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More Than Just Real Estate News

SEPTEMBER 2022

VOLUME

ISSUE

Finally! Your Kitchen Organizing Blueprint Is Here

A disorganized kitchen is like a canker sore that never goes away. Sure, you can put up with it. But it robs you of that peaceful home life experience you know is within your grasp.

It’s time to declare this the month you will finally do something about it! But where do you start? Here’s a kitchen organizing guide to help turn your kitchen into the efficient, organized place it was meant to be.

Step 1: Assess the Problems

Find all the sources of frustration in your kitchen. First consider all the spaces that are available: cabinets, drawers, pantry, freezer and fridge, area under the sink, countertops, island, and any other space your kitchen has.

Look for problem areas. Are there things you can’t find when you need them? Are drawers or cabinets hard to close, or are they just a mess inside? Is it an adventure every time you open the cabinets under the sink? Does everything on the counter need to be there? Is anything missing?

Step 2: Tackle Each Area with an Eye for Efficiency and Convenience

Each area of the kitchen creates its own challenges. Let’s look at the main categories.

Cooking Utensils and Spices

These are the things you’ll need when cooking, like tongs, spatulas, and slotted spoons. These should be located close to the stove. Decide if you want them in the closest drawer, or on the counter. Prioritize your space for the most used utensils. And consider a spice rack if you don’t have one. The pantry is not the best place for spices you frequently use.

Cookware and Dishes

Prioritize the most commonly used pots and pans for the cabinets nearest the stove. Bulkier appliances like blenders and air fryers can be placed farther away in cabinets, shelves, or closets. But keep them off the countertops so that they are less cluttered. Dishes depend on the layout of your kitchen, but accessibility is the key. They must fit the space and be easily reachable.

Containers

Have a designated drawer or shelf for food storage containers. This might be near where you put plastic wrap and tin foil. The sizes of the drawers are always a factor, but try to keep lids with their containers so your lids don’t declare independence and start a rebellion, or worse, disappear into the ether.

You can find some good organizers for exactly this purpose. Make sure that you find one that will fit in your space. It’s also smart to get some clear containers for storing things like rice, pasta, and flour. That way, you can easily see when you’re almost out.

Pantry Themes

Separate your pantry into sections by theme. Cans, snacks, baking items, breakfast items, surplus items like extra condiments – keep these and other groups separated from each other.

And if you drink lots of coffee or tea, get an organizer for all your varieties that looks good right on the counter, where they are easily reachable.

Under the Sink

The key here is minimalism. Keep only the cleaners that actually get used in the kitchen under the kitchen sink. Put all the rest in a closet or in the utility room. And get your plastic bags under control before they form an alliance with the lids.

Extra Tips to Consider

To maximize usage of cabinet space, consider getting some racks or mini shelves.

Also, get a silverware organizer, and get suitable containers for your other utensils.

If you have a spot for one, look into a rolling cart for certain oddly shaped items.

And if counter space is at a premium, perhaps you can install some hooks or a floating shelf with places to hang mugs, pots, or other items.

Foster Kids Find Caring and Committed Adults at Childhaven

Most kids being served by Childhaven still live with their biological families. But about 10% are foster kids, and this includes Catherine and Tyler, who came to Childhaven as infants. All infants need to attach emotionally with adults as part of their development, because this builds trust, stability, and consistency, all of which facilitate healthy brain growth. Foster kids, including infants, Most kids being served by Childhaven still live with their biological families. But about 10% are foster kids, and this includes Catherine and Tyler, who came to Childhaven as infants.

All infants need to attach emotionally with adults as part of their development, because this builds trust, stability, and consistency, all of which facilitate healthy brain growth. Foster kids, including infants, often struggle to attach to caregivers and need extra support.

Foster Kids Find Caring and Committed Adults at Childhaven

Tyler came to Childhaven with some developmental delays, and Catherine had trouble sleeping and relaxing. Her teacher Anna says that for a while, Catherine “refused to look me in the eye or smile at me. She would literally turn her head away if I tried to make eye contact.”

But, the Childhaven team persisted, rocking her and Tyler to sleep, looking into their eyes, smiling at them, and playing with them. Simple actions and small steps, but when done daily, they eventually coax the babies to bond with the adults in their lives.

Anna still remembers the first time Catherine came in and finally gave her a huge smile. She says, “I knew that what we were doing was working! Now she squeals and crawls quickly over to me whenever I enter the room, and gets upset when I put her down.”

Trust was established. Bonds were strengthened. After six months at Childhaven both kids were doing great. They were standing up, making eye contact, and showing positive emotions. Tyler finally rolled over after months of working on it, which is always a big win.

Forming positive attachments at such young ages reduces the likelihood of so many risk factors later in life. And this is why we donate a portion of the proceeds from every home we sell to Childhaven.

Our donations to date for Childhaven!

Your business and referrals help
the kids at Childhaven

A portion of every sale from
Weisbarth & Associates is
given to Childhaven and in the
past 5 years we have donated
over $250,000 to them.

DORON WEISBARTH

Designated Broker/ Owner

206.779.9808
Doron@weisbarth.com
Weisbarth.com

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Through all of COVID-19 the Childhaven staff continues to care for every child, delivering counseling, developmental therapy, wrap-around
supports, home learning, meals, family meetings, and much more. Every referral you send our way helps the kids at Childhaven, because we donate a substantial portion of our income from every home sale to this amazing organization. If you know anyone considering buying or selling, you have three options:
1. Send an email with your referral’s name, phone and email to refer@weisbarth.com
2. Call me direct or pass on my number - 206.779.9808
3. Go to our website at Weisbarth.com/refer

But What If You Need to Both Sell AND Buy a Home?!

There are two sides to most real estate transactions. First, you sell your home. Then, you buy your new one. If either one of those tasks proves too difficult, many people will be hesitant to jump in the fray.

In fact, this difficulty of trying to find and buy the next home is what contributed to our declining housing inventory over the past few years, and to the increasing length of home ownership. In the past 20 years or so, the average home ownership length moved up from 5-7 years to 10-13 years.

Many homeowners were worried about getting caught in what we call the ‘real estate catch 22’. This is where you end up owning two homes and two mortgages, or no home at all – neither of which seem desirable.

And so with the recent increase in inventory - we now have about two months of inventory across the region (1.7 in King County, double what it was in May). Buyers now have a much less stressful array of choices, and they don’t have to make huge life decisions in a matter of days. Or hours, in some cases.

Anything under four to six months of inventory is considered a sellers’ market, so at two months, we’re really at a happy medium. It’s still pretty easy to sell, but it’s also much easier to buy your replacement home at the same time.

The numbers bear this out.

Most sellers are getting offers within about two weeks. Prices are up about 6% across the region from last year (see the breakdown by county in the graphic). And home sale contingencies are again becoming common. That means, you can insert a clause that ensures you have sold your home before you officially purchase your next one.

So, with a slightly more crowded market, sellers have two things they need to do:

1) Don’t overprice your home

2) Make your home as desirable as possible

Clean it, organize it, upgrade it, repair it, de-clutter it. And make the yard look great. The most appealing homes are still selling briskly. And now, unlike the last two years, you can be pretty confident that you’ll find a suitable replacement home as well.