If you're new to the organizing world, WELCOME! If you've already gotten a feel for the industry, maybe you've read Marie Kondo's book, or watched some Netflix series on the topic, the question has probably come up: SHOULD I HIRE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER?
While it is definitely a luxury to hire Professional Organizers for work (most charge across the US anywhere from $40 - $250/hr), a survey of 830 Good Housekeeping readers found that 52% of people would hire a Professional Organizer if given the opportunity. Hiring a professional home organizer costs about $480 for a small project, according to the American Society of Organizers (ASPO).
If you're anything like me, you like to have all the information prior to making a decision. So I'll spill the tea. Most organizers will have a standard agreement to sign prior to beginning, many will ask for a downpayment, ask for a materials budget, and either charge by hour or package.
BUT WHAT'S A PACKAGE?! A package is a way to bundle all the "extras" that the Professional Organizer will provide, in addition to the in-home time (but it doesn't count towards your time). You can compare this to buying all the separate ingredients for a salad (What type of lettuce should I get? Do I have dressing at home? How much should I get? Will the kids even eat it? Should I put apples or pears in it?)...you can either buy all the things you want to put in the salad, stress about it, and you will probably end up wasting or forgetting a few things. You do more of the work. Alternatively, you can opt to get a salad in the bag. You don't have to think about anything, magically it is taken care of. This is always my personal preferred offering, but for folks that like the DIY approach, I let them choose. When deciding between a package or hourly, ask your provider what is included in the package, it normally breaks down to a higher "hourly" but it can be worth ten times over. You can compare what is included in MY packages vs. hourly here.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? Your provider will give you an estimate for how many sessions it may take. Note the word estimate. There are so many variables involved in letting things go and organizing that are outside of the provider's control. If you want to make sure the project gets finished on a specific timeline, it is best to communicate your needs and pre-schedule sessions.
BUT WHAT IS A SESSION? A session is a block of time that many organizers schedule out at a time. If they don't call it a session, many providers will have minimum hours required to book. Most offer sessions (blocks of time) in three or four hour increments.
SO WHY DO YOU NEED TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER? THE TRUTH is that you don't.
However, if you don't have the time, lack the ideas, feel overwhelmed by your "stuff", have no idea where to start, keep putting it off, are getting in fights with significant others or kids, or want the luxurious experience of giving someone your keys and having them magically transform your space. Hiring a Professional Organizer is a game-changing experience.
At the end of the day, you need to feel comfortable with your Professional Organizer and confident in their skill-set. They do NOT need to be certified. Most importantly, their pricing should be transparent and services should be explicit to avoid any surprises (like any industry).
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