OPTIONS
Option 1: If you want a DO IT ALL FOR ME session and are overwhelmed by tackling anything or just want someone else to completely take care of everything, then stop reading here, leave everything just as it is and Contact me to get started!
Option 2: If you feel motivated and comfortable tackling some prep work on your own or wish to save some $$ and time, then keep reading...
********************************************
Ways Maximize Your Time and Budget With A Home Organizer
Sometimes your available time and budget has limits and a flexible organizer will understand and accommodate you to the best of their ability. Be sure to discuss any kind of modified or desired attack plan before your appointment to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Maximize Your Organizer's Time & Your Dollars (after Initial Consultation)
First, just a reminder that I need to see your space AS IT IS on the Initial Consultation/Needs Assessment so nothing needs to be done prior to this
Upon the first, and all other sessions, the time starts ticking as soon as I get to your front door. Please be ready to meet and discuss your project and needs when I arrive. An assessment of the project(s) at hand for the days session should usually take no more than 10-15 minutes. I like to get started as soon as possible to obtain the best results for you.
If you have a limited budget, whether you hire me or someone else, you can do one or more of the following to maximize your organizing session(s) and dollars:
-Commit to spending part of the session helping the organizer readily identify items that should be purged, relocated, donated, trashed, etc. This can be during the initial "identify & sort" stage or right after.
-Do as much pre-sorting of items into groups as you feel able before your appointment. Gather all toys in one spot, all clothes in a pile, paperwork in another, stack all the books in a corner, etc.
-Similarly, you can also place the items (mixed or grouped in specific piles) in the room or area that is set to be organized. Example: all toys in the playroom, all tools in the garage, all of Little Angie's items in Little Angie's room. The less time I spend picking up random items from every room in the house and taking them to their designated areas or homes, the more time I can actually spend organizing them.
-Pick up and remove all obvious garbage. Stuff that can readily go in the trash makes for less needless stuff to man-handle. This also goes for expired items in the pantry or fridge.
-If you've hired your organizer for multiple sessions, try your best to follow through with any assigned "homework" or "target" activity in between appointments.
-PRE-PURGE! Seriously, this is half the battle --> getting rid of the obvious items you KNOW you do not need or want. It makes for less things to sort through and creates more space for the things you actually do want to keep. Muster up the courage to simply LET GO. It's quite freeing, really. If you think you may have difficulty, leave it for our session and we will sort it out together or contact me for a list of questions you can reference as you go through this pre-purging process.
-While I bring with me a basic stock of cleaning (non-toxic), labeling, storage, and disposal supplies, if you have specific preferences due to allergies, personal style, or eco-friendly sustainability, please have them ready for the areas we are going to tackle.
-If we will be working side-by-side on your project and you need to have the work/items managed in a certain way, plan to minimize distractions as much as possible on the day of your appointment. This will keep the flow and progress going. Kids, pets, visitors, mobile devices, etc. all qualify in the distraction department.
-Provide me with a definitive list, or advise of specific directives, regarding things that should or should NOT be purged or relocated from the organizing area. This saves time in hunting you down or calling/texting you to get clarification if you are not in the home or working side-by-side as a team. In the same vein, if you are not working alongside me, please provide me with a list of PRIORITIES of where you would like me to start if we are working on more than one area.
-Breakables and irreplaceable valuables: Please put them up in a safe, out of the way place so as not to deal with any breakage, clean up, and potential heartache that can cut into your organizing time. Think along the lines of long fluorescent light bulbs and, say, that oversize and delicate blown glass heirloom piece you paid some serious coin for at auction.
-Decide ahead of time if you would like things looking/being more functional, accessible, and reasonably presentable vs. super perfect and staged for a magazine photo shoot. I can do things in a more basic manner if your time and budget are paramount.
Clothes:
Pre-sort the current season's items in a pile and the rest in another pile (to go into storage bins or another area to be pulled and switched out when the seasons change).
Clothes that are stained or damaged either need to go to Garbage Land, get repaired, or get re-purposed into cleaning rags, a craft project, or a Halloween costume, etc. It's the right thing to do.
You know what size you are right now, so pull the items that are simply too big, too small, or have never fit quite right. Whether you want to keep them in temporary or permanent storage somewhere or finally donate, sell, or give them away, just be sure to pull them from the mix of stuff that fits and looks good on you. If you're looking to fit back into something, pick just a few quality 'Dream Outfit' pieces to keep on hand.
Remove all the empty hangers from the rods in your closet(s). It makes closet organization a more efficient process, and it's usually one of the first things I do when organizing a closet.
Time Expectations:
Please don't assume the time an organizing session SHOULD take. Every home and clutter situation are different and the very last thing I want to do is not meet reasonable expectations. Please be sure to review the How Long Will It Take? page or provide as many details (or pictures) of the project(s) you are interested in tackling before booking an appointment. If you have a 3,000+ square foot home that needs decluttering and organizing in many areas and only want to book one 6 hour session, kindly revisit your expectations.
Plan B:
If you're normally a pretty organized person, or are someone who has a definitive idea of what things should go or stay, but have zero time to do it all, consider...
...seeking a hands-on residential labor person via Care.com, placing an ad in your local Craigslist Gigs section, or hiring an industrious young high school or college person for ~$10.00-$15.00 an hour if you have very tight budgetary constraints. Just be very cautious, of course. Take the steps to verify references and check the background and experience of whomever you decide to let into your home. It can be a very stressful thing to have a complete stranger handle your personal belongings and/or paperwork. Following directions is one thing, but the person you decide to hire should also trustworthy, efficient, and reliable. And, as the saying goes, sometimes you get what you pay for.
Option 1: If you want a DO IT ALL FOR ME session and are overwhelmed by tackling anything or just want someone else to completely take care of everything, then stop reading here, leave everything just as it is and Contact me to get started!
Option 2: If you feel motivated and comfortable tackling some prep work on your own or wish to save some $$ and time, then keep reading...
********************************************
Ways Maximize Your Time and Budget With A Home Organizer
Sometimes your available time and budget has limits and a flexible organizer will understand and accommodate you to the best of their ability. Be sure to discuss any kind of modified or desired attack plan before your appointment to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Maximize Your Organizer's Time & Your Dollars (after Initial Consultation)
First, just a reminder that I need to see your space AS IT IS on the Initial Consultation/Needs Assessment so nothing needs to be done prior to this
Upon the first, and all other sessions, the time starts ticking as soon as I get to your front door. Please be ready to meet and discuss your project and needs when I arrive. An assessment of the project(s) at hand for the days session should usually take no more than 10-15 minutes. I like to get started as soon as possible to obtain the best results for you.
If you have a limited budget, whether you hire me or someone else, you can do one or more of the following to maximize your organizing session(s) and dollars:
-Commit to spending part of the session helping the organizer readily identify items that should be purged, relocated, donated, trashed, etc. This can be during the initial "identify & sort" stage or right after.
-Do as much pre-sorting of items into groups as you feel able before your appointment. Gather all toys in one spot, all clothes in a pile, paperwork in another, stack all the books in a corner, etc.
-Similarly, you can also place the items (mixed or grouped in specific piles) in the room or area that is set to be organized. Example: all toys in the playroom, all tools in the garage, all of Little Angie's items in Little Angie's room. The less time I spend picking up random items from every room in the house and taking them to their designated areas or homes, the more time I can actually spend organizing them.
-Pick up and remove all obvious garbage. Stuff that can readily go in the trash makes for less needless stuff to man-handle. This also goes for expired items in the pantry or fridge.
-If you've hired your organizer for multiple sessions, try your best to follow through with any assigned "homework" or "target" activity in between appointments.
-PRE-PURGE! Seriously, this is half the battle --> getting rid of the obvious items you KNOW you do not need or want. It makes for less things to sort through and creates more space for the things you actually do want to keep. Muster up the courage to simply LET GO. It's quite freeing, really. If you think you may have difficulty, leave it for our session and we will sort it out together or contact me for a list of questions you can reference as you go through this pre-purging process.
-While I bring with me a basic stock of cleaning (non-toxic), labeling, storage, and disposal supplies, if you have specific preferences due to allergies, personal style, or eco-friendly sustainability, please have them ready for the areas we are going to tackle.
-If we will be working side-by-side on your project and you need to have the work/items managed in a certain way, plan to minimize distractions as much as possible on the day of your appointment. This will keep the flow and progress going. Kids, pets, visitors, mobile devices, etc. all qualify in the distraction department.
-Provide me with a definitive list, or advise of specific directives, regarding things that should or should NOT be purged or relocated from the organizing area. This saves time in hunting you down or calling/texting you to get clarification if you are not in the home or working side-by-side as a team. In the same vein, if you are not working alongside me, please provide me with a list of PRIORITIES of where you would like me to start if we are working on more than one area.
-Breakables and irreplaceable valuables: Please put them up in a safe, out of the way place so as not to deal with any breakage, clean up, and potential heartache that can cut into your organizing time. Think along the lines of long fluorescent light bulbs and, say, that oversize and delicate blown glass heirloom piece you paid some serious coin for at auction.
-Decide ahead of time if you would like things looking/being more functional, accessible, and reasonably presentable vs. super perfect and staged for a magazine photo shoot. I can do things in a more basic manner if your time and budget are paramount.
Clothes:
Pre-sort the current season's items in a pile and the rest in another pile (to go into storage bins or another area to be pulled and switched out when the seasons change).
Clothes that are stained or damaged either need to go to Garbage Land, get repaired, or get re-purposed into cleaning rags, a craft project, or a Halloween costume, etc. It's the right thing to do.
You know what size you are right now, so pull the items that are simply too big, too small, or have never fit quite right. Whether you want to keep them in temporary or permanent storage somewhere or finally donate, sell, or give them away, just be sure to pull them from the mix of stuff that fits and looks good on you. If you're looking to fit back into something, pick just a few quality 'Dream Outfit' pieces to keep on hand.
Remove all the empty hangers from the rods in your closet(s). It makes closet organization a more efficient process, and it's usually one of the first things I do when organizing a closet.
Time Expectations:
Please don't assume the time an organizing session SHOULD take. Every home and clutter situation are different and the very last thing I want to do is not meet reasonable expectations. Please be sure to review the How Long Will It Take? page or provide as many details (or pictures) of the project(s) you are interested in tackling before booking an appointment. If you have a 3,000+ square foot home that needs decluttering and organizing in many areas and only want to book one 6 hour session, kindly revisit your expectations.
Plan B:
If you're normally a pretty organized person, or are someone who has a definitive idea of what things should go or stay, but have zero time to do it all, consider...
...seeking a hands-on residential labor person via Care.com, placing an ad in your local Craigslist Gigs section, or hiring an industrious young high school or college person for ~$10.00-$15.00 an hour if you have very tight budgetary constraints. Just be very cautious, of course. Take the steps to verify references and check the background and experience of whomever you decide to let into your home. It can be a very stressful thing to have a complete stranger handle your personal belongings and/or paperwork. Following directions is one thing, but the person you decide to hire should also trustworthy, efficient, and reliable. And, as the saying goes, sometimes you get what you pay for.
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