Late last month, I was contacted by Samantha Murphy to help her organize some areas in her home office. Samantha is the owner of 305 Hive, an advertising and marketing company in Miami (‘the 305’). She is an entrepreneur, wife and mom, and she is heavily involved in her community. You can imagine that her time is incredibly precious.
So after remodeling their entire home, Samantha and her family were faced with the enormous task of moving everything back in while final construction touches were still being completed. She and her husband both work from home, and she, of course, wanted the kids (and the family dog) to be settled as quickly as possible.
Rather than face it all herself, Samantha decided to enlist the help of a group of local professional home organizers to help her with some critical areas.
I’m honored that she asked me to help her with the closets in her home office, which is critical to her every-day running of 305 Hive, and of her household!
Let me share with you the 3 keys to organizing after a remodel (I used these with Samantha’s space) so that you get up and running quickly and don’t break the bank:
1. Get Help
Going through a remodel is incredibly stressful, and can test the most patient soul! The last thing you want is for your move-in afterwards to be disorganized or haphazard, which will just increase those stress levels for the whole family. So if the job feels overwhelming, don’t despair.
Look for a home organizer who you ‘click’ with, someone who will approach your move-in with your needs in mind, and who is adamant about sharing their process, tips and tricks with you. An organizer will focus on getting moving you back in as quickly as possible, while ensuring that all your belongings are in the right place. This means you’ll spend less time looking for your stuff!
With this person at your side – or working away in your space while you take a much-needed break – you can be confident that once the job is done, your space will be functional and you’ll be able to find everything you need quickly.
2. Invest in Organizing; Don’t Overspend
When you hire the right organizer to organize your move-in, you’re making an investment that pays off because:
- You’ll spend less on stuff you already own because you’ll be able to see it all
- You’ll spend less on organizing supplies because the right organizer will try to use what you own first!
- You’ll use the things you have in your home! If you can’t get to the fancy dishes very easily, you’ll tend to sue them less. An organizer will help you store your things functionally so you can get things out easily.
- You’ll spend less in the future because you’ll see that there’s no room for clutter in your life anymore! Most people will declutter just before they move, or right as they’re moving into their new house. When they see the volume of stuff they decide is no longer worth keeping, they open their eyes to the possibility of living with less, especially when their organizer has created beautiful, functional spaces for them. You don’t want to ruin that beauty by cluttering it up!
In Samantha’s home office closets, I aimed to use as much of what she already owned as possible before going out to buy new organizing products.
Sometimes you’ll need new containers because the old ones just no longer fit your new space, or are no longer in great shape. In those cases, check first for containers made with sustainable materials, or containers that are really durable so that they stay with you for a long time. And the more neutral they are in color, the better, since our style preferences tend to change over time. So, having neutral containers means that it’s easier for them to fir into any new décor you may bring to your home in the future.
3. Make Sure Everything is Visible
This is true anytime, not just when organizing after a remodel. When you can see everything you own at a glance, you are in control of your stuff. Your belongings are no longer a burden to you, and you remove the noise of clutter from your home.
Having the space to take things out of your kitchen cabinets easily, access your fancy dishes easily, or easily put away your laundry makes your daily life simpler and more efficient. Visibility is the key to this.
When everything has a home, and can be seen at a glance, you’ll know exactly what you own. Imagine how easy entertaining would be, or how much easier it would be for the kids to be ready for school in the mornings. That’s the power of visibility.
Bottom Line:
I invite you all to sign up and read Samantha’s 305 Hive newsletter here, which includes great photos of the spaces we all helped her to organize! And remember the three keys to organizing after a remodel:
- Get help
- Invest in organizing; don’t overspend
- Make sure everything is visible
Enjoy your remodeled home!
