Skip These Projects Until Winter | Donate, Discard, or Keep? | Max Your Appliances | Road Tripping

As the August heat eases up, it's easy to start thinking about autumn. With the cooler weather, you might want to spend some time working on your landscaping, outdoor projects or napping on a porch swing (NEW listing at 409 Woodford Rd). Check out the article below for a few popular projects that you should wait until wintertime to tackle. If you have school-age children, you may be busy with back-to-school shopping to get your kids ready for the 1st day of school. This may have you sorting through their stuff -- tossing, donating, and reusing. The last article below has resources around Baltimore on where you can donate items that may no longer serve you.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, I recommend decluttering and organizing your household. Why? When buying, don't waste your time and energy to move items you no longer need or want to your new home. If you hire professional movers, it will cost you more to use their time and truck space to move those items. When you are selling, decluttering should be one of the first (and cheapest!) tasks you do. It opens up the space, it allows you to remove the things you don't want to move (see above), and the property shows better with less stuff. Buyers want to see themselves in the house, not how you've outgrown your space.

I personally use a Donate-Discard-Keep method when sorting through "stuff." Things that aren't needed or wanted but are in good condition get donated* to either an organization or friends/family. Things that no longer work or are unsafe to use get discarded in the trash or recycling. Keep everything else and take it with you to the next place. 

Sorting through your belongings can be a huge task; break it down into smaller areas, like one room or closet at a time. You can celebrate once you complete a room! If you need help or advice on downsizing, please let me know. Some of my clients who are downsizing may need extra help and hire a move manager to get them from their larger home to a more manageable home. 

*Please do not donate items that are broken, dirty, stained, questionable, or for personal use only (like underwear or toothbrushes that were "only used once") -- thrift stores and charities will throw them out, and you're just giving them more work. If you really think someone could benefit from the item, try offering it on Buy Nothing or Freecycle. Rule of thumb: don't donate anything that would embarrass you if people knew it belonged to you.
 
Reminder: Have you filled out your Homestead Property Tax Credit form? This is a benefit to you as an owner-occupant, so don't delay, do it today! 

Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Jen

ARTICLES

5 Areas You Should Declutter Before Labor Day, Organizing Pros Say
5 Popular Home Projects You Should Skip This Summer and Save for Winter
10 Ways to Make Your Washing Machine Work Better
6 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Appliances
Donation and Recycling Resources in Baltimore County and beyond