How Long Will It Take?
That is always the $24M question isn't it! There are many factors involved in how long your project will take, but the single most important factor is how long it takes you to make decisions during the process. As a general reference, I have included some estimations below.
The time it takes to complete an organizing project depends on the existing level of clutter, if the organizer is working on their own, or as a team alongside the client.
The time estimates that follow are just that - estimates. However, they are based on actual organizing times that organizers have spent on various projects. I have posted them to assist potential clients with booking appointments. Minimum of 3 hours still apply per session. No additional time over the scheduled appointment hours will be worked and charged without prior approval of the client.
Finally, all estimates are based on my working solo and getting the areas to an organized and BASIC clean level. For deep or regular cleaning of spaces, I can refer you to a fantastic house-cleaning service.
AREA / ROOM-BY-ROOM ORGANIZING ESTIMATES
SMALL-MEDIUM CLOSET 1-4 hours
MEDIUM-LARGE CLOSET 3-6 hours
HIS & HERS WALK-IN CLOSET 4-8 hours
MIXED PILE OF PAPERWORK, MAIL, & DOCS (that fills, say, a laundry basket or 3/4 of a medium-sized white garbage bag) 2 hours to pre-sort, <1-2 hours to file away and/or shred
SMALL ROOM / STORAGE / CRAFT AREA - NO CLOSET (~90-110 s/f) 2-6 hours
LARGE CRAFT AREA / ART ROOM 12-24 hours
MEDIUM-SIZED ROOM / STORAGE AREA (~120+ s/f) 4-10 hours
LARGE STORAGE AREA OR 2 CAR GARAGE (~200-300 s/f) 10-16 hours
MEDIUM-SIZED BASEMENT (~400 s/f, combo finished/unfinished) 14-20 hours
SMALL-MEDIUM HOME OFFICE (DEPENDS ON PAPERWORK, IF ANY) 4-16 hours
LARGE HOME OFFICE (DEPENDS ON PAPERWORK, IF ANY) 6-30 hours
SMALL / GALLEY KITCHEN 2-6 hours
MEDIUM KITCHEN (NO ISLAND) 4-8 hours
LARGE KITCHEN (ISLAND/EAT-IN) 6-12 hours
VERY SMALL-TO-SMALL PANTRY 1-4 hours*
LARGE / WALK-IN PANTRY 4-8 hours*
MED.-LRG. BATHROOM CABINETS/DRAWERS/OPEN SHELVES/COUNTERS 2-4 hours
SINGLE DOOR FRIDGE (CLEANED & ORGANIZED) 1-2 hours
DOUBLE DOOR FRIDGE (CLEANED & ORGANIZED) 2-3 hours
*Kitchens and pantries are separate work areas, as are closets and bedrooms.
Specific things that may extend time towards the higher end of (or possibly over) these posted estimates are:
-An excess amount of clothing that must also be sorted, folded, hung up and/or put into into designated closet/drawer areas vs. organizing any existing closet/drawer contents. Example, your drawers and closets are full of stuff and you have extra storage bins in the room or area that must also be dealt with.
-An excess amount of boxes, bags, or storage containers with mixed/random items that must be pre-sorted and grouped before being organized within the area and/or relocated elsewhere.
-An excess amount of paperwork/documents/files/receipts that must be separately sorted, purged, filed away, and/or shredded.
-Extra dirty rooms, areas, or items that cannot be dealt with and organized properly due to caked on dust, excess spillage, dried spillage, hard grease, garbage strewn about, etc.
-A high volume of women's clothing and accessories. Women's wearables tend to be more varied in style and variety. Many women also tend to own more of both than men.
-If your rooms or spaces are stacked and packed to the gills with limited walk-around room due to years or decades of accumulated clutter, please understand your organizing will take longer that the posted estimates. You may also need more than one person onsite to complete your project in a more timely fashion. Extra organizing help and heavy duty disposal (dumpster, haul away, etc.) can possibly be arranged with advanced notice.
-Be advised that cleaning and organizing are two completely separate activities. Organizing takes additional time because it involves delving INSIDE boxes, closets, drawers, storage bins, etc.and handling a multitude of additional items. This is in addition to sorting through and categorizing items that exist on other OUTSIDE surfaces such as floors, counters, and tabletops in mixed, random, and cluttered form.
The time it takes to complete an organizing project depends on the existing level of clutter, if the organizer is working on their own, or as a team alongside the client.
The time estimates that follow are just that - estimates. However, they are based on actual organizing times that organizers have spent on various projects. I have posted them to assist potential clients with booking appointments. Minimum of 3 hours still apply per session. No additional time over the scheduled appointment hours will be worked and charged without prior approval of the client.
Finally, all estimates are based on my working solo and getting the areas to an organized and BASIC clean level. For deep or regular cleaning of spaces, I can refer you to a fantastic house-cleaning service.
AREA / ROOM-BY-ROOM ORGANIZING ESTIMATES
SMALL-MEDIUM CLOSET 1-4 hours
MEDIUM-LARGE CLOSET 3-6 hours
HIS & HERS WALK-IN CLOSET 4-8 hours
MIXED PILE OF PAPERWORK, MAIL, & DOCS (that fills, say, a laundry basket or 3/4 of a medium-sized white garbage bag) 2 hours to pre-sort, <1-2 hours to file away and/or shred
SMALL ROOM / STORAGE / CRAFT AREA - NO CLOSET (~90-110 s/f) 2-6 hours
LARGE CRAFT AREA / ART ROOM 12-24 hours
MEDIUM-SIZED ROOM / STORAGE AREA (~120+ s/f) 4-10 hours
LARGE STORAGE AREA OR 2 CAR GARAGE (~200-300 s/f) 10-16 hours
MEDIUM-SIZED BASEMENT (~400 s/f, combo finished/unfinished) 14-20 hours
SMALL-MEDIUM HOME OFFICE (DEPENDS ON PAPERWORK, IF ANY) 4-16 hours
LARGE HOME OFFICE (DEPENDS ON PAPERWORK, IF ANY) 6-30 hours
SMALL / GALLEY KITCHEN 2-6 hours
MEDIUM KITCHEN (NO ISLAND) 4-8 hours
LARGE KITCHEN (ISLAND/EAT-IN) 6-12 hours
VERY SMALL-TO-SMALL PANTRY 1-4 hours*
LARGE / WALK-IN PANTRY 4-8 hours*
MED.-LRG. BATHROOM CABINETS/DRAWERS/OPEN SHELVES/COUNTERS 2-4 hours
SINGLE DOOR FRIDGE (CLEANED & ORGANIZED) 1-2 hours
DOUBLE DOOR FRIDGE (CLEANED & ORGANIZED) 2-3 hours
*Kitchens and pantries are separate work areas, as are closets and bedrooms.
Specific things that may extend time towards the higher end of (or possibly over) these posted estimates are:
-An excess amount of clothing that must also be sorted, folded, hung up and/or put into into designated closet/drawer areas vs. organizing any existing closet/drawer contents. Example, your drawers and closets are full of stuff and you have extra storage bins in the room or area that must also be dealt with.
-An excess amount of boxes, bags, or storage containers with mixed/random items that must be pre-sorted and grouped before being organized within the area and/or relocated elsewhere.
-An excess amount of paperwork/documents/files/receipts that must be separately sorted, purged, filed away, and/or shredded.
-Extra dirty rooms, areas, or items that cannot be dealt with and organized properly due to caked on dust, excess spillage, dried spillage, hard grease, garbage strewn about, etc.
-A high volume of women's clothing and accessories. Women's wearables tend to be more varied in style and variety. Many women also tend to own more of both than men.
-If your rooms or spaces are stacked and packed to the gills with limited walk-around room due to years or decades of accumulated clutter, please understand your organizing will take longer that the posted estimates. You may also need more than one person onsite to complete your project in a more timely fashion. Extra organizing help and heavy duty disposal (dumpster, haul away, etc.) can possibly be arranged with advanced notice.
-Be advised that cleaning and organizing are two completely separate activities. Organizing takes additional time because it involves delving INSIDE boxes, closets, drawers, storage bins, etc.and handling a multitude of additional items. This is in addition to sorting through and categorizing items that exist on other OUTSIDE surfaces such as floors, counters, and tabletops in mixed, random, and cluttered form.
How Long To Sort & Put Away Laundry?
It will typically take 15-20 minutes to sort, fold, put away/hang up one large basket (the rectangular, easily carried by two hands kind) or standard-sized hamper full of clean laundry.
If you require dirty laundry to be presorted, loaded, and unloaded for washing and drying, add approximately 10 minutes per basket/hamper/load.
Bear in mind that laundry services can ultimately be affected by the types and number of items being washed and how long items will take to dry (heavy woven or carpeted rugs, tons of small baby and child socks, thick comforters, and large towels take longer).
The logistics of gathering up dirty laundry, where your laundry room is located, and where the final clean, sorted, folded and/or ready to hang laundry is set to go afterwards also needs to be considered towards the total time spent.
It will typically take 15-20 minutes to sort, fold, put away/hang up one large basket (the rectangular, easily carried by two hands kind) or standard-sized hamper full of clean laundry.
If you require dirty laundry to be presorted, loaded, and unloaded for washing and drying, add approximately 10 minutes per basket/hamper/load.
Bear in mind that laundry services can ultimately be affected by the types and number of items being washed and how long items will take to dry (heavy woven or carpeted rugs, tons of small baby and child socks, thick comforters, and large towels take longer).
The logistics of gathering up dirty laundry, where your laundry room is located, and where the final clean, sorted, folded and/or ready to hang laundry is set to go afterwards also needs to be considered towards the total time spent.
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