Personal Organizer

Hi J., to address your questions specifically ;

1- Professional Organizers do many things, and have different specialties.
The important thing to know is that they work with YOU to help you
achieve your goals, and address any specific challenges you might have.
You can go to www.napodfw.com to see a list of Organizers in your
area, and thier experience and specialities.

2-Your needs and your budget often determine how to go about it. If your entire home needs organizing but your budget can not cover your entire home, you can either focus on one room - or you can do a low-level sweep of the entire home- focusing on quick and easy decisions to be made in each room to make each room less overwhelming for you moving forward. This all depends on knowing your own "habits" that got you there, your biggest challenges you face, and your own goals. All of these factors are generally discussed at an initial consultation. At the end of the consultation there is an understanding and agreement of how you both feel is the best way to approach your home, and how you will best be able to move forward AFTER the organizer has left.

3- Yes, you can hire an organizer for just one area/room of a home.

4- Pricing varies, and is usually by the hour, but some organizers quote by the project. Organizers come in many levels of experience, expertise and specialities. Someone who is a new organizer, or does the work on the side, or just enjoys organizing- you can find in the <$25 range. Other Organizers have Professional Affliations with NAPO (national association of professional organizers) or have obtained certifications as an Organizer or Speciality Area such as Seniors, Hoarders, Relocation etc, participate in on-going training and education, and have substantial experience and resources are going to be in the $40-$75 range, or higher.

I hope that helps answer some of your questions. If you have other questions, I would be happy to answer them. I am a Professional Organizer and you can find me at www.organizedbysandy.com, or message me on Mamapedia :). You can also go to my blog and get some free tips that may get you inspired or find an article that addresses a challenge you may have. www.simplyorganizedbysandy.blogspot.com

-S.

Hello J.,

I am a Professional Organizer and own Get Organized! based in Richardson, Tx.

As a Professional Organizer my company does all this and more:

Space Planning
Systems for your Paper Clutter
Filing
Purging
Work with the client on knowing what to keep
Setting up systems
Tell Client what products would maximize your space

If you have a family in your home we work with clients with household responsibilities, kids chores, honey does, allowance systems and so much more.

Your habits, tendencies, and life style are a big concern to us... as we want to work with you to keep you organized....long after we leave.

I have been on Good Morning Texas and Good Day Fox. I have a media tab on our site where you can see all my media coverage and articles.

Let me assure you we don't just throw things away with out going over what our goal is. There could be history in all the clutter and we work with the client to know what to throw out.

I would be glad to personaly talk with you about our rates but here is a link on our site that should answer most of your questions.

http://getorganized.ws/OrganizingServices/PricingInformat...

Please check out our website at www.GetOrganized.ws or e-mail me personally at ____@____.com

Have a Blessed Day,

L. B.

As a professional organizer, can I just say that it really depends on who you hirer and their actual qualifications. Usually with a pack rat that does not have the psychological condition of hoarding, they have certain spaces that work for them and places where they store up. Hoarders on the other hand live in spaces that have almost or completely ceased functioning for day to day living. As an organizer it is important to understand why a person keeps certain things, how they acquire and with what frequency, and what the real root cause of accumulation occurs. Those things often come from building a relationship with the client, but when it comes to those with hoarding compulsions often they have buried it psychologically.

As to what a PO can do for a packrat or hoarder. First they should be able to help identify how best the client will work through stuff. Some people want to go through every nook and cranny, box and bag, while others don't want people to touch "their" stuff. It is important for that respect to be built on the front end, it isn't just go in and clean up. Second if the project is the whole house or a majority of it, then negotiating how to work through the space and the cost is usually the biggest obstacle. Most PO charge by the hour, but with a hoarder you just can't, a flat day rate with time in between for the client to work a few days on assigned tasks is usually how I work. So we might make a dent in a room and then I will leave them to go through x # of boxes or stacks of papers or clothing. This is where family often can help. You certainly can hire for just one room or one area, but often you'll find you get stuck when you change spaces because the client has different kinds of things there that they see differently.

Most PO's make $20-30/hr on average, a day rate for 5-6 hours would be $100-200. I charge $100 a day or $20/hr which ever is less. Sometimes a client gets overwhelmed and wants to stop and I hate to force someone to contract a days labor and not use it. -J. White

I HIGHLY recommend Lorraine Brock at Get Organized. You can check out her website at http://www.getorganized.ws/ She is very personalble nad helpful and will customize a plan to what you need! She has a couple wonderful organizers working for her and she has been on Good MOrning Texas and other shows as a guest speaker -- she really knows her stuff!! Check her website out and give her a call -- I am sure she can help you!
E. Herman
Cornerstone Chem-Dry
____@____.com

Hello,

Professional organizers work by the hour or by the project. They vary in rates. You can hire a professional organizer to organize a single room or rooms, as well as your entire home. To begin finding a professional organizer that fits your needs, look through local newspaper ads under services provided, library bulletin boards, local parenting and home magazines, Craigslist, and ask your friends and family if they know someone in your area. Once you have found an organizer, a consultation is usually set up at your home. You will then discuss your needs, and the organizer will discuss the process with you and give you an estimate. I provide a free consultation but some organizer's charge a consultation fee. I have had clients who have participated in the organizing process and therefore, have been present through the whole project. I would recommend this approach for hoarders. I have other clients who do not want nor need to partake in the project; therefore, I complete the project on my own or with my team. I hope this helps. Best Wishes.

I have used an organizing person from time to time . . . it cost me $14-$15 per hour.

As much as I dread her arrival it DOES help me stay on top of things. She really pushes me to make decisions on what to do with certain items. My biggest difficulty is kid stuff (can't stand to let it go). I also love books and have never met a file I didn't think I needed LOL!

Perhaps interview several candidates to find the right fit. I need someone that I can stand to be around for a few hours - yet they can't be too "soft" or we will end up chatting the whole time!

With my organizer we did have one incident where something was misplaced and I never found it again. So set some ground rules BEFORE you begin work. I.e., that you will personally throw everything away (even if she helps you YOU need to do it so that you're sure you don't lose something important).

Good for you wanting to stay on top of your life - no one should have to carry the heavy burden of STUFF.

Good luck.

BE VERRRRY CAREFUL.
There are some "organizers" who will just want to throw things away.
Willy-nilly.
There are other organizers who will sit down with you
and discuss what you want, what you need, how you use your stuff, etc.
I think you can probably hire someone just for a particular room.
You might first want to make some lists of your goals, and your priorities.
Good luck.
S.

I would love to help you out if you'd like. I have helped friends and am currently working with some family too. I grew up in W'ford too. :) And it would be by the hour for me.