A personal concierge is a gift!

Overwhelmed?

Want to be more organized?

More productive?

Not sure where to get help?

It's probably high time you get the services of a personal concierge! Check out these 10 other reasons why you need a personal concierge:

Someone recently asked me, how do I live? Am I a neat freak? Absolutely not!!

Our house gets messy, just like the next person. I don't believe life needs to be perfectly organised. However, I do think that everything needs a place. So even though sometimes things get messy, we know that that each thing has a place that it can go back to.

The other thing about me is that we live in a very small house so there is not a lot of room for things to build up so I have a type of 'one-in-one-out' policy. What is that?

Well, when I traveled around the world for 10 months, I had one bag which was quite small. About 50cm long x 30cm wide and high. I had one set of clothes on and one in the bag. I had a couple of extra items of course like a scarf etc. As I traveled and required different clothes I had a one in one out policy. If I purchased something, I would remove something (donate it or put it in the bin). It was very easy to do because I really didn't want to be carrying anything heavy. Some people ask me about souvenirs. Well, I didn't really want to carry anything like that so I only purchased a few small things and then I also posted a couple of things home (but not much).

So just like that bag policy I had when I traveled, it is similar here at home. If I buy new sheets, the old ones go in the bin or donate if possible.

How can I live this way?

Well, I believe that everything I need will come to me when I need it. I don't feel the need to hold onto things in case I might need them. I am happy to let things go because I know that if I suddenly decide to clean out the shed and want some shelves, I might be able to find them in a verge collection or there might be a sale on that week so will be able to purchase something at a good price.

I really trust in life and am sure that what I need will come to me as I need it.

Some people I work with are overwhelmed by the amount of belongings they have and with general day to day activities and can find it hard to make decisions. They might get so overwhelmed, they can stop making decisions all together. For a while that might be ok, but eventually things such as bills, rubbish, mail etc will start to mount up.

What I have noticed is that when people get to this point they are usually very stressed, financially strained, sad and lonely. They might be ashamed of the situation they are in and have no confidence.

When someone invites me into their life, they have opened themselves up to being vulnerable and have put a lot of trust in me. I value their choice and together we develop a relationship built on trust and respect. As we work together it is about decision making. When we start making decisions in a supportive environment then the empowerment grows within that person and they move from overwhelm to increasing confidence. This is not a fast process, it takes time and I really enjoy the time I spend with that person, seeing their growth.

We went to Albany on the weekend to see family but also to see the Avenue of Honour by the artist Bruce Munro.

WOW! Such and intricate art piece with so many fibre optics! It was the size of the project that really got me, the lights stretched on for a long way. They looked a lot like the wildflowers on the side of the road in spring time up north.

The installation is in honour of the ANZACS who's last sight of Australia was Albany. It, like the National ANZAC Centre in Albany, is a lovely tribute to that time and the people involved. It is worth taking a few hours to go around the centre while you are in Albany.

I highly recommend a visit to Albany, it is such a historical town and with it's beautiful coastline, it's a real gem. A couple of pics of ours below, just on our phones but it would be hard to do the display justice with any camera, it really is a feeling sort of thing.

It’s that time of the year again and you’re probably scrambling for the perfect Christmas gift for that friend or family member who seem to have it all. Well the trick to going about this is to think up of things that they wouldn’t think of getting for themselves.

Lifestyle Assistance has come up with a list of unique gift ideas that will help you with your Christmas shopping.

For the Adventurer:Helicopter ride around Perth with Rotorvation Helicopters, From $299

“Whether you wish to travel to Rottnest, the Pinnacles, or Margaret River in half the time with unparalleled visibility and stunning views, or just enjoy the exhilaration of helicopter flight with a scenic flight over Perth, Rotorvation Helicopters has flights to suit all budgets. Rotorvation Helicopters operates from Hillarys Boat Harbour and Jandakot Airport seven days a week. We have exclusive landing sites at the Pinnacles, and Yanchep National Park and fly to Rottnest and wineries in Margaret River, the Swan Valley and Jarrahdale.”

For the Romantic Diva Drop Earrings With Diamonds In Sterling Silver from Michael Hill, $249

"The intricate design of these vintage style earrings recall Art Deco glamour. Created in sterling silver, and set with delicate diamonds, the timelessness of these exquisite earrings cannot fail to delight."

For the New Couple: Harvest Your Own Pearl at Willie Creek Pearls, $500

“You will never forget the truly unique and romantic once-in-a-lifetime experience of harvesting your own Australian South Sea Cultured Pearl.

As you and your guest are treated to Margaret River sparkling and the rare delicacy of pearl meat, you’ll discover why the finest pearls in the world grow in Western Australia. We’ll take you on a journey of discovery from the history of pearling to the intricate practices of modern day cultured pearl farming.

You’ll then be invited to harvest your very own pearl, straight from its oyster. The value of the pearl inside remains unknown until the breathtaking moment its oyster is opened. Due to the nature of pearl farming, the value of the pearl is unknown until the time it is harvested. The pearl could range from $500 up to $5,000, and is yours to keep!”

For the Foodie: Frasers Group Gift Card, $50-$1,000

“Give the gift of a truly unique dining experience at Fraser's Restaurant as well as Botanical Cafe, The Old Brewery and Indiana Cottesloe Beach.”

For the Sports Buff: Indoor skydiving lessons from iFly Perth, $440 for 10 fligh

“Indoor skydiving is the latest in action sports sweeping throughout the globe and is now Flying in Perth! iFLY Indoor Skydiving is safe for kids, challenging for adults, exciting for teens, and realistic for skydivers.”

For the Life of the Party: Private Christmas Lights Tour from Eco BBQ Tours, $299

“Get the ultimate 360 degree view of Mandurah’s famous Canal Christmas Lights onboard WA’s only donut-shaped electric boat.

Book the entire boat seating up to 9 passengers and 1 tour guide for your private tour and enjoy the spectacular lights in absolute privacy while comfortably sitting at a round table.”

For the Fun in the Sun Woman: A luxurious paddlesuit from designer brand Camilla, $399

The long-sleeved Paddlesuit by bohemian-luxe label CAMILLA is the perfect choice for sun-soaked weekends spent by the sea. The designer's exclusive Queen Of Kings print is brought to life in a swirling palette of opulent hues.

For the Smart Techie: Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm Bluetooth, $499

A smartwatch with a classic but modern design, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm will sure delight any techie! It’s both Android and iOS compatible, too.

Some people think a Professional Organiser is going to come into their house and make them throw everything away, but this is not the case.

When I work with someone, it is about getting to know the things they love. Perhaps they are an environmentalist, a sewer, a mechanic of vintage cars, a collector of ornaments, everyone has their interests.

Everyone has their interests and with it an amount of things that is suitable for that interest to them.

For example, someone might think that keeping 1000 bonsai plants is appropriate in their back yard because they like to grow them but another person wouldn't even have one.

When someone asks for my help, they know they are on the boarder of having too many items and need to reduce the amount they have. How do they do that?

Firstly, I will get all of that one item together for the amount to be assessed. Once we can see the amount we can discuss an amount that might be appropriate. Once the amount is selected we can go through the items and make selections on which ones will be kept and which will be removed. If we get to around that number, that's great. If we don't it's ok too. Why?

Because now that the items have been looked at and the number discussed, it will mull around in peoples minds for a while and on the next assessment they will most likely remove more that before.

It's all about timing. Sometimes we just need a bit longer to hold onto that thing and then we will be ok to let it go.

Remember, there is no right or wrong.

Recently my rubbish team found a very unique item in one of my clients shed. So many people ask me what is the most unusual thing I have ever found and there are so many weird and wonderful things but I think this one has to be the most interesting of all... so far!

The lads found a large (about 30cm tall) bullet type thing. No one really know what it was exactly but we were concerned it could be 'live'. The police were called who came and monitored access to the house while they waited for the Army to arrive!

When the army representative arrived, he told us it was a WW1 artillery shell and that it had been fired but the cap had not come off. Making it possible to be still 'live' but it couldn't really be confirmed. He took it away and they said they would dispose of it.

You know how sometimes you can just have one of 'those' days where everything goes crazy, well this was one of those days. There was so much going on and things were not going to plan all day and then this happened. It was a really interesting day.

As a sewer of clothes myself (although not very often, I will admit) I was helping a woman recently who also loved to sew to declutter her wardrobe. She found it hard to donate some clothes (that she no longer wore) that she had purchased from other local designers and she didn't know why.

Firstly, I would just like to say there is no right or wrong to what you are willing to donate/sell/remove from your wardrobe and everyone has different requirements/needs/loves.

I was able to explain to her that she really respects the items of clothes that other people have made because she knows the value of time and work that has gone into making those things. She really sees the value in that item and wants to respect that persons work.

But what I also asked her was if she has made something that a person bought and no longer wore/used, would she prefer that person kept it or gave it to someone who would?

How about you? What would your choice be? I have a couple of things in my wardrobe that I made when I was a school and my year 12 Ball dress my mum made for me so I know that each item will have a different sentimental value to the owner and like I said, everyone will make a different decision and there is no correct answer.

Here are my top tips for sorting, packing and preparing a deceased estate for sale or rent.

Get quotes for the services you will need early so you have time to look over the prices and ask questions or make changes.Engage a real estate agent early to assist in establishing a plan for the property.Sort the whole contents of the property before ordering skips or donation collections etc.Don't leave things outside including skip bins for long periods of time.Make sure confidential documents are destroyed properly including xrays.Reduce landfill by donating wherever possible.Keep all the sharp items in one place.Get a valuation of the contents of the house before you start.Use local services for things like lawn mowing so they can keep servicing the property while it's on the market.Get help and take your time in the process.If storing items, take photos and some basic dimensions before they are stored.Use tools such as trolleys and furniture sliders to move heavier items.

I went to a conference held by the Peel Chamber of Commerce last week and heard Julia Bickerstaff from The Business Bakery talk about 100 day goals. This is right on the back of me reading Steven Coveys 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Both Julia and Steven speak about a time management matrix which I found really interesting. Steven Covey speaks about how the majority of us live in the "urgent/important" quadrant and then feel totally overwhelmed and so then flip to the "unimportant/not urgent" quadrant for some relief. We all know what is that is like. We have a big job to do but but find ourselves on Facebook! They both spoke about how if we can move ourselves into the "important/not urgent" and work on tasks there more often, we would achieve more and feel less stressed.

When I sat down with my matrix at home I thought a lot about how many of the items in my "urgent/important" list had originally started in my "important/not urgent" quadrant and through a variety of reasons they had now become urgent. Many of us are like this, we are so full with lists of things to do and doing little bits of everything. We start one thing in the Important/not urgent quadrant and then start another. Soon it is so busy and nothing ever gets finished. One of the things Julia said was to pick one goal (an item from the Important/not urgent quadrant) and just focus on that. I laughed when she said to not pick two or three because there hadn't been much attention on them for the last year or two so don't worry about them now until the first one is done!

There was another speaker at the conference- Todd Sampson from the ABC TV show "Redesign My Brain" who said our brains are a single data processing unit (not his exact words) and that we are not good multi-taskers. Personally I feel this is true for myself and I really do notice that when my clients and I work on one task for a a period of time, it really feels like we have achieved and it starts to give them a feeling of control.

So how can you gain more control in your life? What will your 100 day goal be? Check out Julia's website here.

Do you always feel like you don’t have enough time in a day to finish everything in your list? Well, you’re not alone. In 2007, The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a survey which revealed that “35% of men and 42% of women always or often felt rushed or pressed for time,” which was an indirect cause of increasing levels of anxiety and stress in the affected demographic.

You do not need to feel overwhelmed by your daily chores. With these simple, time-creating tips, you can manage your time wisely and finally be the boss of your day!

I have been thinking about how our modern technological devices such as phones have really reduced the amount of things we need. Take a mobile phone for instance, it is a diary/calendar, a note pad, address book, phone and computer all in one. Some people don't have a computer because their phone/ iPad/ tablet do everything they need.

We were blessed to purchase a new TV this week which allowed us to do away with an old set top box, Netflix hub, old speakers, sound system and computer because the TV can do all of the things those devices can do. It has really freed up some space in our lounge area.

Disposing of these things is important when we no longer need them. Did you know that rubbish tips otherwise known as Recycling Centres will take these items for free? Purchasing these things means there is not only e-waste but all the packaging that comes with it too. We took all our polystyrene, e-waste and cardboard to the Recycling Centre on the weekend but it was interesting to note that some centres are not licensed to take certain items. Cardboard at one centre is free to dispose of and will be recycled, at another centre it is not and will be put into landfill. Of course we didn't leave our cardboard at the one that doesn't recycle!

When I help people to pack up their homes we keep recycling materials aside and make sure these are disposed of appropriately. If you would like to know more about this, just give me call.

I went hiking with my fella on the weekend and at the beginning of the walk we went down many steps. As we descended the side of the hill, although we both chatted away, we both had in our minds that we would be coming back up these at the end of our long hike. As we walked and got more tired we started to make comments about the hill that awaited us on the way home---we both dreaded it.

While we thought about and discussed that hill awaiting us, we stopped enjoying where we were now and noticing how lovely it was. It suddenly reminded me of my clients who have a room in their house they are avoiding: it’s the one that has many memories and is very cluttered. They usually steer me into other rooms so that we don't have to go in there. However, they are constantly thinking about having to do that room. They are dreading it. We might open the door but they take one look and quickly shut it again. It is too much to bear.

I was working with a client the other day where this was the case. So I sat her outside the room on a chair with a section of a table that was clear. From her seat she couldn't see inside the room. I collected small handfuls of items and placed them in front of her. She looked at each thing one by one and made a decision for each of them. After a few hours she looked around the corner and was surprised about the amount of area we had sorted and cleaned away.

Sometimes the idea of a project (walking up a hill or organising a room) is too much to conceive. However, once we make a start, little by little, just looking at one step or one piece of paper at a time we will get there, surprisingly fast and without much concern at all. As Mike and I realised when we were at the top of the hill, we looked back and wondered what we had even been worrying about!

Have you ever noticed that if you put something down to deal with later--- maybe it’s on your desk or by the door to take to the car later--- then you don't do it straight away, it very quickly becomes background and you don't even see it?

We live such busy lives and get distracted easily and I think this is one of the reasons we tend to collect so much clutter. When we are concentrating on something, we 'see' it but once we move on, we don't 'see' it any more. It is not until we consciously look at that thing again that we will make any further decision about it.

I also think that we have so much going on in our brains from external stimuli that we find it tiring to focus and make decisions about things. Even more so when there is some emotional charge related to that thing. Take a look around your room right now (presuming it is your own room/office). Start in one corner and work your way across to the other corner. Look at each thing. Just look at it for a few seconds. You don't have to make a decision just yet. How does that thing make you feel? Breathe and then make a decision on where that thing should go. It might just need to stay where it is or it's home might be somewhere else.

The most important things is not to judge yourself for the things you have around you. Give yourself a break, feel and then make a decision. This direct focus on that item at that very moment is a validation of your decision to buy it, place it there, and now your conscious decision to move it somewhere else.

Give it a try now!

I often go to people's houses and they warn me at the beginning that they are a hoarder. For the majority of people, they are not!

The majority of people that I work with have had a serious event or a series of sad events in their lives, usually including the loss of someone close to them. Like all of us when something horrible happens, we need time to retreat and take a rest from the world around us. After a period of time we start to return to our normal routine.

For some people, it can take longer and they might be finding it difficult to deal with the lost person's belongings. Firstly, they are tired and tend to do less cleaning. Secondly, making decisions is difficult for them. They are confused about what to do and they don't want to make the wrong decision. As a result their belongings start to build up and they become overwhelmed. Family and friends might make comments or try to help and then the person becomes concerned about what people think about them, making the person shut down all the more. In one case, I have had to visit a person 3 times and they cancelled 2 more times before they invited me into their house because they were so ashamed. For most people it is easy to see that they were functioning 'normally' until the event/s happened because there is evidence of organisation, for example: the inside of the cupboards is neat but then things have piled up on the outside so now the cupboard can't be opened.

For what I have seen, this is just a case of being overwhelmed and with good emotional support, encouragement for the person to make decisions and time to go through things, that person who is wanting assistance will do it easily. In fact, it is my belief that once the person gets the hang of decision making again, they start to believe in themselves and resume their old ways.

For more valuable tips on organizing your home or office, check out Lifestyle Assistance's latest blogs here.

After organizing the belongings at a deceased estate, the next step might be to sell some items. It is important to get the best price for items without costing a lot of money to do it.In the years I’ve helped both executors and family members I have found that there are 3 main ways in effectively selling estate items. Check them out below:

1. List Items in Gumtree

Gumtree is a great place for a few items that you particularly want a good price for. It is free until you want to give the ad more visibility. The trouble with Gumtree is that you have strangers coming to the property, it can take time to get the right buyer who wants to pay what you are asking for, and you have to be available to meet buyers.

2. Cash Buyers

There are only a few cash buyers in Perth and they are excellent if you want to get your items turned into cash and moved fast. It also requires less effort on your part as you don’t need to take the items anywhere. It is important thought to use a licensed second-hand dealer.

Although you get paid right away, the downside to selling to cash buyers is that they have costs they need to cover such as moving the items, storing them and minor repairs so you need to be willing to accept a lower price. If you have your contents valuation you will have a good understanding of the value of items so you can negotiate with the buyer.

3. Sign Up for Auction

Auctions can be a great way to sell the majority of items in the home, especially if you have items of high value such as collectibles and antiques. The first thing you should do is find an auction house that caters to the type of items you are looking to sell. They can do a valuation so you will know the approximate value of everything. This will help you decide if there is enough to cover the costs such as commission etc. Auctioning all the items in the home is a great way to make sure the majority of items are reused and it will put money back into the estate.

Whatever your choice, always consider your safety in such transactions. A well-experienced concierge can assist you with the intricacies of selling your estate items. Check out our websiteand see how The Estate Concierge could be of help to you.

Packing is one of the most requested services of Lifestyle Assistance. Throughout the years and hundreds of packing boxes later, I saved my clients from avoidable expenses by using these 2 items in packing their stuff:

1. Second-hand Boxes

So many boxes are packed, moved and then unpacked or donated that buying new boxes that you’re not going to use again or just giving away seems like a waste of money. I always use second-hand, single core boxes for packing and encourage my clients to do so when moving. You may get them from removalists but even their prices could be high. I get my boxes from Carton Traders, a company who collects used boxes from biggermanufacturing companies who use them once to bring in parts and then get rid of them. Therefor the quality is usually very good.

2. Butcher’s Paper

Wrapping paper is used a lot in packing but can also be expensive, particularly if you buy it from retail stores who sell them in small quantities. Buying it in bulk is much cheaper and you will have plenty for all those important items that need to be wrapped well.

Do you have any other packing tips you’d like to share? Share them down at the comments.

One of the first things I do in organizing a deceased estate is to check all the doors and windows if they are all in good condition and most of all, if they have working locks. While some of these entries may have locks, you still have to make sure that they are not so flimsy that anyone can just break or pick them. Remember that vacated properties are prone to intruders.

It is also equally important to secure deceased estates for insurance purposes.

Packing and sorting a deceased estate takes organisation from the start. I separate the house in to the sections I have identified above. If it is an old house for demolition or the walls will be repainted, I will even put a sign on the walls to identify the areas if others are helping. Starting a house can be overwhelming so creating zones creates a simplified structure that is easily maintained as you work through the house.

As you select your zones, think about egress. Make your rubbish zone close to external access, near to where you will have a skip placed and a large enough area to hold everything. I also recommend not placing the rubbish pile outside or anywhere where passers by can see it. As it can cause unnecessary attention. You will also need a large area for donations. Choose the room that has the least amount of furniture in it. Move it all to one side of the room and start to stack you boxes here. Think about your movements and push all the furniture to the sides of the rooms (especially in dining and lounge areas) so you don't have to keep walking around them.

In the kitchen set up what I call the SMMBJ's zone. This is a container for anything sharp (knives, blades, razors, scissors, syringes etc), medications, money, batteries and jewellery.

Having these areas allows you to just collect all the items and then think about them later. The reason I recommend collecting sharps is so that people can move bags of rubbish around without the concern of being cut by anything.

Near your rubbish zone store all the hydrocarbons, tyres, paints and household chemicals together. If you can, put them into a large bucket to make sure none of them leak.

Keep all your confidential items together. Anything with a name and address can be destroyed appropriately. Xrays can also be destroyed.

As you move through the house you may find there is a particular theme such as WWII memorabilita etc. Make a place for all these items to go together so they can be valued or donated.

Creating zones allows you to see exactly how much you have of each group. Then you can book services such as donation collections and skip bins and know exactly how much you have to give/remove. You may have other zones that you will add but these are a good group to start with and will get you feeling organised from the beginning.

Sharp objects may have their proper places our homes but packing and disposing of them is a whole different matter, especially in packing up a deceased estate. Here are a few helpful tips that may come in handy:

Pack sharp items altogether in one container to protect people working in the house from getting hurt.

Set aside syringes and other sharp medical items for proper disposal. Pharmacies usually accept used syringes to dispose of them.

If you have a lot of these medical syringes to dispose of, consider buying a sharps container from the pharmacy.

When dealing with sharp objects, always remember that safety comes first. At Lifestyle Assistance, our mission is to organize belongings and services efficiently, safely and ecologically for the betterment of an estate. If you need help in disposing items properly, head on to our website to see how we can be of help.

A lot of people often have difficulty in letting go of things in their home and storage. It’s usually because those items have sentimental value and they are just not ready to let them go yet. One way to help these people is this: to not throw anything away!

Well, not just yet. This might seem like the opposite of what to do but it seems that for some people, letting go of their valuable items becomes easier when they can get a bigger picture on the amount of items they have and giving them some time. Here’s how to do it:

Organize items into piles or groups of the same thingCount how many items are in each section to show them how many items they really have. Often we think we have less than what we really do and once the person can see how many they have; they might find it easier to let some of them go.Accept the person’s decision to keep the things they want, store them in boxes if possible and label so they are easy to find.Give them time. In the future, the person may review the items again and they will see them with different eyes. They might wonder why they kept those things in the first place but they also might want to keep them a bit longer.

It is a person’s right to be able to keep the things they want and often it is hard for others to understand how people live. Obviously when health is an issue, things might be somewhat different but people are usually open to help in a supportive way. If you or someone you know is having trouble with large amount of belongings, I can assist with organising and decluttering to make a home more like a home.

Winter is almost over so it’s the best time to sort out your winter clothes and give away the ones you won’t need or don’t fit anymore.

You may have winter clothes which you haven’t used for the whole of the winter. These, especially coats, are taking up space in your closet!Cleaning out your closet now, while what you have worn during the season is still fresh in your memory, is a good way to make sure unwanted items are not still there next year. If you are the type of person who changes out your wardrobe for the coming season, giving away unwanted winter clothes will free up space for the incoming summer collection.

A good cupboard tidy at this time of the year doesn’t have to just be for winter clothes. Re- evaluate all of your closet, maybe there are some items you haven’t worn for a long time but have been keeping for some reason. When I was a student, I had a very basic wardrobe but as I started earning money and purchasing clothes, my closet ballooned out. The thing is, I was really only wearing the same amount of clothes. I do regular culls of my closet and really only keep essentials and a couple of faves.

With the way our economy is at the moment, more people are in difficult times than usual and donating clothes will be a much welcomed gesture. I have a list of 20 places to donate items around Perth that can come in handy.

Since 2013, I have been supporting executors to pack up deceased estates and prepare them for sale. Many estates I have handled have special items that might have been better given to someone in particular but unfortunately they didn’t know about them.

When I am packing an estate I find many lovely things that appear to have been lovingly kept but now that the person has passed, the items will just be sold or given to a charity. I often think it would be great if the person had made a list of some of the really special items and who they would have liked to have given them to.

I am able to create an inventory of these things for people. I can photograph them and note down the story to go with it. That way when the person is gone, the story can live on and the right person can hold onto that special item.

I’d like to think of it as a wish list--- you are organising your home and at the same time ensuring your wishes are fulfilled. A wish list is helpful to both the giver and the receiver! The giver makes sure the items go to the right person and the receiver gets the right gift and understands the story behind it.

So if you are helping someone down size or assisting someone with their estate needs, make a list to make sure their wishes are fulfilled.

If you need someone to make a Wish List or organise and pack an estate, I can help. At Lifestyle Assistance, we use a four step process to ensure all parts of the estate are considered and ensure the best outcome.

The first thing I suggest to a newly appointed Executor is have the contents of the property valued. A contents valuation:

Gives a realistic current market value of the contents of the estate andAssists the Executor in making decisions about what to do with the contents.

It is difficult taking the role of the executor, especially when there are more than one beneficiary. Each person has a different expectation of the process, of what is at the estate and it's value. 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' as they say and one person may think something is worth a lot while another person may not. A contents valuation provides a current market worth of the estate contents and can clear up any misunderstanding.

In Estates where the value of the contents is high, it doesn't mean items cannot be donated. I've worked with Executors who have valuable items they'd prefer to donate because they really want them to go directly to people who will use them. On the other hand, I have worked with Executors who need every item possible in the property sold to increase the value of the estate for the beneficiaries.

Each home has it's own requirements and I have lots of places around Perth to sell and donate items. I really enjoy the challenge of finding a new home for the loved items that the person who has passed owned, to honour their life.

Some people think that when you hire a personal concierge or a professional organiser, you will need to throw everything away. This way of thinking can make people put off sorting and organising but it should not be the case.

When you are ready to start getting organised, you don't need to take drastic measures to make a difference. The simple act of giving items a place is an easy way to start and will naturally create more space. As I go through things with clients, some get donated or thrown away, but there are other things that my clients are uncertain about. That particular item may have sentimental value which gives the owner a strong feeling of attachment, making it hard to let go of. It's OK to keep these things.

There are other options to keep the memory alive (like taking a photo). But for the items we feel very strongly about, I say keep it! Group it with other really important sentimental items and give them a place so you always know where they are. Sometimes, we just need to hold on to items for a bit longer than others and it's often something we cannot explain. One day in the future, you will be going through that box and see that item and think, why did I ever keep that? That's the time when you can let it go.

I was chatting to someone this week who said she and her husband was storing boxes of items in their house for their children. The boxes were preventing them from being able to use the area but their children couldn’t take them because they didn’t have the space.

I see this A LOT!

That person is only living in a temporary arrangement so she can’t take their stuff.There are many reasons that someone holds stuff for another person:

They want to sell those items but just haven’t gotten around to it.They moved out, time went by and they have forgotten about them.Interestingly, sometimes people don’t even know they have stuff at another person’s home.

The list goes on, but there is usually a deeper reason for these things being kept such as:

They don’t want to come back to the property because of unhappy memories.There are sad memories in the items and they don’t want to go through them.They have good intentions but didn’t follow through.

As a result the person just keeps storing them. In the times I have assisted mothers with this task, it appears they have a feeling of obligation to keep the items. My feeling is that they keep items for a few reasons:

Memories.As a way to connect to their children/person who’s stuff they are holding.It can give them a sense of fullness (the excess items around them).To feel needed by others.Their home can be seen as a reservoir of love, history and safety.They become the guardians of the family history making them the family leaders and a resource.

However, these things can take their toll on the person holding the items:

Their place becomes over-loaded, they feel restricted, unhappy, cluttered.They worry they might not be able to remember so they keep more.They feel responsible to support/protect other family members emotionally from the memories in the stored items (sadness/event/issues/person). They can end up holding onto emotions associated with the items being stored and not letting go.

You see, by holding these things for other people, not giving them their stuff and allowing them to choose what to keep and what not to keep, doesn’t allow people to grow, change and mature. Parents generally want to protect their children from hurts but by allowing people to find resolution in their own emotional journey’s they can develop strength and independence and become more mature and emotionally capable.

I usually come in at a point where the person is feeling too overwhelmed with the amount of items in their home. They might be renovating or moving house and just can’t hold the items any more. I support them to return the items to the owners, let go of unwanted items or store items more appropriately.

This is not usually a fast process and I work with all types of people at different stages to let go and grow.

I have been working with clients in the past where they had been able to pack the majority of the estate but have reached a point where they did not know what to do with what was left.

They were so emotionally drained they were opening the drawers, taking items out, looking at them and then putting them back! They just didn't know what to do with what was left. The items were not what you would expect, they were not sentimental items. They were mostly things like soap or lipsticks etc. These are items that can't be donated, but the family just couldn't make any more decisions. They were stuck both emotionally and physically (in relation to the items).

When people are in this state it can be really difficult for them to let things go. They need someone who can support them sensitively to objectively look at the items that are remaining. Often we just need options so that we can make better decisions. I have many different places for items to go because it's important for people to know that things can and are being reused.

If you have a deceased estate at any stage in the packing process and just need a hand to make decisions and be sure things will be reused, I can help.

When we have a lot going on in our lives it can be hard to get our head around everything that is going on. What I have noticed is that some people are big picture thinkers and find it hard to get into the day to day tasks and some people are more task orientated and find it hard to see the big picture. However, for many reasons, we need both.

I went to a clients yesterday and she was feeling so overwhelmed with everything going on in her life. She is a big picture thinker but there were so many projects going on, her brain was full.

She sat down for a few minutes and divided a piece of paper up into 4 quarters representing the year. She put into each one what she needed to achieve in each one. This enabled her to see;

What needs to be done.When it needs to be done.And if there is room to move/balance the work load out.

Big picture or aerial views enables us to remain aligned with our mission/goals. When we are surrounded by the minutiae we can get dragged off on a tangent.

So take a moment to 'pull up' as my client says and review your mission/goal. Is what you're currently doing moving you in the right direction?

10 Reasons To Use A Personal Concierge

Personal Concierges are a leading edge support system for you and your business.Short and long term project assistance including day to day tasks.Enable you to focus on important things like growing your business or family time.Keeps you in control of your life.Make stressful situations feel easy.Keep you focused.All the little things are taken care of.Increases your networks.Increases functionality into your life and space.Creatively supports you as an individual.

Over the last couple of days I have been in Sydney at the iCALM Conference and I won an award for being the 'iCALM Influencer'. This award is for the person who is flying the iCALM flag or the most prolific promoter of iCALM for the year. iCALM is the Institute of Concierge and Lifestyle Managers. It is our industry body that covers Australia and New Zealand. If you want to know more about iCALM and what it does, you can read more here.

If you, like me, are someone putting every spare minute into your business to make it grow, you might ask yourself why would I put so much effort into something outside of it. I wanted to share my reasons for being an iCALM member and State Representative for Western Australia.

The biggest reason is credibility. In an unregulated industry I feel it is very important to be affiliated with a governing body. It shows prospective clients that we have met certain criteria and have a certain level of experience to assist them in selecting a concierge that is right for them.Being a member of iCALM is a way of receiving support and advice from other concierges. We have a very supportive and non competitive vibe in the group and this meshes well with my own view on business. Not only is it a way to receive support but it is also a way to give support to others. When we have experienced something, we can share it, so that others can make more informed decisions about their own situations/choices.It is an easy place to get all the up to date information about what is happening in the industry from around the world. At the conference this week, one of the guest speakers was from a international concierge company! It was an amazing opportunity to meet her.There is the opportunity to refer business and create alliances with other members of the association and be sure the client would be treated as you would have treated them. Increasing public awareness of our industry is one of the keys to growing not only our own business but everyone's.

It is important to me to give my time to support others and our industry, as I know that in the long run, it will assist me too.

Thanks for the award everyone!

I find a lot of people won't start something (and I am included in this category) if they are not going to be perfect at it. This is leads to a type of paralysis, stuckness or avoidance. Well what I have found by watching people in their homes is that they like their home just the way it is. Sure, they would like to reduce the clutter but they like the hominess etc that it has. Some people feel guilty their house looks the way it does but it is really just their way of making their house, their own way. So if I told you it was perfect already, how would you feel? I'm here to tell you, you, your house, everything is all perfect. Throw off the cloak of expectation and worry and enjoy your home for what it is and all you have put into it. You'll be surprised what happens....

When I go to people's houses to assist with organising, I find that they can have issues with the amount of news paper articles, hand written notes and recipes they have collected.

People collect these things because they plan to read them, don't want to forget something or need to keep the information at the forefront of their mind. However, they start to collect so many that they can't remember where they left that note or which recipe it was they liked now.

This is a tricky mindset to change because there is a sense of panic behind it. People know there was something important they needed to remember or something they really wanted to share with their loved one. Even though they know the current system is not working for them, they are reluctant to change it.

There are a couple of options.

1. Old School-

For those who are old school and really like the feel of paper and want to keep them because they are making a scrapbook or have a particular use for them.

For these people I suggest containers. Open top containers with the topic written on the outside.You can get funky containers and labels if you like but a box that will hold the amount of items you plan to collect is good. Don't be tempted to go with a file (lever arch or similar) if the current system is in piles around you already. You might start off with good intentions but it will fall away and start to look untidy again. Take a look at the topics you have collected already. Could some of them be merged? Recipes, Health, General Interest, Gardening, Camping etc. Make a container just for notes if you have a lot of them. Get a container for each.

If the container fills to the top, take a look over the items in it and have a think about your plan. Maybe you won't have time for that project after all, in which case, recycle them.

If you are collecting items for others, just let them know the title and they will be able to Google it. They won't necessarily need the cut out.

If you have many notes around the house. Clip them all together to make a pad. Check them over and throw away the non relevant ones.

2. Modern Peeps-

For the tech savvy there are quite a few fun options to have a try at.

An easy one to use if you see something in the paper/magazine that you want to share, just take a pic and send it to that person.For keeping all your interesting articles and recipes there are great apps such as Trello and Evernote.My favorite app for writing notes is Notability on my Ipad which syncs with my Dropbox automatically.If you are like me and have brain full of ideas, you'll need a place to store them. I choose an excel spreadsheet for this because I like to write a lot of info down but Trello would work just as well. If you get the info out of your mind quick it allows the ideas to keep flowing and you'll formulate a much better ideas.

Of course there are so many electronic options out there and it is very much personal preference. Have a look around and pick the one you like best and had the best functionality for you.

One thing I see with all my clients is that when you have physical clutter around you, you'll also have mental clutter because of it. Taking the time to organise your ideas and thoughts will really give you the sense of clarity and freedom. As you are creating your system though, ask your self, why do I collect these things? Perhaps it is not necessary anymore or perhaps you could take a new stance on things such as, if you see it, read it, if you don't have time, it wasn't the story for you!

Liberating!

I find many many eye glasses when decluttering houses or packing up deceased estates so I now have a Lions RECYCLE for Sight box that I take with me in the car to collect them all.

Once this box is filled Australia Post will post it for free to Old Lions where they are sorted, cleaned and then repacked into recycled Christmas cake boxes by volunteers. They are then sent to places such as Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific rim.

Since 1991, 3 million pairs of glasses have been collected in Australia. The world wide program collects 7 million each year and distributes over 4 million to people in need.

So instead of putting old spectacles into the rubbish, contact me and I can send them to be recycled.

http://lionsclubs.org.au/activities/health/vision-hearing/lions-eye-health-recycle-for-sight/

This estate was a beautiful old home in a lovely old suburb, the families home for a very long time with lots of memories. It had a lovely feel.

My task was to empty the home and get it cleaned, ready for sale. There were many antiques so my first task was to group them all together in a place where a valuer and or cash buyer could see them all easily.

The majority of items were taken by a cash buyer, others were donated to the lovely St Bartholomew's, Salvo's and a lady in need. The house was cleaned, garden tidied and the rubbish was taken in a skip.

With these old houses it's important to find the sneaky hiding place to make sure there is nothing of value being stored. I say that, but I have never found anything.

A great reno for the new owners!

PICS IN GALLERY

Packing and sorting a deceased estate takes organisation from the start. I separate the house in to the sections I have identified above. If it is an old house for demolition or the walls will be repainted, I will even put a sign on the walls to identify the areas if others are helping. Starting a house can be overwhelming so creating zones creates a simplified structure that is easily maintained as you work through the house.

As you select your zones, think about egress. Make your rubbish zone close to external access, near to where you will have a skip placed and a large enough area to hold everything. I also recommend not placing the rubbish pile outside or anywhere where passers by can see it. As it can cause unnecessary attention. You will also need a large area for donations. Choose the room that has the least amount of furniture in it. Move it all to one side of the room and start to stack you boxes here. Think about your movements and push all the furniture to the sides of the rooms (especially in dining and lounge areas) so you don't have to keep walking around them.

In the kitchen set up what I call the SMMBJ's zone. This is a container for anything sharp (knives, blades, razors, scissors, syringes etc), medications, money, batteries and jewellery. Having these areas allows you to just collect all the items and then think about them later. The reason I recommend collecting sharps is so that people can move bags of rubbish around without the concern of being cut by anything.

Near your rubbish zone store all the hydrocarbons, tyres, paints and household chemicals together. If you can, put them into a large bucket to make sure none of them leak.

Keep all your confidential items together. Anything with a name and address can be destroyed appropriately. Xrays can also be destroyed.

As you move through the house you may find there is a particular theme such as WWII memorabilita etc. Make a place for all these items to go together so they can be valued or donated.

Creating zones allows you to see exactly how much you have of each group. Then you can book services such as donation collections and skip bins and know exactly how much you have to give/remove. You may have other zones that you will add but these are a good group to start with and will get you feeling organised from the beginning.

As I spoke about recently, I have been helping a the family and friends of a lady to get her home tidied up so she can come home from hospital.

The lady had accumulated quite a lot of things in her home making it quite cluttered. There were some items that needed to be replaced, some needing to be removed and some new storage solutions to be installed.

There was only a 2 week window for the job to be done so the lady could return home.

In one and a half days we had completely packed and organised the two bedroom apartment and removed items to the tip.

New flooring, built in robes, cupboards, fridge, oven, microwave, toaster, bookshelves, lounge, bed, tall boy and curtains were delivered and installed.

We had a small mishap where a basin was broken which was mitigated quickly by the plumber and handyman. Who worked late into the evening but it enabled the project to remain on schedule (big thanks!).

The lady returned home before expected but she was so pleased and thankful for all the work that had been done. Unfortunately the photos of after were taken after she had returned home but you can still see the amazing changes that we had made in the 2 weeks.

This week I have been helping a lady to get her house back in order so she can return from hospital.

Her house has become untidy mostly due to picking up items from verge collections and items that friends have left for her to look after. After clarifying the most important items with her I have removed all the rubbish and organised the remaining items.

Next week new flooring, built in robes, and appliances will be installed and a few minor repairs will be done. By the end of next week she will be able to return to a clean and tidy home. I have come up with some basic organising items to help reduce the main clutter items such as large boxes near the main entry door for junk mail, notes and mail.

The most heart warming thing about this project was another of my clients has donated items of furniture from their own home for the new spruce up.

This was not an easy project with many people being involved to get the job done. It takes the support of friends and family for the client to even start something like this. For me it requires a variety of reliable trades and services who can get the job done right the first time.

Thank you to everyone involved.

I just finished reading this short book and I had to share the a great tip on how to decide which items of clothing to keep in your wardrobe. Ask your self if you would purchase this item from a store right now if you were shopping.

Good tip!

I went to a clients house recently and her family had come over on the weekend to try to pack up everything at the property and get all the jobs done in one weekend. In the process they damaged a few items including drilling through a water pipe.

Estates take time and effort and can cause a lot of stress on everyone involved. People are working during the week and then need to find the time to get things done for a property in their time off. I have another client who took 2 weeks holiday to organise an estate. The rushing around can cause more problems than it's worth by costing money for repairs and/or reducing the amount you could get at sale. It also uses up holiday time which could be used for relaxing.

Using my services means jobs get done while you are at work, time is used efficiently by coordinating trades and services so they are all being done simultaneously and you can take your weekend to relax etc.

When people hand the keys to me they often say they feel a great sense of relief, let me help you with your estate.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure" as the old saying goes. Often when I go to an estate people have have come to a stand still and don't know what to do with many of the remaining items in the home. People think that there wouldn't be anyone who would want anything, because they themselves don't want the remaining items. However, so many of the items that have no home can be given a new lease on life by heading off to places where they will be used.

There are many reasons to reuse/donate:

It means the items that your loved one who has passed away, had used or purchased with a reason, can continue to be used by others who see as much value in them as they did,It reduces the size or amount of skip bins you will need,It reduces the amount of land fill that we are contributing to,It might reduce the amount of running around and moving of items that you will need to do personally. Most receivers of donations will come and collect,It helps others who are in need both directly and indirectly.

There are many ways to reuse or donate. There are places like the standard charities but there are also cash buyers, Men's Shed's, art groups, schools, Gumtree and museums. It depends mostly on what items there are.

It can be a big job to pack up an estate. People become overloaded with everything they need to do, so the more external assistance that can be given with emptying the home the easier it will make it.

Delightfully

We remember, and

Enable new life

For the old, to

Live here in our hearts

By Kaye Hodgkiss

I know you must be thinking how can it only be 10 minutes in the linen cupboard! Remember, small steps!

In 10 minutes you can make a world of difference in your linen cupboard.

Select your most used item. This is usually the most disorganised. For me it would be towels. However I am sure most of us are thinking about those pesky fitted sheets.

Either one will be fine. Find every towel or sheet (which every you have chosen) from every stored crevice in your house.

Check the depth of your shelves that the items sit on. Take a moment to figure out a type of fold that sits the best on that shelf. Personally I like to make sure I have no edges showing at the front however you can make yours however you like. Think about the other people in your home- make it easy for everyone to see how it is done and follow along.

A great video on how to fold a fitted sheet is here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5k9nWcuFc In this video she makes and excellent point about how folding a sheet actually gives you more space.

So, if you have not been folding your selected items in the past, I can assume that now you have taken all of that item out of your cupboard, you have got a nice space to work with.

Pair the top and fitted sheet together and then stack them nicely back onto the space you have created.

Donate any older sheets or ones you are not using anymore.

Now that they are back in the cupboard you can see that not only is more space created but you can actually find what you are looking for. And my special favorite is that sheets look ironed when you put them on the bed :)

Enjoy!

I have helped many people pack up their estates and get them ready for sale here in Perth but in the last week I have been assisting a client who has two estates to pack up!

Packing up an estate for one person even if everything is going smoothly is hard enough after the loss of a loved one. Imagine having to organise two! There is double workload with everything.

When I met with my client to collect the keys they said they were so grateful to have someone to take care of the house, belongings and trades while they kept working on the paperwork.

It gives me so much pleasure to support people with this process. I significantly reduce the amount of time that the client needs to spend at the house. I am impartial the items in the house. This doesn't mean I don't care about them, it means that I can make the first part of the decision of what happens to the items easier than they can. There are of course always items that the family know where they will go, however there are so many items that people just don't know what to do with.

My aim is always to do the best for the estate and it's beneficiaries and then to reduce landfill and protect the environment as much as possible.

I get my recommended trades and services to quote on the jobs and keep the client updated on the process.

Despite the online world of ebooks, we still have many books in our homes and if you are like me, you have a few that are very special that you want to keep. However, if you have not purged your book shelves in a while you may have quite a few sitting around that you probably don't want anymore.

A 10 Minute Organising Challenge for books might sound impossible because deciding which of the special books to keep takes time and feeling. However this 10 minutes is not about those special books. It's about the very non-special books. This for the books, you know, you will never read again and definitely don't want.

You will know these books when you see them. You will be able to make a very easy and clear decision on them. Don't take away the ones you know and love, nor the ones you are not sure on. Just the ones you didn't like, won't read again and don't really care for. As you stand at your shelf now, they will be obvious.

Collect them up and put them in a bag. If you know someone who would like some of them, call them and make a time to drop them off. Put them in the car now. Put a time in your calendar to drop them off at the second hand store (charity store or second hand book store).

Only taking the books you are really certain about, allows you to feel much better about your declutter and enjoy your free space.

This week I have been helping a family to go through the belongings of an estate that has been left to them. This is always a busy time for families, especially the Executor. Not only is there a great deal of paperwork at this time but there are all the items in the home, garage, garden and sheds to organise also. There are many decisions to make from where the items should go, right up to whether to sell or rent the home. The role of the executor is quite demanding and they also have their normal life to live such as work and family.

The Executor needs to know what is in the house so they can make decisions for each of the items. However taking the time to go through everything in the house is long and tedious. Much of it will be rubbish. One house I did had 6 bags of rubbish to every box of anything usable (this was an extreme example). Although, it does become quite obvious as you go what is rubbish and what is not, someone still needs to look at it and make decisions.

What I have done to assist them is sort through the draws and cupboards and organise the items into groups. Items for donations, sale, rubbish and family memorabilia. I have displayed them out on the floor in different rooms so that it is easy for the family to give the items a quick overview and make decisions. Putting them into these groups reassures people that they are making the right decisions about items, allows them to easily see what is in the home, enables them to make quick decisions on large groups of items and reduces the need to hold onto them for reasons they are not sure about.

Assisting the family/executor with these things reduces the amount of time they need to spend on the general household items. They can focus their attention on the important items such as paperwork and memorabilia, focus their emotions and feel supported also.

Yep, we all have that space on our kitchen counter that seem to accumulate items. Sometimes they are large items that don't move around such as the coffee machine or mixer. However there are usually lots of little things that tend to build up over time. If you have a really large kitchen just select a section to start with.

Firstly, look at the items that have accumulated on the bench. Are they items that;

Live elsewhere in the house but you use them mostly in the kitchen. Phone charges are an exampleAre normally stored in the kitchen (not on the bench)

For items that are normally stored elsewhere, think of a space where you can give them a new home in the kitchen area. Perhaps it's a container or a draw.

For the items that already have a space in the kitchen, return them to their normal location. When you do, think about why that item has not made it back there. Perhaps you need it on the bench so you can remember it. Perhaps it doesn't fit because you have too many of those items now. Or perhaps they are not in an easy to reach place and need a new home.

You don't need to make changes for these issues today but it will get you thinking about better spots for those items for future 10 Minute Organising Challenges!

Secondly, find a cupboard that has some space in it. The space might be right at the back and the cupboard could use a bit of an organise also, but lets not worry about that today. For now just gain some access to a space in a cupboard. Now take 1 of the larger items that you have not used for at least 2 months from the bench top and put it in that space. You will be amazed at how much freer you will feel just by doing that.

Lastly, do the dishes, wipe down the bench top and pick some flowers for a vase- a beautiful fresh looking kitchen!

Do you have one of these...?

It's the container that is by your front door or on the edge of your desk that initially started as a pen holder or something important that you needed at arms length holder. You probably started it with good intention but now you have another spot for the overflow of pens or important items that no longer fit in that container. The container might be so full now, you don't even know what is at the bottom or want to touch it without gloves.

Well, your 10 min organising challenge is to sort your container. You'll be amazed at what you find!

1.

So grab your container, right now, quick, you know exactly where it is, you're probably looking at it right now.

2.

Have a rubbish bag on standby

3.

Take each of the items out and group them so you know how much of each thing you have.

4.

Check every pen to see if it is still working

5.

Check each key and see where it fits

6.

Return items to the places they should really be stored (e.g. jewellery to the jewellery box, screws to the shed, hair lackeys and nail clippers to the bathroom, forks to the kitchen, pens to the office, money back into your wallet etc etc).

Now here is the interesting bit...

Do you still even need that container? Maybe you do but you've probably decreased the amount to at least a quarter of what was in there before.

Clearing out the nooks and crannies around your home or office reduces the cluttered feeling in your mind. There is always an added bonus to cleaning these spots which is the amount of money you find. You might be able to shout yourself a coffee for being so organised in 10 mins!

Enjoy!

I have been reading the ebook "To- Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done" by SJ Scott who recommends using 4 'to do lists' to organise yourself each day/week.

Scott explains that making the 4 lists will make your 'to do lists' more efficient. Most people's 'to do list' are a mish-mash of ideas, tasks and projects making us feel over loaded which, in turn creates resistance to completing tasks.

The 4 lists include an Ideas List, Projects List, Weekly Task List and a Most Important Task List (MIT). The Ideas List is a place to jot down all your thoughts and ideas and review them on a regular basis. The Projects List is where tasks that have more than 2 tasks to complete them go. The Weekly Task List is where all the appointments and immediate tasks are.

The MIT List is usually comprised of 3 of the most important, game changing tasks for the day. Now, this list idea is the one that spoke to me the most. It is the list of things that will really make a difference to your day/project/business. The idea is that you do these items first. Starting your day with these bigger tasks will help you to feel like you have achieved more and are less distracted by the unimportant items such as junk email etc. Also doing these tasks in the morning while you are fresh will assist you in staying focused on them and doing a good job.

The book has many great tips such as:

Rating the amount of energy required to do a task

Giving yourself the time and space to do the important tasks

Tips on how to manage the psychology of taking action

Useful software or apps to use

Take regular breaks

And my personal favourite to schedule the time into your calendar

I am a scheduler. People often look at my calendar and comment about how busy/organise it looks. I have all the main projects in my life represented by a different colour. I always schedule everything. Even my 'to do's' so I don't forget anything. I use it like my brain, once I have scheduled a task in my calendar, I can get on an think about other things.

If you, like me could do with some reshuffling of your 'to do list' for better organisation, check out SJ Scott @ http://www.HabitBooks.com.