Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Home Improvement
Home Improvement Tips
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Home Improvement Home Improvement Tips |
|
|
|
|
5 Steps for Creating a Garage You Can Love - and Use
A major US corporation recently launched a new line of products it hopes will create a $650 million retail business - appliances and storage devices designed to appeal to the 65 million garage owners in the U.S! According to a 1994 study by the U.S. Department of Energy (and we won't even explore what launched that study!), 25% of people with two-car garages didn't park any cars in them and 32% parked only one. When it came to three-car garages, only 13% parked three cars. . So, if we don't park cars in our garages, what do we use them for? Based on nearly twenty-five years of assisting our clients in organizing homes and offices in North America, I can attest to the fact that a large percentage of garage owners consider their garage a convenient on-site storage facility, or major irritation, often an embarrassment. Not because of the age or condition of the car parked there, but because of the clutter - frequently moved from one garage to another. One of the major principles of our company is Clutter is Postponed Decisions® -- and what better place to store postponed decisions than a garage? So how do you get rid of the clutter? Consider these five tips: 1) Design your vision. Create in your mind a picture of how the garage would look if you got rid of the clutter. If that's impossible for you, think of how you would feel if you could actually park your car in the garage? Perhaps you could allow houseguests to get directly into your car in the garage without driving it to the front door in order to avoid their seeing the ness. Or, maybe you could find the barbeque utensils you need in a few seconds instead of having to buy new ones! 2) Eliminate your excuses. Disorganization can range from circumstantial to chronic. It doesn't really matter what caused the mess - they may very well be legitimate. The question is how much longer are you willing to put up with the situation? If you can't do it yourself, resolve to get help. After hiring us to help him clean up his garage, a client said, "I can't believe I drove into my garage every day for three years chastising myself that I hadn't done anything with all that clutter. For a few hundred dollars, it was done - and I didn't even have to do it. I wonder what took me so long?" 3) Commit your time. Decide when you will get started on solving the problem. A client recently hired us to clean her garage. When it was over she commented, "That was a lot different that I thought it would be." "How?" I asked. "For one thing," she replied, "I thought it would take four weekends." We were done in six hours. The first and simplest step is to identify a specific place to put the items you find that you no longer need or want. (Donating unused but useable items to a local charity, selling them on e-Bay, or having a garage sale, if you're into such things, will not only make you feel better, it can even earn or save you money. 4) Select your tools. Choose the right tools for what you want to store. Two of the most effective solutions in a garage are shelving and hooks. They don't have to be costly to be functional, but if you dream of having a garage that is aesthetically pleasing, there are a variety of attractive and function options. In order to determine what size of storage units you need, use the most basic or organizing principles: Group like items together. Then determine if you really need or want that many empty boxes, garden tools you never use, or appliances you never really liked anyway. Check out organizing, discount, hardware, and home and garden stores and catalogs of an amazing variety of equipment. 5) Maintain your success. That old adage "A place for everything and everything in it's place" sounds admirable, but for most of us, it's just impossible. In the rush of everyday living, things just get messy - and that includes garages. But if there IS a place for everything, cleaning it up presents no major challenges, and getting other members of the family to help is easier too! Picture your garage as a place you can love - and even park your car. Imagine that! © Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
10 Spring Cleaning Tips For Your Kitchen The words "spring cleaning" can make the neatest person cringe. They mean more work. Tips for Designing with Hardwood Floors Hardwood floor styles come in strips, planks and parquet, and are available with numerous edge treatments such as square, micro, and beveled edges. The state-of-the-art technology and almost limitless choices of today's stains, finishes, styles and designs makes hardwood flooring one of the most practical and versatile floor coverings available. Different Materials Used for Roofing and Determining the Cost of Each One There is never a structure you will find that lacks a roof; it is an essential part of the house or building. It plays a very important role of providing protection and shelter much like the walls. Planning Permission Tips UK - How to Avoid Boundary Disputes when Extending or Redeveloping a Site The quest for more living space these days means making more efficient use of the sites available space in which to extend or develop. This invariably means building right up to the properties boundary line in many cases. Chiminea - Buy It for the Versatility of Enjoying Both Fireplace and Grill! I recently visited friends who served me a dinner of grilled salmon and baked potatoes, done to perfection in their chiminea. The sun was setting and it was cooling down but overall a wonderful summer evening. A Fabric Hammock is Comfortable Casual Chic If you are looking for unique seating inside or out, why not consider a hammock? What comes to mind when you picture a hammock? Do you see yourself on the islands? Are you swaying in the breeze while watching the kids play in the pool? Are you watching the stars at night on your hammock for two? You can be on vacation year round when you add a hammock to a room or patio. You instantly create a casual chic or sophisticated hand designed elegance. 3 Kinds Of Wood Used In Real Wood Furniture Real wood furniture is the most popular furniture inexistence. It's been around for hundreds of years andprobably existed when the cave people got tired of squattingon the dirt floor of their caves and looked around for abetter way. Change The Style Of Your Interior With A Minimum Of Costs The style of your interior depends for a great part on the decoration on the walls. Using the right picture on the right place can make your room look bigger. House Plans - Research Is Key When you think about building your new home consider your needs and your lifestyle. If you are newlyweds your choices will be different from a couple who is ready to retire and is looking for a smaller home. Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings More and more construction is being done with steel in recent years, as more people learn about the many benefits of using steel vs. other construction materials. A Carefully Planned Outdoor Kitchen is Worth the Investment Do you have any idea how popular outdoor kitchens are becoming? We spend more time at home than ever before and we are fixing up those homes instead of buying new. Homeowners are opting for an outdoor kitchen over other types of remodeling projects because they extend the size of their living space. Planning Permission Tips UK - Two Story Side Extensions - The Common Mistakes Probably the most common type of residential extension is the two storey side extension. However, it is one of the most easiest schemes to get wrong with regard to Planning Permission. Let's "Clear the Air" Shall We? What can you do to "clear the air" indoors, at work and at home? You want to know you are breathing clean air in the places you spend the most time, promoting a clear head and a sense of well being. It's no longer okay to allow clean air into your life just at the cabin or lake. All You Need To Know About The Feng Shui Bagua Map The feng shui bagua map is an octagonal shaped map which allows you to evaluate in feng shui terms any living or working space. The feng shui bagua is a very important feng shui tool and indispensable when we wish to harmonize a place and the elements in it. Get the Lead Out: Candle Wicks in the US According to the National Candle Association (NCA), most US-manufactured candle wicking is made of cotton or cotton-paper combinations. Nearly 90% of the candles made in the United States (i. Seven Interior Design Psychology Ideas for Dining Pleasure A separate dining room adds glamour, elegance, and excitement to a shared meal. Celebratory, sociable space, apart from the confusion of the kitchen, makes every dinner more meaningful. What to Know Before Signing a Home Improvement Contract It is important to be a very careful consumer when it comes to home improvement contractors. For instance, I had a case where my client, an elderly and blind woman, signed a contract and paid $30,000. Styles And Varieties Of Locking Mailboxes For Sale Locking mailboxes made from durable, weatherproofmaterials are highly desirable due to the built in safetyfeatures and the long-lasting exterior. Your mail willarrive safely and be waiting for you upon your return whenyou purchase and install a locking mailbox on yourproperty. Planning Permission Tips UK: The Value of Design Statements When Submitting a Planning Application Building Your Dream Home - Part 2 Razing the CottageWith new house plans and permits in hand, subcontractors hired and a Septic Design in process, it was now time to raze the existing cottage. I considered employing the local fire department to burn it down, however I chose the demolition route instead.
|
|
You are here |
|
| Home Improvement | Home Improvement - Complete list | |
|
| Main Home | | Meditation Corner | |
|
|
| Recommend us | |
|
[About
us] [Contact] [Privacy
Policy]
Copyright 2006, Meditation
is Easy.com, All
rights reserved
