After years of managing large houses, I have found that one of the best tools for organizing your house is a house book or what I call a 411 home book. What is a 411 home book? It is simply a book that contains all your important house information in one location. How many times have you searched in a myriad of drawers or files for different info? This, for me, is the simplest way to organize your family stuff.

 

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I like to use a three-ring binder so I can add and make changes easily. I use page dividers with tabs for the different areas of the home. I put the pages in plastic page protectors, which gives the pages a little longer life. I prefer to keep the binder thickness under two inches so it's not too bulky. Small homes work well with a one-inch binder.

The information should be neat and easy to read. Either print or type up the information. Try to stay away from fancy lettering or fonts — when you're in a rush, you don't want to spend time figuring what the information is.

I divide the binder into different sections:

Important Telephone Numbers — this section includes the telephone numbers for the local police station, fire department, nearest hospital, alarm company, patrol company, family members' work & cell phones, vet and other important family numbers.

Emergency Information — Very Important! Directions and map to the nearest hospital and vet. The location of all your gas, water, electric shut offs/boxes and emergency or first aid kit. Photograph the locations, write the directions and put in the binder. Digital cameras have made this section very easy.

Important Lists — this usually is a roster of names and telephone numbers you have, i.e., school directory, club list, employee list, etc. Remember as you update to put the most current date on top. The older list is thrown out or kept for a period of time.

Computer Info — Yep, if you have a computer or even a network of computers, this is where you keep your POP & SMTP info, passwords (although that can be debatable), account numbers, how to get mail, router info and whatever pertinent info you may need. I find I use this page a lot as the computer goes down a bit more than I'd like it to.

Vendor List — this includes the names, telephone numbers, contact person, your account number of all the vendors for your home, i.e., plumbers, electrician, cable, lawn, phone company, alarm, pool, dry cleaners, insurances (house, health, car, boat, life, etc.), heating, air conditioning, florist, etc. I also add any important car contacts to this list.

Maintenance Schedule — this is the time line for maintenance services within your home, i.e., date of last service, date of next service.

Grocery List — this is your basic grocery list that includes the items, brand and stores to purchase your groceries. As you run out of things, you just check them on the list. Anyone in the household can shop for the groceries. I also have a Costco/Sam's Club list of all the bulk shopping items. No one wants to go to a big box store more than once a month.

Housekeeper Duties or Family Duties — this includes the daily/weekly/monthly routine of your housekeeper/kids/husband/wife's responsibilities. This helps with "it's not my job". It keeps the communication open and clear.

Cleaning Directions — this is the cleaning instruction and/or product name for that special piece of furniture, marble, granite etc.

Favorite Restaurant — is a list of your favorite restaurants with telephone numbers, business hours and the contact person (owner, maitre' d, waiter).

Favorite Take-Out Menu — is a collection of all your favorite menus.

I like to keep this book in the kitchen near a phone. Large homes will need a book in other areas of the house — even small homes may want to keep a spare in the master bedroom. I decorate the outside of the book so it adds to the decor of the kitchen. It's also fun for the kids to decorate the book.

Once you have the book together, you'll be surprised how much you'll use it.

 

 

About Miss Laurie

Miss Laurie is Laurie Kilpatrick. A native of Los Angeles, California, Laurie is trained in theatre and has appeared in movies and television, as well as having over twenty years of experience managing staff in restaurants, large homes and celebrity estates. Her background in show business has helped her in managing her high profile clientele. She has produced a video — Miss Laurie's Smart Guide to House Cleaning — to help others clean smarter.