Real Estate Information Archive

Is the garage in your Omaha home starting to get out of control again? Or maybe it's always been a mess? Whether you plan to sell your home in Omaha soon, or you just need a bit more order in you life, organizing your garage can have many benefits.

Here are 5 easy steps to get the job done quickly and painlessly so you can enjoy your garage once again.

1. Plan of Attack

Don't enter alone. And use the buddy system, if for no other reason than you may get overwhelmed and lost in your own sea of debris. Friends, family, and the kids can all lend a hand to get the job done quicker and to help keep you on track. It's easy to get distracted rooting through the objects of your past.

The first goal of any garage organization is to create more floor space, so that's where you should begin as well. Get all the knick-knacks, the holiday decorations, and any other indoor-related storage out of there and into the attic. This area is for outdoor items only. Always keep this objective in mind: it will help you decide what stays and what goes.

2. Divide and Conquer

Give each helper a section to cover. This should help the garage organization run smoother. And don't be clingy. If you haven't used something in over a year, or if you forgot it even existed, it's time to say goodbye. Give your stuff to charities, thrift stores, or maybe even make a trip to the dump. Or, better yet, make a separate pile for a future garage sale, allowing you to reap all the awards of your excavation. (However, don't procrastinate on this chore either. It's easy to say you'll have a garage sale and not follow through so as to keep putting off the inevitable.) Then, divide up the remaining possessions into categories, such as sports items, seasonal décor, gardening tools, car maintenance, etc., to help with the next step.

3. Get Vertical

Once everything is cleaned and categorized, now it's time to rearrange. The best way to store your things is to make use of your vertical space.

• Get a pegboard for your tools.
• Put up some shelves for boxes.
• Heavy-duty hooks are great for shovels and rakes.
• Buy a magnetic strip for stray metal items, such as steel rulers or chisels.
• If you have bikes, skis, or ladders, put them overhead in the rafters (or if you have a drywall ceiling, once again, heavy-duty hooks are great for hanging these heavy-duty items).

4. Compartmentalize

Once you have as much as you can off the floor, it's now time to find additional storage. The easiest answer to this dilemma is a garage organizer.

• A multiple tier shelving unit is great for storing paint or varnishes.
• A cabinetry system for miscellaneous items is always handy.
• Maybe buy several Rubbermaid baskets to hang on the wall to help separate the recycling.
• Buy a crank to roll up that hose.
• Use garbage ties or bungee cords to keep your extension cords in line.
• Whatever the need, investing in some form of garage organizer helps to maintain the floor space you've just created.

5. Don't forget the little things

If you save glass baby-food jars, clear film canisters, or milk cartons (to be cut in half), you'll now be able to store smaller items, such as nails, screws, or tacks. If these small containers aren't see through, they can also be easily labeled with masking tape. Another alternative garage organizer is an inexpensive tackle box to help contain the confusion. But what if it's your bigger items that are getting in the way? What if it's the necessary tools, such as snow blowers, lawn mowers, or edgers creating the clutter? Then consider building an extra shed in the backyard or a lean-to against the outside of the garage in order to produce additional square footage.

Don’t Let It Happen Again

The main thing to keep in mind is never let it get to this point again. If you take these steps, you should be able to keep up with your garage organization in the future. This is not to say that you won't have some occasional maintenance, as in some sweeping, scrubbing, or washing. But by simply taking the time to arrange the space, at least you'll no longer dread entering into it.

Have your home needs changed in the past year? Perhaps you’ve outgrown your present home, or need to downsize to a more suitable home. If you’re ready to make a move, let’s connect and talk about all the amazing opportunities that are available to you!

There's a lot of work involved in keeping a home looking clean and tidy, whether or not your house is on the Omaha market and you're preparing for showings. Particularly when you have a family, keeping your home clean can seem like a full-time job.

If you’ve ever been to someone’s house and felt like it’s always clean and you’ve wondered their secret, they probably have a few, including the following.

Stop the Marathon Cleaning Sessions

Many of us put off household chores and try to do everything at once, which makes us feel like we'll never be able to keep up. You may pile up clutter all week and then tackle it on Saturday.

That’s fine, but you could develop a negative relationship with cleaning because it’s always frustrating to tackle such a big project.

If you can make goals to clean your house a little at a time, it changes your habits and becomes a natural part of your routine rather than a once-in-a-while dreaded task.

Try focusing on things you can do right now that will make a difference over time, even if they are small. As a result, you won't feel overwhelmed. By gradually adding these small tasks to your daily routine, you'll stop thinking of them as cleaning. You'll just accept them as part of your daily routine.

Try the 20/10 Rule

The 20/10 rule is an approach that can help you stop being a marathon cleaner.

By using a timer, you train yourself to clean briefly throughout the week. For example, you can set a timer for 20 minutes. You focus on cleaning something during those 20 minutes. Then, you give yourself a 10-minute break to do whatever you want, and once that ends, return to cleaning.

Make the Beds Everyday

One of the best things you can do for yourself to feel mentally more in control of your home and your day is to make your bed every day. Make it even on the weekends or when you don’t feel like it.

Making your bed has an immediate impact. You can feel calmer knowing that at least one thing in your home is tidy, no matter what.

Put Things Away As Soon As You’re Done Using Them

Take a moment to consider how many things you use throughout the day without putting them back. Every day, we do it unconsciously. You might leave something on the countertop for now instead of putting it back in the drawer.

Clothes are another example. Instead of hanging them up, you start throwing them on the floor or your bed, so try to change that habit.

These things add up.

If you consciously promise yourself you’ll put everything back after you’re done using it, you’ll notice a difference in your home.

Do One Room At a Time

When you do clean, focus on one room at a time. It gets overwhelming to tell yourself you have to clean the entire house.

You can stay motivated and encouraged when you focus on one room at a time.

Have a Schedule

Having a schedule can help people maintain a clean home consistently. It is up to you to come up with something that works for you, but one way to do it is to separate tasks by day and do them on the same day every week.

You might dust and do laundry on Monday, and vacuum and clean bathrooms on Tuesday. You can go from there, but as you’re doing more frequent cleaning, things have less of a chance to become big messes.

Finally, aim to do a load of laundry a day. That means washing it, folding it, and putting it away. Laundry can create piles and messes all over your home if it gets out of hand, so taking control of those before they become problematic will keep floors and other areas tidier.

Maybe you come up with a routine for the load you do every day. For example, you could put a load in in the morning before leaving for the day. You put it in the dryer as soon as you get home, and you put it away before bed.

Have your home needs changed in the past year? Perhaps you’ve outgrown your present home, or need to downsize to a more suitable home. If you’re ready to make a move, let’s connect and talk about all the amazing opportunities that are available to you!

The holidays bring so much joy and fun to our homes and families, but when they are finished, the clean-up begins. And let’s be honest, this clean up isn’t the ordinary ‘after a weekday meal’ clean up. It’s time to do some heavy-duty cleaning to get your home ready and running efficiently to take on the new year. Let’s look at the 5 most important areas to focus on for the ‘deep clean’ after the holidays.

1. Dishwasher- If your home is anything like ours your dishwasher has probably been running non-stop. Especially if you’ve hosted overnight guests as well. Think of all the food residue from your holiday dishes that your dishwasher has scrubbed through?! Remember, all that gunk can build up on the inside walls, racks, and bottom of the dishwasher itself as well. However, there’s good news! It’s easy to clean and get rid of that and have your dishwasher looking and running like it's brand new again. You’ll want to start by handwashing all removable filters.  Then put together 1 scoop of dishwasher-approved cleaning solution into the bottom of an empty dishwasher and run on your dishwasher’s hottest setting. Voilà - that’s it!  When finished it’ll be good as new and ready to tackle anything you toss in it.
2. Refrigerator- First and foremost, start by tossing out all the old & expired foods and any bottles or containers that are empty or nearly there. Then set aside all remaining items in your refrigerator so that you can clean inside.  Start with a cleaning solution and hot water.  Wipe down all shelves and bins. Remove any pieces possible to scrub thoroughly. Once everything has been scrubbed inside, organize and replace foods and condiments back in. Place a baking soda deodorizer inside to eliminate any future odors. Not done yet. If you haven’t already done so, pull out the refrigerator and vacuum off the vents in the back. They tend to get very dusty and gunky which makes it more difficult for your refrigerator to run efficiently.
3. Oven- Not my favorite, but has to be done, especially if you’ve had spills cooking or baking those delicious treats for the season. Whether you choose to use an oven cleaner or opt for a natural solution, make sure you have a pair of rubber gloves handy. Remove racks before starting. If you’re interested in a natural solution, here’s some to try:  Oven Cleaner- ½ C Baking Soda, 3 Tablespoons water. Mix in a small bowl then use scrub brush and sponge. For Degreasing your Oven try 1 C White Vinegar, baking soda, and water. First put water in the spray bottle and spray your oven. Sprinkle baking soda onto the wet areas and let stand for about an hour. Empty the water from the spray bottle and put in the vinegar. Spritz the vinegar onto the baking soda and it will begin to bubble. Use a sponge to wipe away all residue.
4. Stove Hood- This is one area that captures a lot of greases, so it needs a great cleaning after the holidays. Use your cleaning solution and hot water to submerge the filter for 20 minutes. Then scrub clean and replace back into the hood.
5. Bathrooms- Whether you’ve just entertained for an evening or two or had overnight guests for days at a time, your bathrooms are in desperate need of a deep clean and sanitizing. Again, mix your favorite cleaning solution with hot water, grab some clean towels and wipe down counters, drawers, handles, toilet surfaces, and tub & shower. Once finished, spray on a sanitizing solution and let dry. Next using a sanitizing cleaner, scrub toilets until they sparkle.

Have your home needs changed in the past year? Perhaps you’ve outgrown your present home, or need to downsize to a more suitable home. If you’re ready to make a move, let’s connect and talk about all the amazing opportunities that are available to you!

Did you know that Fall is a great time to de-clutter your home? As we begin to approach the holidays and the extra guests they bring, it is the best time to rid your home of all those unused, unwanted, and extra items. However, too often many of us fall prey to these mistakes before we even begin the task! Let’s check them out to ensure we maximize our efforts and really make the de-cluttering task worthwhile.

1. Work at your own pace. Stop looking at the clock. This cannot be stressed enough. Too many times we put unreasonable expectations on ourselves when we set out to de-clutter our homes. If we really want to get rid of unnecessary or unused items, we must take our time to do it right. That means taking off the watch and pacing ourselves.
2. Make a plan. What are you trying to achieve? If you don’t know, it's going to be hard to stay motivated to keep going! Are you striving for a more orderly home? Easier ways to keep your home clean and organized? Or really want to get rid of the unused and unneeded items in your home…maybe to downsize? Whatever your reason is, define it first.
3. Storing de-cluttered items. This is a biggie! How often have you “de-cluttered” a room, only to move those items to another room, closet, or storage box? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. If you think about it, this really defeats the whole idea of de-cluttering because you’re just moving the objects from one location to another.  Instead, what you need to do is divide these items into 3 different categories: selling, donating, or going into the trash. Once you’ve done this, the task becomes much simpler. Go room by room and divide into one of each category, then get those items out of your home as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you’ll start going through them again and want to put them into storage boxes or closets and start the whole cluttering process again.
4. Engaging others in the process. While family members are obviously part of the process in a home, don’t go outside that circle in soliciting advice on what to keep and not. Everyone will have differing opinions and it's only your opinion that counts. You will end up keeping many more unwanted, needed, or unused items when soliciting outside advice.
5. Lastly, stop buying things you really don’t need! That may sound obvious, but how many times do we shop and impulse buy? That tends to give us many items we may use a few times and then find ourselves looking for places to store them. Also, try tracking spending and see where your dollars are going and what you really need.  It’s also a dynamite way to save money!

The holidays are just around the corner, so getting our homes deep cleaned and super organized now will be a game changer as the days arrive. Not to mention to peace and calm it brings into our homes. Happy de-cluttering!!

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