News / Blog
Estate Sales and Auctions FAQs
What’s the difference between an estate sale and auction? An estate sale is the sale of items in the home when a client is downsizing, moving, relocating, liquidating or death. The sale usually occurs at that person’s home for 1-3 days. Prices are firm but items are usually discounted the 2nd and 3rd day. An auction is also selling items for the same reasons as an estate sale but conducted by a licensed auctioneer who sells items offsite by a bidding process. The auctioneer usually sets the starting price for bidding.
Online Shopping Sense
In January 2020, I spoke at the Jackson (Michigan) library about organizing your wardrobe. My preparation for “Closet Re-Do: RE-DUCE, RE-USE, RE-STYLE”, pushed me to think harder about my own wardrobe. Little did any of us know at the time…that a portion of our wardrobes would be on hold while we quarantined and our lifestyles started making some unprecedented changes.
Organized for Entertaining
This holiday season I will be entertaining on a smaller scale, but that will not change how I organize myself in advance so I can also enjoy our gathering. I consider myself a good multi tasker, but not when it comes to trying to cook, set the table and carry on a conversation with a friend or family member. In fact, my friends will tell you I often say “hold that thought for a minute” if they are telling me a story while I am busy preparing.
Shop Your Own Closet
If you attended my January presentation titled Closet RE-DO: reduce, repurpose, restyle…then you may recall that even though I love clothes, I am working at buying less which is a win our mother earth and me. Less production and disposal of textiles is good for the earth and trimmed down options are good for me and my closet. I spent this past wintery weekend combing through my closet for what to wear this spring and summer. I appreciate that my daughter was willing to give me her fresh objective eye, because I am not objective when it comes to my own stuff.
‘Messiest Room’ makeover unearths new office in Farmington Hills
Somewhere beneath the boxes and boxes of crafting supplies, candles and mementos in Mark Steele’s Farmington Hills home was an office. He just needed to find it.
But he needed help. The crafting supplies had emotional strings. They belonged to Steele’s late wife, Judith, who died last March after a battle with cancer.
To help sift through it all, Steele, 64, turned to a team of professional organizers from the Michigan chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. As the winner of Homestyle’s “Messiest Room” contest late last fall, five organizers worked with Steele earlier this month – January is GO or Get Organized month – to help weed through the clutter, organize the room and convert it back to a functional space.
Experts can help you organize your home in 2019
Being organized can save you time and money while giving you a sense of mental calmness in a clutter-free home. And January is national Get Organized month, so what better time to start?
Organizing does not have to be overwhelming. Simply start off small. Professionals suggest setting a timer for 15 minutes, and spending that time organizing a small space.
“Where you begin organizing depends on what the problem is and what the end goal is,” says Leigh MacCready, a professional organizer and owner of Re-Nest, LLC. For six years she has helped clients reach goals for themselves and their homes.
Smart Solutions: Creative ideas for practical storage
In the month of January when many of us feel the need to get organized, it helps to have some creative storage for a sense of order. Here are some ideas from a few of the professional organizers and interior designers that will be doing seminars at the Novi Home Show, which runs from Jan. 25 – 27.
Dwane Adle, FASID AIA, a licensed architect, interior designer and owner of Royal Oak-based Comprehensive Design Group who will also be at the ASID Michigan booth during the show says recycled and upcycled pieces are in fashion. He likes new furniture made from a combination of old locker drawers as well as vintage styles for that eclectic feel in a space. These unique pieces work well in a mudroom, rec room or kid’s bedroom, he says.
Why Hire an Organizer
Can you think of some services that you never considered using or thought they were only for the wealthy? Just a few decades ago, having a cleaning lady was considered a luxury and hiring a personal trainer was for Hollywood stars or athletes. But now these services are being used by people at all different income levels. Another service industry on the rise is professional organizing. Hiring the skills of a professional organizer makes sense if you are looking to improve organization and productivity in your life – either in your home, workspace or both.
