In my earlier blog post "The Paperless Appraisal Office - A Small Firm's Approach - Dual Monitors" I said:
The appraisal desk at the World HQ of Brian J. Davis and Associates includes a 4-in-1 printer-scanner, a framed picture of my wife, a MINI, two flat-panel computer monitors, a VoIP phone, and my PDA/UMPC. Conspicuously missing from my appraisal office desk are papers. Not there!"
In a later blog post, I itemized my Ten Steps For Getting Started! But after reading an article by Maria Gracia, author of Finally Organized, Finally Free I got to thinking that there's an even more BASIC step that needs to be taken. Declutting the workspace!
First we need to get our desk organized!
When was the last time you saw your desk? If it has been awhile, TODAY is the perfect day to find it under those towering, paper mountains.
Read on . . . .
I believe that every three or four years appraisers need to do some serious "house-cleaning" and reorganization of their office space to maximize their productivity. If you're like me, often things get put in a particular place just because there's an outlet there or "That's where I've always had it!".
Before you being the steps below, I think you need to clear your mind of preconceived notions of where thing are currently located in your office space. Start to think in terms of what you can do to move from the traditional paper-based office to one that generates and stores less paper.
Ready to get started?
1. Set aside time: Schedule 2-4 hours for the first half of this mission. When the day arrives, dress in sweatpants and a T-shirt. You know . . .ultra-comfortable. Turn on the TV or play your favorite music in the background and take a deep breath.
2. Clear off your desk (and floor): Take every last thing off your desk, and out of your desk. Yesssss . . .this includes the computers, monitors, phones, printers, stacks of MLS books, and software boxes! Place them on a big work table or in some boxes you have around the office. The main thing is to get it away from your immediate work area.
3. Scrub and polish: Scrub your desk with disinfectant and then furniture cleaner until it looks shiny and new. Clean the floor too. Ahhhhh! Isn't it looking better already?
If you're still using an old countertop stretched over cheap file cabinets as your workspace, NOW might also be a good time to consider a new desk?
4. Trash it: Get a large trash bag, have a seat, and begin dumping. Over 80% of the papers on your desk can probably be trashed. This includes your Day-Planner from 1975, your collection of phone books, and the brochures from that USPAP seminar that you took five years ago.
The only items you should keep are your active projects, papers to be referenced in the future, and anything you must keep for legal purposes.
It's probably time to grab another large garbage bag maybe two or three more, but keep dumping.
Don't forget those old newspaper clippings, appraisal journals, MLS searches, and email printouts. Most are probably outdated by now, but even if they aren't, they will be over the next day or two. Again, if you see one or two that you desperately want to keep, that's fine. Just don't keep forty-two!
5. Toss! Toss! Toss! Now you're down to those final items that are not paper. This includes that old, grimy coffee cup, random office supplies, dead batteries, and widgets or cables that you can't even identify what they go to any more. You might want to designate a "Technology Recycle" box for those items that can be donated or dropped off at your local recycling center. Locally we have one that has a special area for fax machines, computer monitors, software, phones, etc.
6. Take a break and hit the office supply story : Time for lunch. Go out and get something to eat! While you're out, consiser purchasing the following:
- A new multiple outlet power supply to eliminate that tangle of extension cords
- An inexpensive sheet fed 4-in-1 scanner, printer, copier (under $150)
- A battery powered Dymo or Brother file label printer
- Fresh manila files (organizing current papers and workfiles)
- A vertical file holder (a tiered wire file holder)
- A supply of writable CDs or DVD disks (for backups)
- Do you need a new cordless phone system? A second flat panel display?
- Do you want to consider a wireless network (Internet) system?
7. Time to reorganize: When you return, it's time to reorganize the stuff you're keeping. Hopefully, it's just a very small pile. Most of the things from your desk should probably be in the trashcan.
Categorize and organize your everyday files into your new folders. Label each clearly. Place these folders in your brand new vertical file sorter.
Personally I like to use mine for active appraisal "work files". I staple the order to the front of the manila folder and then put all the temporary paper (field notes, printouts, etc.) in the folder.
Those papers that are not your everyday papers should go into your filing cabinet.
8. Where to put things: Before you start putting all of your office equipment back on TOP of your desk think about "how you work". Consider moving some of your equipment under your desk (computer CPU, power supply, printers).
I purchased several "knocked down" shoe organizers from Lowe's for organizing under-the-counter equipment. These are wood laminate shelves that can be configured right-side-up or down, depending on the equipment you plan to place on them.
Mine have two shelves. One for the printer, and the second for holding paper or supplies. Putting my laser and inkjet printer BELOW the counter lets me have lots more workspace on TOP!
As you start putting your monitors, phones, and other devices on your desk, be sure to give your self plenty of free-space. If you have an office network, you can share printers and even other hard drives. You don't need to have a printer at each work station.
Throw out those pencils that have shrunken to minuscule bits and those pens that don't write. If you have room for some office supplies in your desk, designate one of the drawers and place them inside. If not, supplies should be placed in a supplies cabinet. Your Day-planner or PDA can now be placed on your desk. 
9. What not to put on your desk: OK, we're in the finishing stretch! Anything else you've come across that you haven't tossed, but I haven't mentioned above, should probably not be stored on or in your desk. Personally, I know that I cannot have a "In Basket" on my desk. Every time I've ever had one, I immediately started piling stuff in it. As soon as I took it away, I returned to putting things into their proper file folder - in a drawer!
Computer manuals belong on a shelf in your office, not your desk. Set up your computer disks and CD-Roms in a "holder" or in hanging files. I have one file drawer designated just for current software manuals and software. I have small clear plastic bins in my "Appraisal Closet" for miscellaneous technology stuff (cables, power supplies, etc). Every couple of years I purge those. I mean, just how long am I going to hang on to that broken Kodak DC40 anyway??
10. Promise yourself: Congratulations! You must feel great. In the future, schedule at least 15 minutes at the end of each day clearing off your desk. Don't leave your office unless you've done so. Make a solemn vow. Promise yourself never to let your desk disappear again. Good work! 
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