Planning- Creating a Timeline - Part 3

In creating a plan you will need to determine your deadline, or the date that you want to have the project finished, and you will then need to do a little math.
You need to divide the time you have until the deadline into periods in which you will be doing the work, keeping in mind the size of the job and the days that you will have to work on it.

Let's say, for example, that your mother is in need of extra help and you have decided that you are going to move her in with you. You have lots of room in the walk-out basement to create a nice apartment, or you will once you remove all the boxes of papers, old toys, cast-off clothing, other flotsam and jetsome that has been accumulating over the past 20 or so years that you have lived in the house.

Your mother doesn't own her house, so you know that she will need to move before the lease is up in three months. You are going to have to get the basement cleaned out, and then do some work to make it ready such as painting, new flooring and repairs. You  will also need to move your mom's belongings into the space, so you really can't count on any of this space for storage. Most of the stuff has to go.

To give yourself time for refurbishing, say a month, your deadline for the cleanout is now two months out. Let's say it's March 1st right now, so you need to be done by May 1st.

Approximately eight weeks.

If you work full time you are realistically looking at having weekends to get the job done, which will be about 16 days, but there are going to be family obligations that need to be taken into account, so let's say you are going to have 10 good work days.

Now we are going to take stock of what is inhabiting the space in the basement and what needs to go.

You have a good idea of what is in the boxes bins and bags, generally, but you are still going to have to open each one, look inside, and see if it is something that you can donate outright or if it is going to have to be sifted through, as in the case of papers.

You can see three big bins that you know are full of old college books and papers. Probably not anything that you want to keep, but you know you need to look.
There are a dozen large black trash bags that took up residence when your daughter went off to college.
There are camping supplies on three shelves of a five shelf unit. Old paint and supplies on the top two. You can see something behind the shelves as well, but you aren't sure what to make of it.
There is broken furniture, chairs and a bed frame. The chairs are antique, so you need to think about whether or not to fix them. In the back room is an assembly of old sports equipment and memorabilia.  Some of that might be worth something.

All in all it is looking like it may indeed take several full days to go through it all, and the kids will have to come over and look through the stuff that they left, so that needs to be factored in.
Calling them and getting it on their radar needs to be one of the first things that you do. Add it to the plan. Set a deadline. If they don't come by that date, out it goes.

With that task out of the way, break the space up and decide where you will start. Now you can work through the space, around the room, corner to corner, or from one side to the other. Whatever seems the most efficient, just be sure that the days you have set aside are  used for the project.

Don't forget to call a hauler if you need to arrange for a large amount of trash hauling, and get donation trucks on the way by calling the charities that you know will send them. At least one per week.

Write down all of these details in a notebook or a document that you can access quickly and easily.
Microsoft OneNote or Google docs are two possibilities.
Note all the contact information and pricing for the haulers and donation trucks and be SURE to keep those donation receipts. They add up at tax time.
Use a calendar, paper or digital, to document the dates that you will be working and the things that need to happen in between.
Make a checklist that you can check off as you go and plan some relaxing activities at the end of the days that you work.

Steady and well planned work will yield the kind of progress that will allow you to welcome Mom home on time!