Are you a packrat?

A person who likes to accumulate material items and has a very hard time parting with things is often labeled as a "packrat" in our society.

Out of curiosity I was doing some reading about the rodent the packrat on Wikipedia found a few the terms to be more accurate than I would have previously thought.

• The packrat is active nocturnally. Like many people whose disorganization causes stress which can lead to sleep problems like insomnia developing. I often hear clients complain of trouble sleeping due to the guilt of not staying up to deal with their clutter.

• Packrats will often trade one item they have for something more interesting. Animal experts have observed a packrat carrying one treasure and dropping it to pick up another item that is more interesting to them. Hmmm... I think I have seen this at yard sales by people who are in search of the best treasure for a quarter.

• Packrats will store their treasures inside their vast nests. The treasures have no purpose for the rodent other than to take up space or in some instances to support a part of the nest. How many treasures do you own that have no real purpose except to take up space? I have seen homes where it seems that those "treasures" are helping to support the ceiling of the home.

• Packrats continue to expand their nest to make more room all the time. Hmmm... how many of us look for bigger houses, rent storage units, expand our home, or bring sheds into the backyard, all because we need more room for our stuff. I once spoke to a family that was looking to sell their home for the sole reason that they wanted to have a bigger junk room.

• The rodent is said to be very vocal with fighting between other rodents. Clutter is the cause of MANY fights and rifts in families. I see clients all the time that are desperate to ease conflicts with spouses, friends, and family members by heeding their requests for the person to get more organized.


So the next time that you are called a packrat or you use the term to label someone else... stop and think a moment if you really want to be compared to a rodent who spends their life in a state of high stress, with little rest, always in search of the next big treasure to add to their stash. Do you really want to keep running the same "rat “race or are you ready to make a change in your life? A change that can decrease your stress, improve your sleep, improve your relationships, and allow you to enjoy your life more... a change to get more organized.

Check list for an organized Garage Sale

Before the Sale

1. Advertise! No point in organizing if you are not going to have people there.
Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, and other online sites and chat rooms
Fliers on college campuses
Signs up around your neighborhood with arrows to direct people there.

(tip: Keep all signs the same color so people can “follow” your signs.)

2. Price everything as you sort to save you having to do it later.
3. Sort things by category:
Housewares
Kitchen
Bedding
Clothes
Books
Toys
Tools
Electronics
Home Décor
Etc…
4. Get Change at the bank

5. Check the Weather forcast for the days of your sale to be sure it will cooperate.

The day of the Sale (Day One)

1. Pull items out around 7:30-8:00 am to take full advantage of early morning traffic. Set items out by category and spread out as much as possible so shoppers can see what you have without having to dig through it all.
Try to hang clothing up
Try using tarps or tables to spread items out on.
Have an extension cord around so that if people want to check electronics they can.

2. Put larger items at the end of the driveway and smaller items closer the garage and check out table.
3. Offer Bags or Boxes to people who purchase several things to help them carry it out.
4. Encourage people to let others know about your sale.

The Last day of the sale

1. Plan to make deals on day two… the goal today is to get rid of as much as possible.
2. Have a “bag sale” Fill a bag for $1…
3. As the sale winds up box up items that you want to donate and either load it up or arrange for a pick up first thing Monday morning.
4. Relax and enjoy the fact that you cleared out a lot of clutter with this sale!

Friday Five: Five tips to improve your Yard Sale Sales

I apologize that our Friday Five is being posted on Saturday Morning... I was out of town yesterday. Nonetheless, here we all find ourselves, the middle of August. Is it just me or is time really flying by this summer???

One thing that I am hearing from several clients right now is that they feel like they missed their chance to do a garage sale this summer... not so! The middle of August to the middle of September are some of the best times to do a garage sale. Why? You ask. Because, college kids are back in town and they are targeting garage sales to fill apartments and dorm rooms with used furniture, kitchen appliances, decor, and much more.

So if you still have items sitting around your home... a garage sale is a great way to clear a lot of clutter at once and this is a great time of the year to do it. Keep in mind though... your sale is only going to be as successful as your preparation so here are five quick things to do to ensure you make the most at your garage sale.

1. Lots of Eye Catching Signs! Use Bright colored papers and make sure that you write short sentences in large, black marker. People driving by do not want to struggle to read your sign.
2. Advertise!!!! Consider the newspaper, and free social media sites. For example: Post your sale on twitter, facebook, craigslist, Internet groups that you belong to. Great free ways to get the word out about your sale. You may also want to put up some fliers around local colleges with date of sale and directions.
3. Offer water to your customers, sell lemonade, sell snacks... etc... garage sale days for many people is an all day affair. They will often appreciate and purchase snacks if available.
4. Use pop up tents to offer shade to shoppers or try to locate in a shady area of the yard to keep shoppers comfy.
5. Be flexible! Any sale is getting clutter out of your home and some money into your pocket. Be willing to let customers haggle with you on prices and be willing to come down.

I hope that these simple tips make your late summer garage sale as successful as possible!

The Wonder of the Garage Sale

It never ceases to amaze me... I hold an annual garage sale EVERY year to get rid of TONS of outgrown clothes, unwanted decor, and already read books... plus other odds and ends that we accumulate each year. What amazes me is that I can have one each and every year... because we KEEP accumulating so much stuff! As I wade through the piles of items to be priced and placed out on tables in my garage I often wonder... "who is going to want all of this JUNK!"

When the garage door goes up at a quarter to eight am... there are people WAITING in their cars to come and lay claim to my JUNK. They scavenge over it as though they are rare and valuable treasures... however, sadly most of their purchases will end up in the same place... their garage sale next summer!

We as a society are so in love with the "thrill of the deal" that we often don't stop to ask ourselves:

• "Is this purchase something I will use again?"
• "Is this purchase meeting a need in my life or my home?"
• "Is this a purchase I was looking to buy already?"

No most of the time we just see the price tag of a quarter... and decide at that price... we will FIND a use or place for it.

Garage sales can be a huge pit for clutter collectors... so I encourage you... buyer beware! Make sure you have a need for it or a purpose for it; otherwise, you may as well leave the price tag on it to save yourself the trouble of having to reprice it next year for your sale!