4 New Tips & Tricks I Learned from My First Out-of-State Decluttering & Organizing Job in Seattle This Week
If a client reached out and asked for decluttering and organizing help from two states away, you’d assume it would be virtual, right?
Nope. Cue the airplane… she wanted my hands-on help, so I booked my first out-of-state job!
With only a few weeks to spare, we discussed details and decided on a three-day window. I had a graduation up there anyway, so we split a flight and I bounced from a fun vacation to a fun job. Win squared!
I had never decluttered and organized so intensely for three days in a row before, especially clocking 11 hours a day. It worked out great, but was eye-opening for sure.
Here’s what I learned:
UNO:
Moving furniture around without gliders is a rookie move. My client friend already had them and I had nothing but gratitude. Apparently I’m easily impressed, but I still marvel at how effortless it is to get a 1970s massive solid-wood dresser to the other side of a house on those plastic disks. Zoom zoom!
Dumb Reminder: Furniture is heavy.
Smart Idea: Use furniture sliders… like these from Amazon that over 17,000 people love:
#2:
When decluttering office supplies, don’t waste your time wondering if you should keep the cheap-o stuff. The answer has always been no. Lame pens from your doctor, short pencils with no erasers, old rubber bands, off-brand sticky notes that never stick, hard super glue, and wonky paperclips can all go bye-bye. They’re too inexpensive to consume any more of your precious minutes, so rip off the Band-Aid and be done.
On the flip side, maybe you’re drowning in too many quality office supplies. If they’re in great working order, donate your extra paper, highlighters, staplers, colored pencils, envelopes, scissors, tape, glue, etc. to a teacher or preschool. My client thought of this before I did. Such a fantastic idea!
Dumb Reminder: You can only use one pen at a time.
Smart Idea: Whittle your pencils (haha) and pens down to about 15 of each. Ten if you’re savage.
THIRD:
Three 11-hour days in a row of posting things for sale, decluttering, and organizing is pretty much as draining as a park hopper at Disneyland, minus Tigger and the churros. Never underestimate the value of protein, water, good shoes, caffeine, and sleep.
I tend to get tunnel vision when I’m working on a deadline and I forget to take breaks. In hindsight, I probably should’ve clocked out a few more times during those 33 hours. Going for a short walk, eating a snack, stretching, spacing out, or taking a power nap can keep you motivated and energized.
Let’s be honest … you still might be sapped if you hustle for 11 hours in one day, but with the breakthrough genius health plan above, you have a much better chance of not passing out. You’re welcome.
Dumb Reminder: When decluttering and organizing, don’t forget to take breaks and eat. And drink a lot. But not alcohol of course—that could end poorly and involve crooked shelves.
Smart Idea: Set a timer, take a break, eat a snacky, stay awake.
QUATRO:
If you’re ready for a virtual garage sale, posting your items on Facebook Marketplace and/or OfferUp can be a great way to get items out while bringing money in.
I learned that buyers are pretty much the same wherever you go. Everyone’s lookin’ for a deal, but if they want your item bad enough, some people are willing to drive 30 minutes or more to get it. Thanks to the summer Seattle sun, we still had daylight when we met two separate buyers one night at 9:30 and 9:50. And it wasn’t even creepy!
Dumb reminder: Garage sales are super tiring. And boring. And people want everything for a quarter.
Smart idea: Sell online and bring in mas pesos.
Want some more tips about online selling? Check out my past post about this:
Goin to The Marketplace to OfferUp Good Stuff
Getting up at 4:15 a.m. to leave felt a tad brutal at the end of it all, but my sunrise flight provided stunning visuals. I had a strange breakfast of mixed nuts, cookies, popcorn, and water, but I was still smiling when I landed in SoCal.
Mission accomplished! Such a fun, memorable, tiring, insightful, and satisfying trip. Where next?
For the Gram
I hired a friend to help me up my social media game, so if you haven’t seen my little bits of progress, come visit!
Instagram: @homesavvyorganizing
Facebook: Home Savvy Organizing
Better yet, do you know anyone who could benefit from some decluttering and organizing help? Please share this post and tell them I said hi.
What have you decluttered lately? Would you ever get on a plane to go help someone declutter and organize their home?
