Time and time again, we see the same mistakes amongst all of our clients. Whether they are the single guy living in his bachelor pad or the family of 5 in their suburban home, we hear the same (we'll call them) "excuses" over and over. Are you guilty of any of the below? If so, you may not be as organized as you once thought.
Mistake #1: Buying storage solutions (ie. bins or baskets) before doing the actual organizing. Our favorite line from our clients is "I'm really organized, just look at all of these containers I bought".
Mistake #2: Many people jump right into having a closet designed and installed before determining what they actually need. Often times they end up with no room for dresses and too much room for shoes.
Mistake #3: Blaming others for your clutter – saying that your "mother-in-law" keeps giving you things and that's why you have so much.
Mistake #4: Storing things "just in case". Holding onto old clothes or items in case you will one day give them to someone or in hopes that you can fit into them again. Chances are you will never give them away or when you finally can fit into them again, they will be out of style.
Mistake #5: Making it pretty and forgetting about function. Delicate glass containers that can't take the rough and tumble from kids just aren't going to work every time.
Mistake #6: Saving glass vases from flowers that you received. Chances are you will get more flowers, so we recommend parting ways.
Mistake #7: Keeping and storing every single thing your child brings home from school. I know you are proud of them, but taking a photo of their masterpiece will be just as meaningful to them in 20 years.
Mistake #8: Creating a donation bin, but never getting rid of it. Make it a habit to stick them in your car so that you can drop them when convenient.
We hope none of you fall into any of these or else…you may just need a little more NEAT in your life than you though!
xx
the NEAT team
