Creating a Functional Archival System
 

During the past year, I’ve come to realize that one of the most challenging areas of the home to organize and keep organized is the Home Office. It should come as no surprise since the majority of calls we receive are to organize Home Offices. The real validation received comes from the many book signings and discussions I have participated in for my book “Eliminate Chaos…The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life.”

“Eliminate Chaos” contains six real-life case studies of projects that were completed for the book. At each book discussion, I ask for a show of hands to determine which chapter we should discuss. Consistently the number of hands to discuss the Home Office chapter outweighs all of the other chapters – combined.  Whether your Home Office is a dedicated space in your home, a corner of your kitchen or a shared space in another room of your house – there is one thing they all have in common: the need for an archival system for files that are not currently needed, but must be kept.

Here are a few reasons why you might want to set up an archival system
 

1. Your current filing space is not large enough to hold current and older records.,
    
2. A life event such as a divorce or death in the family has resulted in a lot of extra paper work that you need to keep, but do not need easy access to.
    
3. You want to keep all tax returns and supporting documentation together but do not need these taking up valuable space in your filing cabinets.

Can you think of other files that you do not need access to on an on-going basis, yet still need to retain? If so, these files are also candidates for an archival system. As you begin to gather documents for your tax return, spend a few minutes to assess your current storage and what you are storing. Could you benefit from archiving some of these records and freeing up some space for new files you’ll add to your system this year? If the answer is yes, here are a few tips that will help you:

1. There are two types of files that are typically archived – those that you can attach a “destroy date” to and those that you can not. An example of something with a destroy date might be your tax returns and supporting documentation.

2. Clear plastic banker’s boxes are an excellent choice for archiving files that no longer fit in your everyday filing space. You can purchase these at your local office supply or organizing store for about $12. These boxes can accommodate letter and legal files. You can also use hanging files inside the box. I prefer these to the cardboard type – as they last longer and hold their shape.

3. Create an “Index.” This list is something you could store on your computer or in a hanging file in the front of your filing drawer – to help remind you of the files you need to remove on a yearly basis. This will help you free up space for the next year.

4. When selecting a location to store your archived files, consider the climate in your area. Many choose to store these files in a basement, garage, attic or storage unit. The last thing you want to have happen is for your files to become wet, moldy or have rodents chew through the box! (Yes, I’ve seen this happen!) This is just one more great reason for storing files in plastic, rather than cardboard – you’ll be glad you spent the few extra dollars.

5. If you have a lot of files to archive, consider breaking them down into categories and using one box per category. For example – you may choose one box for taxes, one for paperwork related to a divorce, one for old client files, etc… By labeling each box on the front, it will be easy to locate the box, should you need to access it quickly.

6. Do yourself a favor and resist the urge to pull files out of your existing system and archive them without taking a quick look. Could you be archiving files just to free up space? If the answer is yes, you’re better off to determine now if you really need to store them or not – it will be easier to make that decision now, rather than in the years to come.

7. Ensure that family members know the storage location of the documents you have archived – just in case they need to access them.