Frequently Asked Questions

What is a professional organizer?
We are trained professionals who can help you create customized systems and solutions for all of your residential, home office and business needs. We also teach you as we go the skills that are necessary to help you maintain these solutions once we have completed your reorganization Our services are non judgmental and strictly confidential. Don’t forget, what you consider cluttered and unmanageable, we consider a challenge to be met and mastered in an enjoyable way for all involved.
Why should I hire a professional organizer?
The answer is easy. Professional Organizers bring ideas for organizing that you probably hadn’t thought of before and that are tailored to fit your home or business. Organizers help you increase your efficiency, save you time, and restore peace of mind. Working with a Professional Organizer can make the process stress free and fun because while you may not enjoy the thought of tackling that big project, we enjoy it knowing how much better you will feel when we are finished.
Should organizers belong to a professional organization?
Most Professional Organizers belong to the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and adhere to very strict standards of professional conduct. NAPO is a non-profit professional association whose members offer a wide range of skills including organizing consultants, speakers, authors, and manufacturers of organizing products.
The NAPO Website
How does an organizing session work?
It is impossible to state in advance how long a project will take because the time required depends on how much “stuff” you have, how quickly you sort and make decisions, and how much space is available for the items that remain. An individual organizing session is generally 2-4 hours long, and the number of sessions required depends on the overall size of the project. Each session is custom designed for each client. While sessions vary, the process of how to get to the end result does not.
Who hires professional organizers?
Anyone can benefit from hiring a Professional Organizer including anyone with limited personal time, those struggling with chronic disorganization, parents of small children, adults looking to downsize, small businesses and persons with home offices etc.
I am embarrassed to have people see my clutter. Will the organizer be appalled at my mess?
A Professional Organizer will not be shocked by your space. Attacking disorder and bringing it to order is what we love to do. All work is always done with respect for the client’s privacy; it is part of the Code of Ethics for our professional organization (NAPO).
What should I do to prepare for your first visit to my home?
You do not need to prepare for me. It will be helpful to my assessment to see your home or office as it is. That way we can determine what isn’t working for you, and create a plan to fix it.
Will you make me throw all of my stuff away?
No I won’t, but I will help you define those things that are most important to you. Through asking you questions, I can help you view your “stuff” differently. As you learn to let go it will become so much easier. I will always let you make the final decision on what stays, and what goes.
What will I do with my unwanted items?
There are many groups who will either come to your house to pick up or will take donations at their own locations. I will provide a list of these organizations (you can also find a short list on my resources page). There are also options like; garage sales, Internet auction sites and for really big stuff, dumpsters for hire.
Once I am organized, what will keep everything from falling into disorder again?
Part of a Professional Organizers job is to transfer organizing skills to you. I will be teaching you organizing basics as we work through your project together. When you have completed your project, given the custom-tailored nature of your organizing system and coaching you have received from me, you should be able to keep up the new system yourself. Some clients like to have their organizer back for periodic “tune-ups”, but that is not required and is completely up to you.
How do professionals organizers charge for their services?
I generally discuss the client’s needs over the phone first and ask questions from my general assessment form. This will be followed by a meeting with the client and a physical assessment of the target area. This will allow me to come up with a plan for your space. I will then be able to give you an estimate of the time it will take to accomplish the project charging by the hour. In some cases, depending on the project I may charge a flat fee instead.