there may be tasks to undertake at your home that don't need to be done by you but can be fulfilled by other members of your family. 

Even if you live alone, you may have household tasks that you may want to consider delegating. For example, you might want to hire someone to tend to your lawn care. You may want to consider engaging someone to provide you housecleaning services.

Consistently Work Hard

Finally, when you want lead a more organized life for a more enjoyable lifestyle, you need to consistently work hard. By working hard, and with focus, you will accomplish tasks and more naturally leave yourself with time to enjoy those activities that you enjoy and that are important to you.

These tactics are meant to be comprehensive and used together. You have the best chance of truly organizing your life in a meaningful way by taking advantage of all of these tactics in a coordinated manner.

Prepare Your Yard... Summer is Coming

Our beloved spring is here. More hours of daylight and pleasant temperatures invite us outside to enjoy the caressing rays of sunshine. Nature is bursting back to life, and with the flowers blooming so does our mood. It's a perfect time to gather your loved ones and have a barbecue in your backyard. But before that, you need to prepare it for the summer. 

Getting your yard back in shape after a harsh winter can seem challenging. Here are some useful tips and projects that you can do now to make your yard gorgeous in the summer to come.

Do Some Spring Yard Clean Up

The first thing you should check off your cleanup list is to get rid of fallen branches, leaves, and other debris that have accumulated over the winter. Roll up your sleeves and get a pair of heavy work gloves. Start by removing the fallen branches and cutting down the rotten ones. They can be dangerous especially during the summer storms. 

The next step is removing the litter. Pay extra attention to safety when doing this because the task may involve removing broken glass or other sharp objects.

Now that you've cleaned your yard and piled up the rubbish, you need to get rid of it. The best way to do this is to rent a dumpster. After they drop off your dumpster rental at your address, all you need to do is load your junk and they will take it away. It just doesn't get better than that, does it?

Rake It 'Til You Make It

Let's move on to lawn care. Raking is an important part of your spring-cleaning work. Aside from removing the leaves, it helps the disposing of thatch. It's the layer between the grass and soil which consists of stems, stolons, and roots that haven't decomposed yet. It prevents your grass root system from getting air, water, and much-needed nutrients. It can also make mowing your lawn that much more difficult.

While raking, it's very likely that you'll come across a large number of pine cones. If you're a DIY lover, you can use them for craft projects. Pinterest is stacked with ideas for projects like these. If not, then you can just add them to that pile of rubbish waiting to be disposed of.

Refurbish Your Outdoor Space

Summer is coming and it brings out the need to spend more time outdoors. In order to fully enjoy your outdoor recreation, you need to equip your yard with the right furniture. Aside from being attractive, you will want it to be comfortable and durable as well. Having this in mind, there is no better material than plastic. The major advantage it has over wood is that it can stand extreme weather conditions like heavy rain, extreme temperatures, and even snow.

The variety of options to explore is great. Do the research and find some online plastic wholesale that will provide you with tailored eco-friendly plastic and deliver it to your door. This will make your projects a breeze. Whether you're putting together a summer kitchen or a gazebo, your yard will get a fresh new loo that will last.

Prep And Plant Your Flower Beds

Although the calendars say it's spring, there still may be a few colder days lurking behind the corner. This time of the year is the best for planting trees and perennials in flower beds. 

However, its success depends largely on climate and local conditions. Hardy perennials are more resistant, but if you plan on planting tender ones, you may want to wait for the colder days to pass. Roses usually don't go dormant since they're grown in warm climates. However, they too need some TLC. Give them some good pruning as soon as the lead buds begin to plump up.

Test Your Soil

Winter may leave your soil battling problems like compaction and thatch. What's more, it can also be suffering from PH imbalance. By sending a soil sample to a local soil testing lab will ensure you have a nice and healthy basis for your further gardening projects. 

On the other hand, if you have nice and rich soil, all it needs is good fertilization. Whether you choose organic or synthetic fertilizers, your plants will definitely enjoy proper feeding in the spring.

Mow Your Lawn As Often As You Can

Don't let your grass grow wild. You should keep its height under 3 inches. However, during the summer, it is advisable to leave it half an inch longer so it can provide the shade and moisture to the soil. It's important to keep in mind that it's not only the task itself that matters but the timing and proper technique as well.

Here are some tips that you should pay attention to when mowing:

• Avoid mowing wet grass
• Change your mowing patterns regularly
• Keep the mower blades sharp and balanced
• Mow the grass areas in shade higher
• Leave the grass clippings after mowing
• Finishing Touches

Mulching and edging are the perfect way to finish up your spring yard cleaning. There are two basic types of mulch - organic and inorganic. Natural mulches include things like hardwood chips, grass clippings, and crushed leaves. Synthetic ones, on the other hand, include pebbles, plastic, or rubber mats.

There are many benefits of adding mulch to your soil, no matter which type you choose. It will retain moisture to the soil, help with weed control, and contribute to soil health. Edging may seem unnecessary, but it will make a big difference in the overall appeal of your garden. It will make your garden look polished and beautiful.

Now is the time to put in some effort and prepare your yard. Let these tips inspire you to make your garden a place where your family will enjoy spending time together and making new memories. As the famous quote from Game of Thrones emphasizes: "Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well." Make them count.

8 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Home

If you are like most people in the United States, your home is your most important asset. The importance of your residence stems from its financial and personal value. If you reach a point in time that you have made the decision to sell your home you need to prepare properly for that endeavor. There are eight mistakes to avoid when you put your home on the market.

#1: Putting Your Home Up for Sale Before You Personally are Ready

As mentioned, a moment ago, your home is likely your most important asset, both financially and personally. As a result, putting your home on the market for sale can prove to be a personally challenging decision. Selling your home can prove to a physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging endeavor. As a result, you must be absolutely certain that you are fully personally prepared to sell your home.

You need to make a full, comprehensive evaluation of your situation to make sure you are fully prepared to sell your home and move. As a practical matter, you might want to take a traditional approach to this analysis. You might want to consider making a list of pros and cons associated with selling your home as part of this process.

#2: Blindly Entering into the Housing Market

Another mistake homeowners sometimes make when putting a residence up for sale is to enter the housing market in a blind manner. In other words, some homeowners fail to do appropriate due diligence.

As part of the effort to do appropriate due diligence a homeowner needs to closely examine the local housing market, particularly the state of the market in a person's very neighborhood. In the grand scheme of things, most homeowners are best served during the due diligence process by engaging the services of a professional or professionals to assist in amassing data associated with the idea of entering into the housing market at this juncture in time.

#3: Uninformed Decision to Sell Home "By Owner"

More than a few homeowners believe that selling their homes by owner is far and away the best strategy for selling a residence. They typically make this decision based on the assumption that they will make more money on a home sale by going by the by owner course.

In fact, that is not always the case. Some research suggests that even with Realtor fees, homeowners walk away with on a home sale when they have a Realtor than is the case when they go it alone. The reason for this situation is the reality that a Realtor knows everything from how to properly price a home to how to appropriately market a property. You may also need to access other home sales-related professionals as well.

#4: Not Trusting Your Instincts When Considering a Realtor

A common mistake made by a homeowner interested in putting his or her home on the market is failing to trust his or her instincts when it comes to retaining the services of a real estate professional or Realtor. The bottom line is a homeowner needs to confident in his or her ability to make a wise judgment about a Realtor.

Relying on a person's instincts to engage a Realtor cuts two ways. First, your instincts might tell you to hire a particular person. Second and conversely, your instincts might be suggesting you avoid a certain real estate professional. The bottom line in seeking professional assistance in selling your home is that you do yourself a disservice by not going with your gut in many instances.

#5: Hiring a Friend to Sell Your Home

Time and again when a person makes the decision to sell his or her home an individual reaches out to a friend in the real estate business to assist in selling the property. Although on the surface, oftentimes when a friend is hired to be part of this process, the combination of a business and professional relationship proves problematic. In the final analysis, you can end up at professional loggerheads with your Realtor. If you've retained a friend for this service, you are also at risk for professional disputes or disagreements bleeding over and negatively and even permanently impacting the preexisting friendship.

On the flip side, if you hire a friend to be your Realtor, your friend may face dilemmas. For example, if bad news needs to be conveyed to you, your friend serving as your real estate professional will be reluctant to do so. A friend as your Realtor may sugarcoat what is conveyed to you. In other words, you won't be getting the most accurate information you need to evaluate matters related to your home whilst it is on the market for sale.

#6: Pricing Your Home on the Profit You Want to Realize

Home sellers err when the determine an initial sales price based on a calculation of how much profit they would like to realize from a sale. In reality, the factors that must come into play when determining the initial sales price for a home include:

• comparable sales prices in the neighborhood

• period of time since a comparable home sold in the neighborhood

• condition of residence

• amenities of residence

• appraisal

#7: Letting Emotions Govern Your Decisions

Home buyers make a significant mistake when they permit their emotions to run amok when negotiating with a prospective buyer. Despite the immense sentimental value understandably attached to your home, when he put your residence on the market for sale you must maintain the focus that you are dealing with an asset or commodity.

#8: Not Disclosing History or Residence of Material Problems

A major mistake a homeowner can make when a putting a residence on the market is to fail to disclose the history of the property or problems at the premises. Keep in mind that there are certain types of disclosures that are required to be made by law. In addition, there are other problems that can exist at a property that are better disclosed than hidden even if there exists no legal requirement to do so.

Healthy Living Challenge

The concept of healthy living can mean a lot of different things to each individual person. It can be eating healthier, being more active or exercising, or even cutting stress by clearing clutter in your home. We have created some simple challenges for ourselves, and invite you to customize one for yourself!

If your goal is to eat healthier, you can challenge yourself to try one new fruit or vegetable every week. 

Here are a couple other tips: 

• Say NO to sugary drinks
• Eat in smaller plates 
• Keep tempting foods that trigger you to overeat out of the house
• Don't shop without a list 
• Increase your protein intake 

If your goal is to drink more water and stay hydrated a good place to start would be trying to drink a full glass of water before each meal. 

Here are a couple other tips: 

• Use an app to help track your cups
• Use a marked water bottle 
• Set a deadline for every 8 ounces 
• Drink a glass of water every time you're waiting for coffee to brew

And, if your healthy living challenge happens to be creating a more organized and clutter-free home environment, give us a call! 978-582-1176

Our residential friendly dumpsters can help you accomplish your goals. 

Bad Home Habits

Bad home habits... we all have them! Whether you're guilty of shoving items into nearby closets & drawers, or holding onto things that you don't need or use, we're here to share some helpful tips on how to break these bad habits. 

If you struggle with keeping areas clutter-free, avoid re-homing the clutter and sticking items in spots where they don't belong. Use the handy motto of "A place for everything, and everything in it's place".  This will make life so much easier for you and everyone else in the house! 

And if you're someone that struggles with holding onto items that you never seem to use or find a need for, make it a goal to get rid of them once and for all! Donating items is a great way to feel good about letting go. You can even make a little money off of your unwanted items by selling them online or having a yard sale. But, if you find that most of your items don't fall into either of these categories, then renting a dumpster can be the perfect solution. 

Give us a call if renting a dumpster is the solution to your problem. Our helpful and knowledgeable consultants are always happy to answer any questions you may have. 978-582-1176. 

3 Times In Your Life When A Dumpster Rental Is A Must!

 Major life pivots may not be easy to navigate, but these transitional moments can be great opportunities to make big changes in your home. Here are some prime examples of situations where a dumpster rental can be a vital asset. 

1. Buying A New house

Moving into a new house can be a wonderful opportunity to sort through your belongings and let go of the items that you no longer love or need. But as you know, this can also be a very stressful process. 
If you are fatigued and overwhelmed, it’s easy to give up on big decluttering plans and just throw everything in boxes instead. Don't waste your time moving unwanted items into your new home, remember the less you have to move, the easier moving will be! 


2. Downsizing



Whether you’re moving into a smaller home or simply want to eliminate some of the items you’ve accumulated over the years, it’s hard to pare down a lifetime of belongings. People have emotional attachments to objects — particularly when it comes to the memories associated with each item. 

If you come up with a plan, you can create a clutter-free environment made for comfortable daily living. Yard sales and donation centers can be a great resource for a project like this. But for all of the items that don't make the cut, a dumpster rental can be very helpful. 



3. Growing Your Family



Whether you are expecting your first baby or adopting your fifth, adding another member to the household is a major turning point in any family. Use the time before the little one arrives to clear extra space in your home, and everything will run a little more smoothly. 



Our residential friendly dumpster rentals are perfect for these kind of projects, and many more. Give our knowledgeable Dumpster Consultants a call today to discuss your needs! 978-582-1176

Spruce Up Your Space

The winter months can be a bit gloomy, but don't let the cold weather get you down. Make the most of your long days spent inside by trying to make your home as bright and cheery as possible – a few simple changes can make a big difference.


To lift spirits and make your home inviting during the colder months, try these tips for brightening up your home.


Simple Ways To Spruce Up Your Space:

• Wake up your walls with some color 

• Upgrade your fixtures

• Rearrange your furniture layout

• Update your window treatments

• Hang some new art or add a mirror

Check out the video below to see what we did to spruce up our spaces! 

Projects with Purpose

The start of a new year is a great time to identify projects around your home that will help to keep things moving in the right direction all year round. Decluttering and getting organized are usually at the top of to-do lists when it comes to what needs to get done around the house. If you want to make your decluttering efforts stick, engage in purposeful decluttering! 

Did you know?... 

• The average American spends 1 year of their life looking for lost items. 

• 25% of people with a 2 car garage can't even fit one car inside, and another 32% can only fit one car inside. 

• Most people wear 20% of their clothing 80% of the time.

Identify your "why"

Knowing the real reason why you're tackling a specific task will give you the motivation needed to make it a success. Make a list of all the reasons you want to live with less. They can be as simple as “clean counter-tops” or something that means more to you like, “working less” or “downsizing to a smaller space.” Use those whys as leverage to prevent the clutter from creeping back in. When you come across a great offer at your favorite store, or see a compelling advertisement, go back to your why.

When you clear the excess clutter out of your life, you will notice the positive effects it has on your mental state and overall wellness. Once your home life and your work life are physically cleaned out and minimized, your mind will be at ease. Work on reducing to what you really need and see the positive changes that follow.

Benefits of decluttering & getting organized: 

• Reduces your stress level

• Clears your mind

• Save your time and money 

• Promotes Charity 

• Makes you love your home 

If you want to find your purpose, and discover what matters in your life, get rid of everything that doesn't.