Organizing at Home
Now more than ever, people are recognizing the value of being organized.
Having a place for everything and making it easy to keep everything in its place increases the amount of flexibility you are allowed with your time and money. Establishing routines clears your thoughts and allows you to focus on the things that are most important, which in turn, decreases the amount of stress you will deal with on a daily basis.
Simple Organizing Strategies strives to find the systems that work best for each individual and situation and that will be the easiest to maintain. With the help of SOS, our clients are successful because we take the time to listen to your goals and priorities. We ask the right questions to find out what may or may not have worked in the past, we then build on each persons strengths and abilities. We understand that everyone is different, and that even within one household, different family members may need different systems to function successfully. There are no right or wrong answers, there is no textbook that can tell you exactly how to be organized, because everyone has different needs, wishes and dreams for their life. SOS is here to unlock that potential and to help you succeed.
Space Function and Planning
When you think about the function of the rooms in your home, sometimes it can be difficult to determine how you can achieve the most positive impact in regards to your daily routines. Often times, people repeat ineffective habits because that’s how they were taught to do things. Another problem can be that there are so many organizing products, shelving options, and layout possibilities. It can be difficult to nearly impossible for a person to be able to make the right decisions regarding organization.
SOS Organizers think outside the box when it comes to efficiency and beauty. We provide organizing services to individuals, families, and businesses in home and office settings so that informed decisions can be made that will maximize efficiency while also maintaining the look and style of the space. Our Organizers listen to the needs and priorities of each client in order to provide the best and most cost effective options. SOS strives to remain informed and educated about new products, while continuing to implement time tested products that will be of maximum use to our clients.
Shared Space
Chances are, there are some areas in your home that require use from more than one family member for more than one function. Whether your kids use the same computer desk for school as you use for bill paying, or whether your living room must double as a tv and family game room, or maybe your children share a bedroom. No matter the reason, there are certain agreements that we as family members need to come to, to ensure that everyone is allowed usability of the shared space.
Jenn works together with families to open the lines of communication which enables family members to express what their goals and priorities are for individual rooms and spaces. We develop plans of action to get everyone involved in age appropriate household chores and responsibilities in order to teach kids and teenagers the life skills that they will need to grow into successful as adults. Teaching children that with work ethic comes pride also eases the burden of work and home maintenance for parents, giving them more free quality time to spend with children.
Packing / Moving
If you’ve ever moved, you can understand the stress involved with the process. It seems as we transition through various stages of our lives, the number and weight of the boxes, as well as the stress levels we experience raise tenfold. Whether you are leaving the nest for the first time, moving your family on to bigger and better things, or making the sometimes difficult transition from your lifelong family home into independent or assisted living, having the right help is the most important thing, especially when you are relocating to a different area all together.
SOS assists clients in numerous stages of the moving process. This includes: assistance in planning the move, scheduling the timeline for all of the things that need to be addressed in regards to relocating, packing, labeling, donating and selling items that aren’t going to make the move, arrival planning, unpacking, space planning and design, sorting, organizing, and arranging items. SOS can also help with interior design and decoration as well as staging your previous home for sale or rent. Let SOS systems and guidelines for packing and moving ease the stress and anxiety involved in making your next transition into a new home.
Organizing Your Storage
The key to well functioning space is well functioning storage space. We all have things that we need to store, although we may only need to use them once in a while. It could be holiday decorations, off season clothing, old photographs, or camping necessities. No matter what it is you need to store, it is pretty much guaranteed that there is an appropriate container, shelving unit, cupboard, hook, or rack spinning around out there in the world of storage that is the best solution for your storage dilemma.
SOS can offer storage solutions for every scenario and space. From large old farm houses with limited closet space, to the smallest studio apartment, SOS knows organizing and we know how to containerize, display, store, and implement systems that are easy to maintain. Get your family or office personnel on the same page when it comes to organizing, function, and storage.
Memorabilia / Hobbies
Whether your hobby is scrap booking, fishing, reading, biking, sewing, or any other indoor or outdoor activity, SOS can help you organize the space you need to accommodate your hobbies. In some cases, it is necessary to combine different hobbies into one space, or to share that space with other members of the family. SOS is available to present clients with tools and products that will assist in the organization and function of the space and to help make informed decisions as to what systems will work best for each situation.
SOS has assisted clients in maximizing the ease with which they can use their hobby spaces. Services range from organizing indoor rooms used for scrap booking and sewing while also doubling as a home office, to outdoor spaces such as a garages or sheds used to store bicycles, fishing poles, and even gardening equipment. SOS utilizes products from local Iowa City vendors in an effort to support the community while also supporting clients in achieving goals they set out to reach with the hobbies they enjoy.
Home Office Organizing
Now more than ever, people are working from home. They may choose to do so for the purpose of being in the home to benefit children, to save on transportation costs, or because it has become so easy in the technological world in which we now live. The transition from business office to home office can be confusing. Now that you are in charge of the layout and the workflow of your own space you get to decide where everything will go and how it will work best for you. If you are having difficulty using your filing or work station efficiently, SOS can help by learning what style of thinking and functioning works best for your personality type.
SOS works with clients transitioning from business to home office as well as visual clients with who may struggle with traditional methods. SOS also assists business owners who need to establish a system for work that is mobile so that business may be transitioned easily from office to customer settings.
Downsizing / Aging
Things can become very difficult in later stages of life both physically and emotionally as we age and become less able to care for ourselves or our elder family members. Many seniors find that the homes in which they have lived and raised their families, have become too much for them to keep up with. Whether yourself or a loved one has found the need to transition into a smaller home, apartment, or into assisted living, SOS can be there to help facilitate the move and make it easier on everyone involved.
SOS has worked with clients to downsize into smaller spaces and with those transitioning into assisted living. Jenn has spoken to groups of seniors, helping to educate them about utilizing space effectively, and has given hands-on assistance to seniors by setting up new living spaces. SOS will transport furniture, clothing, and household items to consignment stores and Goodwill and obtain the appropriate paperwork and documentation for sale items and for tax purposes. In addition, SOS is available to run errands and make deliveries to seniors who are unable to drive or obtain transportation to perform daily tasks.
Clutter Control
Clutter can cloud our thoughts and actions, which takes away from our daily productivity. The more “stuff” you have, the more maintenance it requires. Not only that, clutter can be costing you more than you know. Think about the amount of money your space costs you per square foot, whether it be in the form of rent, your mortgage, insurance, or utility costs. Now think about how many rooms or square feet you are using to hold rarely worn clothes, items you are storing for others, or even mystery boxes that are stacked up collecting dust and dander. Wouldn’t you rather be using your space for hobbies, house-guests, or other things that you enjoy?
Jenn teaches continuing education classes regarding clutter control and other organizing issues at Kirkwood Community College. She also works with clients afflicted with ADD/ADHD, in conjunction with their physicians and other health care providers, building upon the ideas and goals that are formed in the office and extending them into the home. SOS can help you tackle the backlog that may have gotten you to the point of barely being able to get the door to that spare room open. SOS helps you recognize and rationalize the emotional attachment that you may have to some items which may make it hard to move forward and achieve the goals and priorities set aside for specific areas of your home, office, garage, or basement, etc.
