Declutter Your Way to a More Organized, Intentional Home

Although I have always been organized, there were two significant moments in my life that taught me how to manage clutter.

The first was when I returned from a backpacking trip around the world. Having visited homes in many developing nations, I no longer wanted to have such excess in my own home. My possessions were organized, but I had too many of them for my taste.

After I unpacked from my journey, I began a thorough review of my stuff. I started upstairs, removing unnecessary items floor by floor. By the time I reached the basement, I had enough stuff to set up a second apartment.

My second decluttering lesson was right after my divorce. Just months after the split, I found myself facing bankruptcy. I began my climb out of sudden and severe financial debt while simultaneously making a name for myself in the organizing industry. I hired a top-tier PR agent, but I knew I had to come up with some big bucks to cover his fee and all the expenses that go along with creating a brand. I decided to sell my home and everything I owned to make it happen.

As I sorted my belongings for a second time, I created a ranking system to help me decide what to keep and what to toss. It worked beautifully for me, and I think it can work for you, too.

The Clutter Scale

5 - Important items whose place in your home is non-negotiable. For me, this included my green-stained Depression glass, photos, business files, office equipment, and my car.

4 - Items that are difficult to replace and items you use every day. This pile included most of my clothes, CDs, some furniture, a favorite sheet set, towels, and jewelry.

3 - Items you use occasionally but haven’t used within the last six months.

2 - Items you rarely use but feel hesitant to toss.

1 - Items you never use, like seasonal items, specialized tools, or kitchen gadgets. I got rid of stationery, extra wrapping paper, old boxes, and my printer.

You know what I found as I used the clutter scale? There were rarely items that rated a 2 or 3. And once I established some criteria, I was able to sort and purge the 2s and 3s like never before. As you sort your less important items, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I love it?
• What's the special story behind it?
• Do I have the space for it?
• Can I replace it?
• Can I easily borrow it or rent it if I need it again?
• Does it support my goals and values?
• Does it compare to the items I ranked as a 5?

The clutter scale is a great way to get back in touch with your priorities. My priority at the time was starting my business, so I kept the bigger goal in sight - and let go of anything that didn’t support that goal.

What I didn't know then was that I was already practicing what I was going to preach in my business. I learned to organize my life and stuff based on my values. I chose to collect experiences, not things.

As you declutter and rank your possessions, don’t forget to take a few minutes to think about your goals and values. You’ll find your home to be much more intentional and peaceful if you do!

Related:

• 5 Actions to Take Now for a Better 2017
• Tackling the Top 10 Home Organization Issues
• 5 Organizing Secrets Only the Pros Know

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My Experience Building a New Construction Home

By Michael Montoya, as told to Natalie Wise

Editor's note: There's nothing quite like moving into a brand-new home. Pristine appliances, every detail exactly to your taste, ding-free walls, no weird former owner - the appeal of buying new construction is pretty obvious. Every day this week, we'll offer advice and perspectives on going the new construction route.  

When my fiancée and I were home shopping, we looked and looked, and did a lot of comparisons. Price comparisons, size comparisons, what we'd need to fix in the future. We were both first-time home buyers so we were very thorough in our process.

A lot of people felt their homes were dipped in gold, but all we saw were 1990s split-levels with high asking prices. I didn't want a home that had a 20-year-old roof and a bunch of things to fix on day one. It got disheartening after a while to think of spending that much money for something already a few decades old.

Then we started looking at new construction online, and things just started clicking. We found a development we liked that’s located halfway between her parents' house and my parents' house. It's a secluded area surrounded by farmhouses.

We knew we wanted as much green space as possible, so we found the largest lot in the development, at the end of a cul-de-sac. When we were looking at older houses, most only had 0.15 acre lots, but ours is 0.25 acre. This should be great for re-sale value down the road, too.

Making plans

Once we bought the lot, we started looking for builders. The builder we liked had already started two other houses on the block, so it was perfect. We were third to build in the development. Our builder had just taken a few weeks' vacation after finishing the second house, so we had to wait a few extra weeks, but he deserved the time off.

Since this is our first house, we knew we wanted to start small. A cozy one-story ranch with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms was ideal. It's just over 1,200 square feet. Maybe down the road we'll add a second level, but we have plenty of space for now.

We also thought this size would leave us plenty of room on the lot for landscaping. I’m going to do a lot of the planning and work for the landscaping myself.

The current porch is small, so adding on to that will be a priority, too. Just off the porch we'll add a stamped cement patio. We're excited to put in a pergola, add our gas fireplace, and entertain outdoors this summer.

We broke ground on April 10, 2015, and the builder told us it would take 120 days. We got our keys August 5, so they were right on time.

 

Lessons learned

The hardest part about the construction process for us was trying to visualize it all from paper. Once the framed structure was up, I was a bit alarmed because it looked so small. I wondered if I had vastly underestimated the size in my head. Of course, once it started getting finished out, my fears dissipated. We just had to wait out the process and trust the builder.

The second-hardest part was staying on budget. There are so many upgrades to choose from, and it's hard to be disciplined. I know I can do many of the upgrades myself over time, but even the basic trims and finishes are expensive.

It was also tempting to buy accessories  and furniture beforehand, but we are forcing ourselves to live with it a bit first.

My best advice to anyone looking at new construction: Stick to your budget, be patient and talk it through.

At first, we just wanted to get in the house as soon as possible. Now that we've lived here for a few months, it feels more lived-in. We’re especially enjoying the open floor plan for entertaining. We love to fill our house with family and friends, and are glad the space feels cozy for that.

The cabinets, countertops and paint colors are all dark and earthy. They go perfectly with our love of coffee, jazz, wine and entertaining. But we did white trim to provide contrast.

The exterior is gray and white, which should be a nice backdrop for the colorful landscape we're looking forward to completing this summer. While it took us a while to choose everything, it was great to be able to pick all of the details ourselves.

No one has ever made memories here before. That's the most exciting part.

Wondering if new construction is right for you? Search new construction listings, and get more home-buying tips and resources to help you decide.

Related:

• Living in Your Own House for the First Time Ever in Your 40s
• A New Song for an Abandoned Home
• How ‘Home Was a Safe House’ for This Refugee and Cancer Survivor

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Originally published April 4, 2016.

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Topics and Startups from Inman Connect

Last week was Inman Connect in New York, which is always a fun trip for me. I simply love New York (and thought about moving there a few years ago).

Over the course of the week, I spoke with a wide range of startups, and discussed a variety of topics. Here’s a few that left an impression:

• mythic-vr.com: I’d experienced lighter weird VR devices powered by mobile phones before, but never a full scale immersive experience. We’re still very very early, but VR is definitely looming on the horizon.
• RealScout: I’ve long thought there was a compelling opportunity facilitating the buyer-agent-properties experience, and it took a conversation with Pierre to make me realize that’s where RealScout’s focus lies. That seems to be the focus of Homesnap/BPP based on Sam’s analysis. It’s a crowded space, and becoming more crowded.
• APIs: At Hacker Connect, APIs was a topic which came up at virtually every session I attended (and every session summary at the end of the day). With so many vendors, tech systems, and data sources, piecing everything together proves quite the chore. Zillow Group is certainly investing heavily in this area with RETSLY, Tech Connect & Bridge Interactive.
• Opendoor: They are making a huge bet (in mortgages according to Rob), and raising/investing accordingly. Go big or go home; there will be no middle ground. Offerpad and Knock are chasing, with no doubt numerous more knock-offs in the works.
• Haus: Of all those trying to make the bidding/buying process more transparent (Opendoor being another), they are the only one doing it without involving themselves in the transaction as a brokerage.
• AI/Alexa: On stage, Rich Barton mentioned, “What happens when Alexa speaks first?” I’ll likely dig into that topic as a standalone post, given Alexa is the newest electronic in my condo.

That’s all for now. I might dig into a few other topics in the coming days/weeks.

The post Topics and Startups from Inman Connect appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

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When Will Dodger Stadium again Host the All-Star Game?

It’s been a long time since the ‘Splendid Lady’ as I like to call Chavez Ravine has hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It was two years before I was born to be exact, in 1980. Here’s the box score from that game.

It’s no secret that since I was a little boy, Dodger Stadium to me is the Holy Grail of ballparks. Wrigley Field and Fenway Park (and no longer erected original Yankee Stadium) are in that same class. They’ll always be special. But to me, the jewel of the game has always been that park with the Palm Trees and blue walls with that crazy city’s skyline sitting behind it.

With the All-Star Game accounted for up to the year 2020 and new ballparks on their way to the league seemingly every day, I have to wonder if the Dodgers get another Midsummer classic before I’m an old man.

There’s not a lot of information out there on the subject.

In 2015, this NY Daily News article quoted Commissioner Rob Manfred as saying the Dodgers were gaining consideration for another All-Star Game. At the time, Dodgers President Stan Kasten was nudging Manfred about getting another All-Star game.

“The Dodgers, and Stan in particular, have made clear their interest in having an All-Star game,” commissioner Rob Manfred told this publication at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. “We’re now committed out through ’18. We’re going to start looking at ’19, ’20 and ’21 in the next few months. I understand that it’s been a very long time since we’ve been in L.A., and that’s an important factor in their favor.”

If there’s an obvious factor still working against the Dodgers, it’s the list of National League cities at the front of the line. Cincinnati is hosting this year’s game. San Diego hosts in 2016, followed by Miami in 2017 and D.C. in 2018.

With Cleveland being awarded the 2019 All-Star game, that opens the door for it to shift back to a National League team in 2020 or 2021. Perhaps the Dodgers will finally land one so that the new reincarnation of Dodger Stadium (even without Vin Scully and his magic present) can give the fans of baseball a July masterpiece between the two leagues.

What MLB city do you think should fall next in line to host?

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Cleveland Indians Awarded 2019 All-Star Game

For the first time since 1997 – a magical time in life – Cleveland will be home to an All-Star game in 2019.

The team will hold a news conference Friday to formally announce the event, which was last held in Cleveland in 1997, the person told The Associated Press on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

I think this is excellent news for the city of Cleveland, and it will give me a chance to finally attend an All-Star game, God willing.

A lot can happen in the game of baseball; and life, in three years time. Who knows who will be where, but Francisco Lindor should still be a cornerstone in Cleveland at that time, the city of Cleveland should be a little bit more restored with Trump in office, and the Indians should still have a somewhat competitive team.

Or things can go to shambles the year you host the All-Star Game like when the Reds did.

But an All-Star game brings temporary baseball magic to a city, like the night The Toddfather took over the Home Run Derby in the Queen City.

I was excited about this news to be sure. Cleveland will do a great job hosting the Midsummer Classic. And I remember how great the 1997 game was like it was yesterday, with Sandy Alomar Jr. playing the role of hometown hero.

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Poles and rules

In the fall of 2003 I was walking late one night through the center of Stockholm when I saw a woman walking along using ski poles. My first reaction was to think of some injury she must have suffered, but then I noticed she was moving quite fast and with rhythmic movements as if she […]

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'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' Home For Sale in Minneapolis

Millions mourning the recent loss of Mary Tyler Moore will be heartened to see photos of the Minneapolis home where she lived in the popular ’70s show that carried her name.

Only the exterior of the stone Victorian mansion was used in the show, while Mary’s actual apartment was a Hollywood set. It was meant to be behind the Palladian windows on this Minneapolis home’s third story.

In real life, that space is a family room with a gas fireplace, built-ins, and a beautiful view of the tree-lined street. The home is listed for $1.695 million with Barry Berg and Chad Larsen of Coldwell Banker Burnet.

It spans 9,500 square feet — plenty of room for Mary and her fictional best friend, Rhoda, who lived in the TV mansion’s turret. In real life, that’s a third-story office with a sitting room. Altogether, there are 7 bedrooms and 9 baths, which means that theoretically even Mary’s crusty journalist boss, Lou Grant, could move in.

Built in 1900, the home has been remodeled to include a chef’s kitchen with four — count ’em, four! — ovens and an L-shaped, granite island. The master suite features a fireplace, sitting and dressing rooms, and a spa-like bathroom. For kicking back, there’s a sauna and a rooftop deck with a hammock.

The home’s Victorian aesthetic remains strong in the ornate millwork, bay windows and leaded glass transom accents. It boasts five gas fireplaces and two laundry centers.

Although Mary Tyler Moore never visited the home while the show was on, she did drop by in 1996, and everyone was thrilled to see she’d made it after all.

Watch a video tour of the home.

Photos by Landmark Photography.

Related:

• Tour Jane Fonda’s Glass House in Beverly Hills
• Meryl Streep’s Former NYC Townhouse Lists for $28.5M
• The Happiest Place on Earth? Tour Disney’s Palm Springs Home

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