We offer these resources, and hope they are helpful and current. If you notice a link or site that is not working, please contact us by email, we will look into it, thanks!
Organizing Reading
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo
The Spirit of Getting Organized, Pamela Kristan
Digging Out, Tompkins and Hartl
Stuff, Frost and Steketee
Downsizing the Family Home, Marni Jameson
Organizing Organizations
https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/
Collecting Behavior (Hording Disorder) Free peer led support group http://www.mentalhealthsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/33642812_DROP-IN-2017-Oct-Dec-final-revised.pdf
Downsizing
Downsizing a Home Checklist for Cargivers - https://www.caregiver.org/downsizing-home-checklist-caregivers
Senior Friendly Guide to Downsiing - https://www.mymove.com/moving/senior-guide-downsizing/
Article: https://www.nextavenue.org/nobody-wants-parents-stuff/
Moving
There are so many ways to make your move happen. We offer space planning and project management services, from a-la-carte to concierge white glove service. Here are some checklists from sources you probably know, and when you are ready for customized service, we hope you will call us.
The Container Store Checklist: https://www.containerstore.com/medialibrary/pdf/tips/Organized_Moving_Guide.pdf
Real Simple checklist: https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/moving/moving-checklist
Paper
How long should I keep financial documents? https://www.consumerreports.org/taxes/how-long-to-keep-tax-documents/
Donating
Donating is often the best way to benefit financially when letting go of items. If donations are a deduction for you, they can add up fast. Check out the IRS link below. When you sell items yourself there is always a cost associated with your time and shipping or hauling the items. When you work with a reseller they take a percentage too. Is that donation tax deductible? What is the donation worth? Here is a resource to help: TurboTax It’s Deductible Page https://www.irs.gov/publications/p561
Sites to help evaluate the charities you are considering for donations: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ http://give.org/
Items that most donation organizations are no longer accepting: large furniture, cloth covered furniture, televisions, monitors, mattresses, all baby furniture and car seats, large appliances, personal care products, carpet or building materials. These will need to be sold or hauled to the dump.
Agencies, non-profits: St. Vincent De Paul, Las Trampas, Goodwill, Salvation Army and others. http://locator.goodwill.org/, www.satruck.com
Automobiles - https://www.wheelsforwishes.org/ https://kqed.careasy.org/HOME.html
Furniture, Santa Clara County - https://bayareafurniturebank.org/donate-furniture/ and http://furniturebanks.org/us/ this is a new organization, we need more locations! Donation stations are more frequently refusing furniture.
Recycling and Re-use
We are committed to reuse and recycling to the fullest of our ability on each job. Recycling at home or office can be challenging, as people adopt the information at their own pace, and the rules and resources are constantly changing. We are happy to serve as recycling and reuse consultants, to help you make the best use of the resources available near you.
National recycling resources databases, pretty awesome - http://www.earth911.com https://www.recyclewhere.org/ www.globalstewards.org
Alameda County - http://www.stopwaste.org/ . Alameda County Computer Recycling Center: accrc.org
Berkeley Recycling: berkeleyrecycling.org
El Cerrito Recycling (I call it Recycling Mecca) http://www.el-cerrito.org/193/Curbside-Solid-Waste-Recycling. They take some items that no other centers take, such as block Styrofoam. The center is open to anyone, however some items like cfl light bulbs may require an id to show you are a resident of participating West Contra Costa cities or you may be asked to pay a fee.
Contra Costa County - http://www.cccounty.us/depart/cd/recycle/
Art and Teaching Supplies – East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse http://creativereuse.org
Books and Magazines – The free bin at El Cerrito Recycling
Construction material and household items - Urban Ore in Berkeley http://urbanore.com/
Electronics – Municipal or private, some charge a fee, some pick up at door for no fee. Each city has their own recycling and hazardous waste disposal programs. Best Buy accepts computers, phones and other small items. Phones and hearing aids are also welcomed by Lions in Sight, since there is profit in recycling them and this supports their non profit effort to bring glasses and eye care to people in other countries
Mattresses – DR3 Mattress Recycling in Oakland is a certified recycler. Most of the haulers take their mattresses to this organization. They recycle as much of the material as possible.
Newspapers and Towels – SPCA and other local animal shelters near you
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Hazardous waste transport is serious business that requires a certi
Facilities handle hazardous waste as required by California law, (www.calrecycle.ca.gov/HomeHazWaste). Residents are required to transport their own hazardous waste to approved sites. It is illegal to transport hazardous waste for others without specific licensing and permits form the Department of Transportation. Proof of residency may be required and significant fines may be imposed for improper disposal. These regulations protect our water quality.
Alameda County: http://www.stopwaste.org/recycling/residents/household-hazardous-waste
Contra Costa County: http://www.cccounty.us/depart/cd/recycle/hhw.htm
Medications – Many pharmacies accept medications. They generally want them loose in a ziplock baggie, except for blister packs and liquids. Alameda and Contra Costa counties have medical waste disposal programs. Alameda County: http://www.stopwaste.org/recycling/residents/household-hazardous-waste/medicine Several national pharmacies have medical waste disposal programs including CVS and Walgreens. Also try http://disposemymeds.org/
Shredding
Berkeley Shreds / Automatic Response (paper and hard drives) https://berkeleyshreds.com/
There are qualified shredding companies in most every city. Some services include curbside shredding in a van where you can see the shredder.
Resale Market
Books – Local East Bay: Half Price Books, Pegasus, Moe’s
Books – National: Bookscouter.com, Half Price Books, Powells.com, ecampus and Bookbyte for textbooks
Local reseller who takes it all, hauls and sells: Remoov. https://remoovit.com/ and their online store https://thelocalflea.com/
Small, shippable, higher value items: I like ebay best. You should be prepared to pay for shipping, as most sellers include this.
Local, larger items: I like craigslist.org, there are some precautions you can take, feel free to contact Janet for her protocol. Be prepared to price your items very competitively or they wont get much attention. Craigslist isn’t favored in all markets, some areas get a lot of spam/scam on this site. Facebook Marketplace works well in some communities.
Web and App based resale: The Real Real for designer clothing, handbags and accessories. Chairish for designer and collectible classic furniture. Clothing resale: Tradesy, Material Wrld, Thread Up, Poshmark. Other resale: Offer Up and 5Mile.
Green and Sustainable Resources
http://www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-easy-ways-to-make-your-home-eco-friendly-240147
Stop the Madness: Reducing Unwanted Mail, Email and Phone Calls
Mail preference service - www.dmachoice.org For a small fee you can register and reduce the volume of junk mail, catalogs, magazine subscriptions and credit card offers.
Credit card offers - www.optoutprescreen.com Reduce the number of credit card offers you receive. A free service offered by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Catalog mailers - www.catalogchoice.org Free service to opt out of catalogs and more sponsored by www.thestoryofstuff.org Gather the unwanted catalogs and other junk mail that clutter your home or office. Search for the sender, and submit the opt—out request. We'll take it from there, acting on your behalf to complete your opt-outs while protecting your consumer rights. CatalogChoice can also be used to cancel catalogs and junk mail on behalf of another person, including previous occupants or a deceased family member.
Remove contact info for deceased individuals - www.ims-dm.com/cgi/ddnc.php
Paid junk mail relief services – PaperKarma a phone app that lets you take photos and submit. They have a 4.5 rating on Google Play and 5,000 plus reviews.
Recommended Local Service Providers
Our Bay Area chapter of NAPO is affiliated with contractors and specialists in trades that serve the community and support our client organizing efforts. https://www.napo-sfba.org/our-business-partners
“Perfection is the enemy of progress” – Winston Churchill