Renovate Responsibly – Sustainable Kitchen & Bath Remodeling

Posted on January 24, 2020February 11, 2020 by In Order to Succeed Team

The importance of sustainability has become extremely relevant in today’s world. Most of us already recycle, metals, plastics and cardboard but did you know that entire kitchens can be recycled too? Especially when dealing with luxury cabinetry brands and top-tier appliances and fixtures there is often a “second life” for these when they are new or gently used.

According to the NYC Department of Sanitation, facilities for processing construction and demolition debris handle over 2 million tons of waste per year, representing about 20 percent of all trash. Some environmentally minded homeowners, designers and contractors however choose to take things apart more carefully — a process known as deconstruction. They then may donate the materials to salvage operations, so they can be reused by others. For budget-conscious homeowners willing to do a little hunting, and to be flexible about design decisions, that means there’s a ready supply of high-quality building materials available for surprisingly low prices.

In NYC and CT we have worked with buyers of multimillion-dollar residences who are willing to do whatever it takes to create a home that reflects their personal taste so our organizing and moving coordinators at In Order to Succeed have seen brand-new or like-new kitchens and bathrooms removed. Unfortunately, the traditional way of dealing with unwanted appliances and materials is to demolish and dispose.

Fortunately, there are organizations that provide eco-friendly demolition and repurposing. A leader in the field since 2005 is Renovation Angel. Steve Feldman, a recovered addict of thirty-two years, came up with the idea for recycling kitchens and baths when he witnessed the demolition of the Queen of Iran’s 10,000 square foot residence in Greenwich, CT. He was fundraising at the time and thought “why not recycle the luxury kitchens, fixtures, and furniture from homes being demolished and earn the money rather than ask for it.” So, here is how their process works…Renovation Angel offers a free assessment so homeowners may determine their financial upside. If a kitchen is approved for donation, they provide white-glove removal, pack, and transport, free of charge for luxury kitchens, appliances, bath fixtures, furniture, home decor, and architectural elements. This turn-key process is completed most often in one day by insured, experienced professionals. The money saved on the demolition and disposal fees may go toward the remodeling project while the removal, transportation, and resale of these items creates construction, logistics, and retail jobs as these items are prepared for re-purposing. Steve says that this is how to “get rid of your kitchen for GOOD”.

Now located in Fairfield, NJ, Renovation Angel sells recovered kitchens, baths and furniture from their 43,000 square foot showroom as well as online at www.renovationangel.com. Proceeds go toward protecting the earth, creating jobs and supporting charitable programs that focus on addiction recovery, youth-at-risk, job training, and social entrepreneurship.

Since Renovation Angel is a 501(c)(3) organization, product donations are tax-deductible. Estimated donor savings range from $10,000 to $20,000 or more depending on the age, condition, and number of items. “We give people an estimate of the value of the items they donate,” explains Steve Feldman. The organization also has the names of appraisers, since the IRS requires that property donations valued at $5,000 or more be verified by an independent entity. Donated goods are charitable contributions homeowners get a full tax deduction for the fair market value. Restoration Angel recovers and sells some 600 kitchens per year from homes across the country and operates throughout the U.S and Canada.

Other companies in the New York area specializing in this field of repurposed kitchens are BIG Reuse and ReStore (a division of Habitat for Humanity New York City) Restore’s Queens location will pick up donations without charge, but don’t offer deconstruction. Even without the deconstruction option, homeowners may experience savings on removal and disposal fees that would otherwise be charged by their contractors.

George Oliphant, host of NBC Universal’s Home renovation series George to the Rescue teams up with top designers and contractors to help deserving families and communities with much needed home renovations. He says: “A big part of what makes a kitchen renovation so expensive is that high quality items come at a premium. Natural stone countertops, custom cabinetry & top of the line appliances are made to last and shouldn’t end up in a landfill just because they don’t meet the taste of the homeowner. The beautiful thing about recycling a high-end kitchen vs throwing it away, is you’re giving savvy consumers an opportunity to incorporate luxury elements in their kitchen that would normally be out of their budget. This is a win/win for all parties involved. The client/GC get a tax right off for recycling plus they are doing their part to protect our environment & the new owners get superior caliber materials at below market value”.

As part of our company’s commitment to sustainability, In Order to Succeed is offering Recycling Evaluations to homeowners who are renovating, remodeling, and relocating within the NYC tri-state area. We’ll source the best charities to receive contributions, outline the recycling process and whenever possible, provide estimated donation values.

Reusing and repurposing makes solid sense from an environmental perspective and many people wouldn’t be able to afford a lot of these products at retail prices. Remodeling in this sustainable manner requires some retro-fitting and compromise but it’s an option to seriously consider if a kitchen has not yet lived fully. A smart and socially responsible way to create new spaces with gently used high end products.

In the secondary market, consumers find that most items are priced at about half of what they would cost new. The trade-off is that there is more work involved in reuse, because you have to make what you find work rather than having new cabinets or floors built to your exact measurements. And the discards, however high-end, may not come with a warranty. Still many find the pros outweigh the cons. Reusing things just makes sense from an environmental perspective and many people wouldn’t be able to afford a lot of these products at retail prices. Remodeling in this sustainable manner requires some retro-fitting and compromise. It’s an option to seriously consider for kitchens that have not lived fully and a smart way to create new spaces with gently used high end products.

How To Plan An Office Relocation

Posted on June 25, 2012September 12, 2015 by Denise Caron-Quinn

By: Guest Blogger: Clare Moorhouse of Help Moving Office. Help Moving Office is an online resource that guides companies through the entire office relocation process. Help Moving Office offers free Office Relocation Checklists and Planning Guides to help plan a successful office move.

As companies try to reduce their overheads and prepare for the future, office relocation is proving to be an effective strategy for getting into better, cheaper and more appropriate office space. It can enable a business to consolidate, reduce excessive costs and build a stronger platform from which to grow. But planning an office relocation can be a time-consuming and challenging task, and with so much to do, it can be difficult to know what to do – let alone where to start!

Help Moving Office has put together five key steps on planning a successful office relocation:

1. Are you in a position to move office?

There are many reasons why a company might want to relocate; better facilities, bigger/smaller office space, the need for a better location or simply to reduce overheads. Whatever the reasons, it is important to be clear about the motivation behind the relocation in order to define criteria and map out your new office requirements.

Questions to ask yourself:

Is an office move necessary will it prove beneficial to the business?
What are the lease conditions for leaving your existing property (notice period, option to break etc.)
How do we exit our office lease and what is the required notice period?
Can the business afford to relocate?

Asking these questions, and being clear about the goals/objectives of the move, is a key starting point from which you can formulate a clear and Office Relocation Project Plan.

2. Start the planning early

Many companies make the same mistake and underestimate the amount of time and effort required in planning an office relocation, and this can result in escalating costs, drop in productivity and unnecessary disruption to your staff and business. It’s never too early to start planning your office move, but best practice suggests that, depending on the size of your business, between 9-18 months in advance of your lease expiry date is recommended.

Starting the planning of your office relocation early will not only give you the best possible chance of achieving a smooth transition, but it will also enable you to make the right informed decisions and help to avoid any costly or operational mistakes that might affect your business during the move or even throughout the course of your new tenancy.

Companies moving office should always err on the side of caution and assume that everything will take longer to organize than imagined.

3. Break-down the Office Relocation into manageable bite-size chunks

An office relocation might seem like a daunting project to undertake at first, but by breaking down the process down into simple steps and tasks, it makes the entire project much easier to manage. Help Moving Office has a range of Office Relocation Checklists to help manage and execute your office move effectively. It’s the easiest way to manage your office move and ensures that everything gets done on time and nothing gets forgotten.

4. Hire Professionals

Calling on the help of external professionals plays a big role in helping you achieve a successful relocation and will ensure that neither time nor money is wasted.

The expert advice needed to help with the key stages of your office move should include:

Tenant Rep Broker – to help find and secure the ideal office space and negotiate the best office lease terms for your business.
Real Estate Lawyer – to review the office lease to ensure everything is properly documented and that your commercial interests are fully protected as a tenant.
Office Design Company – to create a functional and inspiring workplace which increases productivity and enables your business to thrive.
IT & Telecom Solution Provider – to ensure your IT and phone systems are set up properly in the new office and minimize any disruption to your business throughout the move.
Office Moving Company – to ensure your office move day goes like clockwork with everything working and in its right place.

Getting professional help for your office relocation is the single, most important “MUST DO” for companies wishing to achieve a successful outcome.

5. Make sure you don’t forget IT!

Your IT systems and business phones are an indispensible element of the running your business, and without these working properly in your new office – your business could suffer dire consequences. Planning your IT relocation early will get your business fully operational quickly in the new office without any IT delays or disasters.

Use the IT Relocation Checklist available at Help Moving Office for a step-by-step guide to the migration, infrastructure set up and testing of your IT systems so that disruption is kept to an absolute minimum throughout the relocation.

An office relocation is a huge undertaking for any business, but with the right planning and support you will be in a better position to plan a successful office move that your business deserves.

Decluttering as Zen Meditation

Posted on August 17, 2011August 2, 2016 by Denise Caron-Quinn

Decluttering your home or workspace can often seem overwhelming, but in truth it can be as peaceful as meditation, and can be a way to practice living mindfully and in the moment.

Decluttering can be your zazen, as it is often mine.

Recently I was honored with the chance to speak to a class at the San Francisco Zen Center, with the wonderful Zen priest Susan O’Connell (one of my favorite people in the world, and my favorite movie star friend). I talked with the Zen students about decluttering, and a couple things stood out for me as I talked:

Clutter is a manifestation of a) holding onto the past and b) fear of what might happen in the future.
Letting go of clutter is a way to live more mindfully and in the present.
The act of decluttering itself can be a mindfulness practice.

Let’s talk about each of those things briefly.

Clutter is holding onto the past, or fear of the future

Why do we have clutter in the first place? Why do we keep it when we don’t really need it? Maybe we think we do need it — for two reasons:

1. We don’t want to let go of the past. Often clutter comes in the form of emotional attachment to objects that have significance to us. They might remind us of a loved one, or a vacation, or a special event like a birthday, funeral, graduation, etc. It might be a gift from someone. All of this is living in the past. I’m not saying we should forget about the past, but letting go of these objects (and they’re only objects, they’re not the events or loved ones themselves) … it is a way of releasing our hold on the past. It’s a way of living more in the present. I never forget the past, but it’s not a place I try to dwell.

2. We’re afraid of the future. Clutter might be things we think we might need sometime in the future. We hold on to them just in case. Over-packing for a trip is a good example — we bring more than we really need, just in case we need them. It’s the same in our houses — we have a ton of things we don’t really need or use, just in case. We’re afraid of being unprepared for the future, but the truth is we can never be totally prepared. We can’t control the outcome of the future, and trying to do so means that we’re never really living in the present moment. We’re always preparing for what might (or might not) come.

Look at your clutter carefully, one object at a time, and ask yourself why you’re holding onto each object. It’s probably for one of these two reasons, if you’re honest.

Btw, books are usually examples of one of these two reasons. We hold onto books we’ve already read, as trophies of our reading accomplishments. We hold onto books we might read in the future (but probably won’t), with the optimism that our future selves are going to be more amazing readers than we’ve ever been in the past. In truth, you only need three or four books — the ones you might read in the next month. Then after you’ve read those, donate those books to charity, and check out a few books from the library.

Let go of clutter to live mindfully

So if clutter is holding onto the past, and fearing the future … how can we live in the present instead?

I slowly get rid of clutter, and in doing so, I release my mind of these attachments and fears. It’s a liberating process. Clutter is the physical embodiment of these attachments and fears — emotional stuff that we don’t realize we have. By decluttering, we are clearing ourselves of these tangled webs.

And when I’ve gotten rid of clutter, I’m freed. I can forget about those things, and live instead in this moment. I can fully appreciate life as it happens, instead of looking back on what has happened before, or looking forward to what might happen later.

It’s of course possible to live in the moment even if you have clutter. There is no prerequisite to mindful living. But decluttering can be a beautiful process of helping ourselves let go of the things we don’t realize we’re holding on to.

Clutter as mindfulness practice

And so, as I declutter, not only am I freeing myself up to live in the present … I am living in the present during the process of decluttering.

It’s a form of zazen — which is sitting meditation, but at its core zazen is really a way to practice being mindful. It’s a way to prepare us for dealing mindfully with the rest of the things we do in life. And really, anything can be used as a way to practice mindfulness. I’ve often used running and walking, but also washing dishes and sweeping.

And decluttering is one of the best mindfulness practices, in my experience. Here’s how I do it:

1. Pick one cluttered flat surface. It can be a tabletop, countertop, shelf, the top of a dresser, floor of a closet, floor of a room (just a section of that floor to start with). Don’t worry about all the rest of your cluttered spaces for now — just pick this one space. Small is good.

2. Clear that surface. Take everything off and pile it on the floor or another table. Clean the surface while it’s clear — wipe it with a cloth, slowly and mindfully.

3. Take one object from the pile. Forget about the entire pile — just look at that one object. Ask yourself why you have it. Is it for emotional reasons, or do you really use it? Is it for “just in case”? When was the last time you used it? If you don’t really need or use it, put it in a box for donation or trash it. If you do really use it, put it in another pile to be put back on your now-clean surface. If you’re on the fence and can’t bear to give something up, put it in a “maybe” box and put that box away for six months (mark the date on your calendar).

4. Repeat, one object at a time. Practice doing this mindfully. Make a decision with each object — keep, donate, or maybe box. No waffling or putting off decisions. Deal with each object once, then move on.

5.Put the objects back, and make a “home” for each one. Each object needs to have a spot that is its home, and you should always put those objects back in their homes. If you can’t find a home for an object, you don’t have space for it. Donate the items in the donation box, and put away the maybe box. Eventually you won’t need a maybe box as you get good at this.

Learn to focus on one thing at a time, mindfully, and deal with each object once. This is a good practice for doing things in the rest of your life.

Original post written by Leo Babauta of Zenhabits.com

College Dorm Storage Ideas

Posted on August 23, 2010July 25, 2016 by Denise Caron-Quinn

Across the country students are beginning to move into their college dorms.Whether you or your college student is returning for another year or just starting figuring out how to store things in a college dorm is a daunting task.. Read this article from Jenna Hart, a freelance writer who specializes in home decor and organization tips.

Storage Ideas For College Dorms

Moving into a college dorm room as a freshman is always exciting. But many students are not prepared for just how small their new space on campus is. With most rooms only averaging around 228 square feet, it can be tough to squeeze all of your stuff into that area, especially if you’ll be sharing the space with a room mate. Fortunately, there are all types of great storage options to look into that can help maximize your living area as well as give you some much needed storage.

Consider a Trunk: A storage trunk is a great piece to have, as it can often store everything from sweaters to jackets to blankets to even your everyday supplies. It adds a nice decorative touch, especially with so many different styles available. Best of all, it can double as seating or a coffee table, eliminating the need for extra furniture.

Maximize Closet Space: You and your room mate likely each get your own teeny tiny closet, or you may share a somewhat larger one together. One of the best ways to make sure you use your closet space is to use temporary organizers, such as baskets or hanging closet organizers. This makes it much easier to know exactly where everything is.

Use Your Wall Space: Your school may have rules about putting things on the walls, but there are a number of temporary wall adhesive based hooks which can be removed easily from the walls when you move out. These can be used as hooks alone for hanging towels and jackets, or you can use them to hang a dowel rod across the walls to hang other items from.

Raise the Bed: While some schools may restrict what type of furniture you may bring, bunk beds and loft beds can certainly help make up for a lack of square footage if you are permitted to have them. By lifting the bed up in the air, you can either fit two beds in one spot, or use the space below for other uses. If you’re absolutely stuck with beds the school provides, use dorm bed risers or concrete blocks to raise them and give you extra storage under the bed.

You don’t have to sacrifice on style or the things you bring with you on campus when it comes to storage ideas for college dorms. With a little creativity, you’ll be able to fit in to your new room easily and comfortably!

Further Reading
Jenna is a freelance writer who writes on home decor and organization tips. You may enjoy her articles on closet organizing and dorm storage ideas.
Storage Ideas For College Dorms was originally published on Ezine Articles.
Organizing Tips For Every College Dorm Room (August 2010)
Tip Day Wednesday: 4 Tips for Packing to College (August 2010)
Image via flickr by Flutterbright.

Dorm Room Storage Ideas

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Denise Caron-Quinn

Across the country students are beginning to move into their college dorms.Whether you or your college student is returning for another year or just starting college, coming up with dorm room storage ideas is a daunting task. Read this article from Jenna Hart, a freelance writer who specializes in home decor and organization tips.

Dorm Room Storage Ideas

Clean Your Home And Office Hassle Free By Economizing

Posted on August 2, 2010June 25, 2015 by Denise Caron-Quinn

By Guest Blogger Jerry Messat, of Cleaning Tips.

People nowadays spend most of their day in only two places: the home and the office. Upon waking up, they go to the bathroom to prepare for the day’s work, go to the kitchen to grab something to eat, and head to the office and stay there for almost the entire day. Then it’s time to head back to the house, relax for a while on the sofa and then go to the bedroom to sleep. This is probably the routine of most people. Therefore, these are two places that often need a lot of frequent cleaning.

But with all of the workload at the office, and all the chores at home, how can we find time to put everything in order and clean these two places. The answer to that is actually quite simple. The secret is to clean smart; you do not have to go and buy those big bulky machines and appliances that take forever to set-up and take even longer to finish cleaning just one area. There are a number of ways to clean a place without tiring yourself too much.

If you clean a place in an order that works for you and use some handy home-made tools to help clean you’ll save time and money. There are a ton of tips such as starting from the top down to economize on movement and to prevent dirt from coming back to an already finished area. Cleaning doesn’t have to be hard work, if you properly economize your time and efforts, it can be done in a cinch.

What are some of the ways you economize your cleaning time and effort?

Further Reading
To learn more cleaning tips visit www.cleaningtips.com.
Learn how In Order to Succeed can help organize and simplify your life at inordertosucceed.com
Spend Time Wisely: Clean Fast and Efficiently (July 2010)
Green Kitchen with Spaghetti Scrub by Goodbye Detergent (January 2010)
Image via flickr by Axel Tregoning

Tip Day Wednesday: 6 Ways to use Twitter Efficiently

Posted on June 30, 2010September 12, 2015 by Denise Caron-Quinn

Each Wednesday In Order to Succeed‘s blog features at least one tip on organizing, time management, moving and relocation, balancing home and business or well anything else we think you will find helpful. This week’s Tip Day Wednesday is about using twitter for your business. Twitter can be a wonderful resource. You can use it to connect with people in your field, share news, and promote your business but it can also be time draining. Here are some tips to use twitter more efficiently to promote your business:

Create Twitter Balance. Let yourself feel fine if you don’t post for a couple of days.
Set up tweetbeeps.com. Use it for keyword searches so you can contact others in your field.
Establish yourself as an expert, and provide valuable tweets by linking. But only link to helpful, original, relevant articles and/or websites.
Be careful of over promoting yourself. Don’t only tweet to promote yourself. A good rule of thumb is that 80 percent of your tweets should not be about you. Twenty percent or less should be self-promotional.
Use some sort of advance tweet. We use futuretweets, but there are many such as TweetLater. If you spend 15 minutes every morning setting up your tweets you know you will have some during the day even if you don’t have time to go back and check twitter. Remember the tweets should be original and relevant even if your setting them up in advance.
Don’t over retweet. You should only be retweeting high quality links around 3-5 a day at the most.

Further Reading
Follow In Order to Succeed on Twitter
Follow In Order to Succeed tweeters on Twitter
Image via flickr by Mykl Roventine
Check out past Tip Day Wednesdays for more tips.

Tip Day Wednesday: 6 Ways to use Twitter for Business

Posted on June 30, 2010July 25, 2016 by Denise Caron-Quinn

Each Wednesday In Order to Succeed‘s blog features at least one tip on organizing, time management, moving and relocation, balancing home and business or well anything else we think you will find helpful. This week’s Tip Day Wednesday is about using twitter for business. Twitter can be a wonderful resource. You can use it to connect with people in your field, share news, and promote your business but it can also be time draining. Here are some tips to use twitter more efficiently to promote your business:

Create Twitter Balance. Let yourself feel fine if you don’t post for a couple of days.
Set up tweetbeeps.com. Use it for keyword searches so you can contact others in your field.
Establish yourself as an expert, and provide valuable tweets by linking. But only link to helpful, original, relevant articles and/or websites.
Be careful of over promoting yourself. Don’t only tweet to promote yourself. A good rule of thumb is that 80 percent of your tweets should not be about you. Twenty percent or less should be self-promotional.
Use some sort of advance tweet. We use futuretweets, but there are many such as TweetLater. If you spend 15 minutes every morning setting up your tweets you know you will have some during the day even if you don’t have time to go back and check twitter. Remember the tweets should be original and relevant even if your setting them up in advance.
Don’t over retweet. You should only be retweeting high quality links around 3-5 a day at the most.

Further Reading
Follow In Order to Succeed on Twitter
Follow In Order to Succeed tweeters on Twitter
Image via flickr by Mykl Roventine
Check out past Tip Day Wednesdays for more tips.

Tip Day Wednesday: Have a Stress Free Vacation

Posted on June 23, 2010September 12, 2015 by Denise Caron-Quinn

Each Wednesday In Order to Succeed‘s blog features at least one tip on organizing, time management, moving and relocation, balancing home and business or well anything else we think you will find helpful. This week’s Tip Day Wednesday is about having a stress free vacation. Here are three tips to having a stress free vacation:

Create and use a travel checklist There isn’t anything worse than arriving someplace and remembering you forgot something. While you can buy things such as toothbrushes what if you forgot to turn off some of the lights. Take a few minutes to come up with a travel checklist that includes both things you need to do both you go away as well as things to back. Reuse the list each time you go away.

Take at least a week. One vacation of at least seven days is more relaxing than taking several three-day vacations. It allows you time to settle into your new surroundings and truly enjoy the break.

Give Yourself Permission To Do Nothing Vacations are suppose to be about rest so don’t plan everyday. Give yourself time just enjoying being where you are and remember it’s okay to do nothing while on vacation.

Share your travel tips with us by commenting below.
Further Reading
Check back for our travel checklist that you can download and for your trips.
Get more travel tips: 7 Tips For Creating a Healthy Vacation (May 2010)
Image via flickr by m o d e

Tip Day Wednesday: Removing Clutter

Posted on June 16, 2010July 25, 2016 by Denise Caron-Quinn

Ask yourself these questions when deciding to hold on or get rid of an object. If you answer “no” to two or more it’s time to give the possession a new home.