10 Times to Hire a Professional Organizer
This pro can help you with tough projects and keep you on track during transitions
Laura Gaskill
March 8, 2021
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Wondering if it’s time to hire a professional organizer? This pro is trained to set up spaces that function smoothly and efficiently, eliminate clutter, create filing systems and teach you processes and solutions you can rely on to stay on track after he or she leaves. If you are going through a major life transition that’s left your home in disarray, have a big move in your future or are simply overwhelmed by clutter, a professional organizer could provide the help you need to create a more peaceful, spacious home. Here are 10 times it makes sense to lean on the expertise of an organizing pro to get your space in shape.
1. You Want to Get Organized but Are Short on Time
There’s no doubt about it: Decluttering and organizing — whether a single room or an entire house — are time-consuming. And even when you are finally able to devote a chunk of time to your organizing project, it’s all too easy to lose momentum along the way, leaving your space unfinished.
So if “get organized” has been on your to-do list for years, consider whether this is the time to finally make something happen. A professional organizer can guide you through the decluttering process in a timely way, help handle the removal of unwanted items and select just the right organizing systems to make the most of your refreshed space.
Find a professional organizer on Houzz
There’s no doubt about it: Decluttering and organizing — whether a single room or an entire house — are time-consuming. And even when you are finally able to devote a chunk of time to your organizing project, it’s all too easy to lose momentum along the way, leaving your space unfinished.
So if “get organized” has been on your to-do list for years, consider whether this is the time to finally make something happen. A professional organizer can guide you through the decluttering process in a timely way, help handle the removal of unwanted items and select just the right organizing systems to make the most of your refreshed space.
Find a professional organizer on Houzz
2. You’re Moving
Hiring a professional organizer to help before, during or after a move can be a lifesaver. Leading up to a move, an organizing pro can help declutter and organize your home, making it easier to stage — which can in turn help attract potential buyers, and perhaps even help your home fetch a higher price. Paring back before moving also means less weight and less space in the moving truck, which equates to a less costly move, something that can have a significant financial impact, especially if you’re moving long-distance. Finally, an organizer can help you unpack your belongings in your new home and set up systems so you’re organized from the get-go.
The All-in-One-Place Guide to Selling Your Home and Moving
Hiring a professional organizer to help before, during or after a move can be a lifesaver. Leading up to a move, an organizing pro can help declutter and organize your home, making it easier to stage — which can in turn help attract potential buyers, and perhaps even help your home fetch a higher price. Paring back before moving also means less weight and less space in the moving truck, which equates to a less costly move, something that can have a significant financial impact, especially if you’re moving long-distance. Finally, an organizer can help you unpack your belongings in your new home and set up systems so you’re organized from the get-go.
The All-in-One-Place Guide to Selling Your Home and Moving
3. You’re Remodeling
Remodeling requires a significant investment of time and money. Make the most of it by hiring a professional organizer to optimize every shelf, cupboard and drawer so that your new space functions as beautifully as it looks. Because as much as we’d like to believe that our gorgeous new kitchen will never have piles of clutter on the counters, the truth is that without a plan, we’ll just fall back on our old (messy) habits. An organizer can make sure your space is set up in a way that encourages order, so it’s easier to keep things neat, even months or years down the road.
A Professional Organizer on What to Consider Before You Remodel
Remodeling requires a significant investment of time and money. Make the most of it by hiring a professional organizer to optimize every shelf, cupboard and drawer so that your new space functions as beautifully as it looks. Because as much as we’d like to believe that our gorgeous new kitchen will never have piles of clutter on the counters, the truth is that without a plan, we’ll just fall back on our old (messy) habits. An organizer can make sure your space is set up in a way that encourages order, so it’s easier to keep things neat, even months or years down the road.
A Professional Organizer on What to Consider Before You Remodel
4. You Work or Run a Business From Home
Whether you telecommute one day each week or run a business from home full time, staying organized can help you stay at the top of your game. A professional organizer can help you rein in a messy home office, organize files and paperwork and set up your space to best support your business.
The Top 15 Home Office Photos of 2018
Whether you telecommute one day each week or run a business from home full time, staying organized can help you stay at the top of your game. A professional organizer can help you rein in a messy home office, organize files and paperwork and set up your space to best support your business.
The Top 15 Home Office Photos of 2018
5. You’re in a Major Life Transition
When big life stuff is happening — health challenges, the death of a loved one, divorce, the arrival of a new baby, aging parents — the last thing you may want to focus on is your home. And yet when you have other things going on that leave you without the physical or emotional energy to keep your home life running smoothly, that only adds to the stress and chaos. A professional organizer can help bring a sense of order to your home when you need it most. Here are just a few ways this pro can help out in a trying time:
When big life stuff is happening — health challenges, the death of a loved one, divorce, the arrival of a new baby, aging parents — the last thing you may want to focus on is your home. And yet when you have other things going on that leave you without the physical or emotional energy to keep your home life running smoothly, that only adds to the stress and chaos. A professional organizer can help bring a sense of order to your home when you need it most. Here are just a few ways this pro can help out in a trying time:
- Organize baby gear for new parents
- Help aging parents who need to downsize
- Help you sort and organize a deceased loved one’s belongings
- Get a fresh start and reclaim your space after a divorce
6. Your Papers Are a Complete Disaster
Are piles of unsorted papers the bane of your existence? Instead of putting off organizing them (yet again) consider getting a pro to help you sort through them. A professional organizer can help you discern which papers need to be kept and which can be safely discarded, and then set up a paper management system that works for you — so you can stay organized, hopefully for good.
Avoid the Great Paper Pileup
Are piles of unsorted papers the bane of your existence? Instead of putting off organizing them (yet again) consider getting a pro to help you sort through them. A professional organizer can help you discern which papers need to be kept and which can be safely discarded, and then set up a paper management system that works for you — so you can stay organized, hopefully for good.
Avoid the Great Paper Pileup
7. One Space Is Driving You Nuts
Even if you don’t mind sorting through your own pantry and desk drawers, there might still be one space in your home that just feels uncleanable. It could be the garage, attic or basement — or even a storage unit you’ve been renting for so long that you hardly remember what’s in it. But a professional organizer is not fazed by overstuffed spaces! The right pro can help you tackle even the most daunting storage area and transform it into a functional space you can be proud of.
How to Make Your Garage a Storage Powerhouse
Even if you don’t mind sorting through your own pantry and desk drawers, there might still be one space in your home that just feels uncleanable. It could be the garage, attic or basement — or even a storage unit you’ve been renting for so long that you hardly remember what’s in it. But a professional organizer is not fazed by overstuffed spaces! The right pro can help you tackle even the most daunting storage area and transform it into a functional space you can be proud of.
How to Make Your Garage a Storage Powerhouse
8. You Want to Make Everyday Tasks Easier
Proper organization can go a long way toward making everyday tasks and routines run more smoothly. If you want to eat more healthfully or cook more meals at home, a professional organizer can whip your fridge and pantry into shape, making it easier to find ingredients and prepare meals. An organizing pro can also help create a neat laundry room, streamline cleaning supplies and set up smart routines and systems to make your household run more efficiently, so you can spend your time doing more of what you want to be doing and less time managing your stuff.
Proper organization can go a long way toward making everyday tasks and routines run more smoothly. If you want to eat more healthfully or cook more meals at home, a professional organizer can whip your fridge and pantry into shape, making it easier to find ingredients and prepare meals. An organizing pro can also help create a neat laundry room, streamline cleaning supplies and set up smart routines and systems to make your household run more efficiently, so you can spend your time doing more of what you want to be doing and less time managing your stuff.
9. You Need Accountability
If you really want to get organized but you’re just not getting it done on your own, accountability could be the missing piece. The great thing about hiring an organizing pro (aside from the work he or she will do while in your space) is that this person also acts as a sort of built-in accountability check. Simply knowing that your pro will be checking up on your progress can be enough to spur you into action between visits.
Get the Organizing Help You Need (Finally!)
If you really want to get organized but you’re just not getting it done on your own, accountability could be the missing piece. The great thing about hiring an organizing pro (aside from the work he or she will do while in your space) is that this person also acts as a sort of built-in accountability check. Simply knowing that your pro will be checking up on your progress can be enough to spur you into action between visits.
Get the Organizing Help You Need (Finally!)
10. You’re Totally Overwhelmed
If clutter is taking over your home and you just can’t take it anymore, an organizing pro can immediately begin to ease your burden. You don’t need to feel embarrassed by the state of your home; most professional organizers really have seen it all. And if you have contributing factors that make it especially challenging to get or stay organized — like hoarding issues or a diagnosis of ADHD — a seasoned pro can help tailor organizing systems for you so they are as easy to use and maintain as possible.
Your turn: Have you worked with an organizing pro you loved? Share in the Comments what made the experience work well for you.
More 10 Times to Hire
Architect | Builder | Closet Designer | Color Consultant | Contractor | Design-Build Firm | Interior Designer | Kitchen Designer | Landscape Architect | Landscape Contractor | Professional Organizer
More on Houzz
Living With Less: Do You Have Too Much Stuff?
How to Work With a Professional Organizer
Get design ideas
Find a professional organizer in the Houzz pro directory
Browse products
If clutter is taking over your home and you just can’t take it anymore, an organizing pro can immediately begin to ease your burden. You don’t need to feel embarrassed by the state of your home; most professional organizers really have seen it all. And if you have contributing factors that make it especially challenging to get or stay organized — like hoarding issues or a diagnosis of ADHD — a seasoned pro can help tailor organizing systems for you so they are as easy to use and maintain as possible.
Your turn: Have you worked with an organizing pro you loved? Share in the Comments what made the experience work well for you.
More 10 Times to Hire
Architect | Builder | Closet Designer | Color Consultant | Contractor | Design-Build Firm | Interior Designer | Kitchen Designer | Landscape Architect | Landscape Contractor | Professional Organizer
More on Houzz
Living With Less: Do You Have Too Much Stuff?
How to Work With a Professional Organizer
Get design ideas
Find a professional organizer in the Houzz pro directory
Browse products
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@ Webado Webada, wishing you all the best in this endeavor! Such a reality in the 21st century for those of us around retirement age. I would at least tell your son he has a deadline for taking care of his stuff even if you can't get hubby to get busy. You may have to make life uncomfortable for awhile by forcing the issue.
My hubby has a workbench in the garage still in the box and never set up, and tons of stuff to organize -- we need to build shelving desperately! For us it's a matter of finding the time and money and not being overwhelmed. A lot of stuff in the garage just needs a dumpster and getting one in here is down the road sometime, maybe this spring. But his disorganization is as bad as mine. Plus we are people who just don't get things done very quickly. Sigh.
When his mom had some relatives help clean out Dad's garage, she forgot that these people had stolen stuff from her before and sure enough they helped themselves to some scrap metal and other things. One thing that went missing was an antique anvil that a beloved great uncle had passed on to my husband. She and he both grouse about that missing anvil, which admittedly may have been worth money but had much more sentimental value. They can't prove it was stolen but it's missing and theft seems obvious. I am not a sentimental person much at all, certainly not where his family is concerned, and my take on it is, what the heck would you do with it if you had it? It will never be used for anything and will just take up space and be decluttered by some descendant down the road. But of course I've never said this to him or his mom!
Oh dear! An anvil .... Well it can be good for holding together whatever you need to glue such as shoes and soles .... I prefer to just dump broken shoes LOL. My dad would have kept it .... LOL
We solved the issue of shelving in the garage by buying PVC shelf units from Costco - big, sturdy, easy to put together in just a few minutes and not expensive at all, at least not expensive several years ago at around $30 for each 5-shelf unit. I got those one day when I was fed up with boxes and junk eating up the garage floor. Mind you, getting the shelving is one thing, decluttering the junk is quite another. And so it happened that much of the clutter ended up on the shelves pending future decluttering sprees ;)
As for dumpster, we didn't get that. Instead we called 1-800-got-junk and they hauled all the discarded stuff away. Yes, it can be pricey, but they are really quick and will take everything from wherever it is, that you just point out. So we also cleared a lot of the junk from the basement without having to haul it upstairs ourselves, as well as around the yard and from the shed.
Organization is my super power! ;-) With that said, my super powers only work in my house with my stuff! I think everyone needs to organize their own life otherwise you may never know where anything is ;-p Also, I recommend tackling one thing at a time? baby steps as it were, it can be overwhelming if you have let things go!