Tag Archives: Organizing

A Closet Organizing System – Do-It-Yourself Or Call In The Pros?

Have you been investigating a closet organizing system that will set your budget back to medieval times? Are you wondering why you should spend more on your closets than on your kitchen cabinets?

Or maybe you’ve looked at several closet organizing systems and are frustrated because they are not as customized as you would like?

My spouse and I have been involved in do-it-yourself projects for years and recently completed a major remodel on our own. If you’re wondering if a do-it-yourself closet organizing system is the way to go for you, here are some facts you need to consider that will help you decide.

— Compare costs.

There was a time when do-it-yourself always meant saving money. But that’s not true anymore. Do-it-yourself projects have become immensely popular and therefore, the options and costs have increased dramatically.

Do your homework. Figure out the type of closet organizing system you’ll need, then compare:

— the cost of purchasing one custom-made and having it installed by professionals.

— The cost of purchasing one ready-made and installing it yourself.

— The cost of building your own organizing system from scratch.

The good news is you have a lot of options available for this type of project so make the most of them.

I recently did an online search for “closet design” and “closet design software” and found some useful sites. If you need help getting started with the preliminary design portion of your closet makeover, this is a good place to start.

— Do you have the tools?

If you already have a garage full of tools, a do-it-yourself closet organizing system makes a lot more sense. If that’s not your situation, you’ll need to take that fact into consideration. Tools are not cheap and it doesn’t make sense to acquire a lot of them for only one closet makeover.

However, your tools (or lack of them) can help you make your decision about what type of closet project you can tackle. A pre-made closet organizing system that simply needs to be installed in your closet will only require simple hand tools such as screwdrivers, a drill, a level, etc. But a from-scratch, fully customized closet system will require several power tools and the space to use them.

Which one sounds like you and your situation?

— Enlist help.

I’ve read several do-it-yourself books on all kinds of projects and I always chuckle when I see the pictures of a person doing the project alone. Unless you’re an octopus, you’re going to need some help! An extra set of hands is often smart and always handy! Make sure you have a willing helper on board before you commit to doing your closet makeover on your own.

— Customize.

The beauty of do-it-yourself is that you can often customize your work to fit your needs exactly. Or at least MORE exactly than off-the-rack solutions. Using unfinished pieces will allow you to coordinate your final project with the room’s decor. For example, custom means you decide how many shelves and where they fit…plus how much weight they can support.

The internet offers a wealth of do-it-yourself information and it’s simple to locate an appropriate forum and find out what solutions other do-it-yourselfers have discovered works. The library is also a great resource that costs nothing but your time. Some excellent resources I can recommend for do-it-yourself closet or storage projects are the following.

— “Reader’s Digest Storage and Shelving Solutions” with the editors of “The Family Handyman” magazine. (Content 2006)

— “Black and Decker Build Your Own Custom Closet”. (Content 2007)

— “Sunset Smart Closet Makeovers” by Cynthia Overbeck Bix (Content 2006)

These books also offer excellent advice about the planning and designing of your closet organizing system and will give you a good feel for the tools you’ll need to complete your closet project.

Frankly, even if you end up hiring out your closet make-over, books like these will help you talk intelligently with your closet contractor and ensure you end up with a final project you love.

A closet organizing system can be an excellent do-it-yourself project if you take the time to properly plan your tools and costs, enlist help, and decide on the level of customization you want.

And the satisfaction of saying “I did it myself” isn’t bad either.

Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 26 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com . Visit her website and learn more about the basics of a closet organizing system today.

Organizing A Fun Home Project

Decorating your home can be a lifelong project if you do not take the time to organize and create a long term plan for your home. Changes in family, in employment, and in lifestyle mean changes in the way your home runs. Decorationg your whole home to accommodate toddlers is unwise. By the time you finish, you no longer have toddlers. Start with a foler for each room you have. This folder is for paint and fabric for that room as well as a list of the functions that room will provide now and in the future.

Most of your success or failure will be in considering the elements of the room. Sketch a rough floor plan of the room, noting doorways, closets, and windows. Write down the measurements of the room as well as any architectural notes. Make a section for resources including phone numbers and websites pertinent to your project. Also create a budget ledger for the folder so you can keep up with costs and invoices for each room. This is to tell you where in your home money is really being funnelled.

An accordion file should do the trick for this because it will have a pocket for each room. A binder with folders in it will work as well. Notebooks are my favorite because they require you to tape or staple pictures and paint chips to pages. This gives a more realistic view of the rooms history as well as what it should look like.

Also take a good inventory of your things. Keep a list of all existing furniture as well as cabinets, appliances, and simple decor items. If you are adventurous, take pictures. Divide this list into categories using a highlighter. One color signifies things to keep. One color denotes things you will throw away, and the last color is the maybe pile. This gives you a realistic look when you go shopping. Do not forget to include measurements as applicable in your list.

One good idea is to move furnishings you are questioning to another area of your home. Try things out in other rooms. If your dresser is no longer working for you, try it in one of the other bedrooms. Small shelves can work in just about any room. This will save you some money down the line and reduce waste. It also creates history in your home because the items stay with you.

Afterward, make a wish list and keep things updated as you go. The more you document, the less you waste.

Organizing Home Renovation Projects

So much goes into home renovations.  A lot is dependent on if you are choosing to do the renovations yourself or hiring a professional contractor to do the work.  Many people will choose to do some smaller home renovations on their own leaving bigger remodels such as kitchens and bathrooms to the professionals. 

No matter what you choose when it comes to your own home one of the first tips I can offer you is to stay organized and keep an eye on the progress of the work.  Even if you are working on a home renovation by yourself you will want to keep a checklist on yourself to ensure the project does not drag on forever.  Of course flexibility is often needed when it comes to set backs and ordering delays.  Don’t let those things throw off the entire timeline of the project.  If you are stuck because the flooring has arrived do not let that stop you from completing other finishing touches to keep the momentum.

One great organizing tip I received from a friend is to keep folders for each separate trade.  If your project calls for you to have to deal with an electrician, a plumber, and a general handyman you would have three separate folders.  In them you then would keep track of contracts, notes and conversations that have taken place.  This way if you need to refer back to a conversation you have it at the tip of your fingers.  This applies if you are the contractor or if you have hired someone to do the remodel.  The great thing is that you will also have at your fingertips these references if you need them later on. 

When dealing with different contractors you will want to make sure that your requests are spoken and written.  Make sure, for instance, if you hire an electrician they know that so many outlets need to be within a room of each size.  It is up to you that if you want them placed in certain areas that you make sure your electrician knows this.  If you do not specify what you want they may not place them in locations that are desirable for the way that your room and furniture will be configured. 

Another handyman tip is that if you have a painter in to paint the house.  Remember that they will not automatically save extra for you to touch up.  Make sure that you ask for a container of touch up paint.  These are things that your contractor will automatically think of.

There are some areas that will bring you more return on your purchase.  These areas include home renovations in areas where the water is such as kitchens and baths.  These are areas that people will focus a lot of attention on when they enter your home.  Another thing that people look for way before name brand fixtures are is trim work.  Money spent on crown molding and trim work done in a professional manner will definitely make your money back in the long run.

 

If you have enjoyed this article on home renovations from Kevin Germain at CPS visit our website http://www.glenmillerthehomedoctor.com today where you will find useful information on our home renovations.