Storing Home Paperwork

I’ve had 2 consultations this week with people who need help organising their domestic/home paperwork. In both instances, they want – and need – to move from keeping a box full of mis-matched correspondence, together with the odd child’s drawing, some sellotape, photographs and playing cards, to using a perfectly organised filing system that works for them.

Both have very similar problems – with lack of suitable storage being one of them! Whilst a shallow basket may be ideal for throwing a few things into every now and then, leaving it for months on end with no idea as to what might be lying in it certainly is not! Think missed bill payments, missed renewal dates, and worst of all, missed parties!!

So, aside from the intial declutter that we’ll do, I’ve come up with suggestions for them that will fit into each of their family lives;

• Paperwork that will be kept on shelving in the lounge needs to be in attractive, yet suitable, containers.
• Paperwork for each of the children needs to be separated out clearly, and given regular attention.
• A diary system needs to be implemented.
• Ownership needs to be taken for dealing with the paperwork – it won’t clear itself!

Bearing in mind that in my previous ’employed’ life, I used to do this kind of thing regularly – managing the efficient handling and processing of Client work, I do actually find this kind of thing fun! If you can call organising paperwork fun!

I’ll be working with these Clients soon to make changes to the way their domestic paperwork is handled and hopefully I’ll be able to to share a picture or two of what we do decide to implement. Until then, I thought I’d share this image from blogger Feisty Tapas showing how easy it is to re-purpose the things you already have in your home for a completely different use.