One of the nice things about being a professional organizer is that you have friends who are also professional organizers. This can be incredibly handy. My friend Janine Adams and I have been swapping organizing services for a few years. I will help her organize any area in her home, and in exchange, she’ll help me organize an area in my home. Could we each organize for ourselves? Of course. But organizing with a professional organizer is faster and best yet, a whole lot more fun. Swapping services also helps us realize what it’s like to be in our client’s shoes. Good stuff all the way around.
This past weekend I helped Janine with some small organizing projects in her office. (See below for an after shot.) This weekend it’s my turn. (I’m so excited!) I haven’t yet figured out what project we’ll work on, so I decided to offer Janine’s services to my family members. First up was Jay. By coincidence, we were talking in his office earlier this week when he mentioned he’d like my help with a few small organizing projects. It was the perfect opportunity.
“Hey,” I said, “would you like Janine to help with those projects?” His response? He said he wasn’t really comfortable having a non-family member go through his stuff. So I continued my search. Next up was Kailea. While telling her good night that evening I looked around her room and noticed it could use a bit of an organizing intervention. I asked her if she might like to organize with Janine. Guess what? I got a similar response.
Now don’t get me wrong. This has nothing to do with Janine. She’s an amazing organizer and someone who is completely gifted when it comes to putting clients at ease. My family’s resistance to working with an organizer had everything to do with their own privacy boundaries. Kailea’s bedroom and Jay’s office are personal spaces filled with personal items. Having a non-family member, or a stranger (in Kailea’s case), go through their stuff feels like too much of an invasion of privacy. (Plus, they already have access to a professional organizer who knows them very well.)
Still I found these conversations incredibly valuable. They reaffirmed that professional organizing services aren’t for everyone. It was also a terrific reminder that when I’m going through client’s things, even though I’m perfectly comfortable doing so, it’s important to remember that they might feel apprehensive.
When considering your own goals and needs for getting organized, find an approach that feels right to you. The ideal solution is one that feels comfortable while allowing you to get where you want to be. Depending on your circumstances and preferences, hiring a professional organizer may or may not be for you. Here are some other ideas to consider.
Ask a friend for help with your organizing projects. If you have a close friend who is very organized, you could swap “services” with her. If you don’t enjoy organizing, you could swap time for a service you enjoy doing. For example, if you love to sew, you could offer to take care of her mending or complete a sewing project for her, in exchange for a finished organizing project at your house. Or if you love to cook, perhaps you could stock a friend’s freezer with freezer meals in exchange for organizing help. Get creative! You never know when you can solve a problem for a friend in the process of getting the organizing help you need.
Seek help from family members. Another option is to enlist help from a non-judgmental family member. The ideal scenario is to find someone who will help you set up organizing systems that will work for you and your lifestyle. Or if you know what needs to be done, take the lead on your projects and assign specific tasks to family members such as sorting like with like.
Take an online organizing class. Okay, you knew I was going to suggest this one. 🙂 But seriously, when I sat down to create our online classes I did it with the do-it-yourselfer in mind—that person who doesn’t want anyone else going through their things, or who doesn’t have the budget for professional organizing services. They’re also for people who simply love the satisfaction of completing organizing projects themselves. Organizing classes give you professional organizing results without having anyone else actually touch your belongings or see your home in its “before” state.
Hire a professional organizing coach. Some professional organizers offer organizing coaching as well as in-home organizing services. (I do – you can learn more about my organizing coaching services here.) The advantage to coaching is that you get the advice and experience of a professional organizer, but you’re the one going through your personal belongings. Coaching is a faster solution than taking a class because your organizing coach will pinpoint what isn’t currently working for you as well as root causes, and then offer personalized solutions to address your needs. It also works great if there’s an organizer you’d love to work with, but he or she doesn’t live in your hometown.
Try a professional organizer in a less-personal space. If your bedroom or office is filled with particularly personal items, consider hiring an organizer to organize a less-personal area of your home. The kitchen, pantry or garage could be an excellent place to try professional organizing services on for size. Who knows, you may find that your organizer quickly feels like a long-time friend, someone you’d be happy to have organize any room in your home.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you considered hiring a professional organizer in the past? If so, what held you back? Thanks for sharing!
P.S. If you live in the St. Louis area and are interested in learning more about my in-home organizing services simply contact me or visit my St. Louis professional organizing website. You can learn more about Janine’s professional organizing services by visiting her website www.peaceofmindorganizing.com.
Aby, it was so much fun working with you in my home office! I can’t wait to help you in your house.
I think you make a really good point about how people have varying privacy issues. It can be a real act of bravery to let a stranger touch your stuff! And, as a professional organizer, I appreciate the reminder that clients might feel apprehensive at first.
Thanks Janine! I can’t wait for you to help me, too. 🙂
This was a great article! I am so lucky to have a friend who is an organizing genius and very generous with her time and talent. Because we are good friends, I am very comfortable having her go through my things, even when she is brutal with me about getting rid of things that I’m holding onto “just in case” I might need it in the future! My craft room is in constant need of organizing, and that (and the garage) is where she and I usually spend our time. If I did not have Jamie’s help, I would definitely consider using a professional organizer, but would take the time to find someone with whom I was comfortable. If I lived in St. Louis, you would be the first person I called!
Thank you Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. How wonderful that you have Jamie to help you with your organizing projects! 🙂
Wonderful points! I’ve done most of my organizing on my own and through an on-line class of yours, Aby, but have hired a wonderful professional organizer for the last 5-10% of a huge garage project, and for paper organizing.
I have two bins with “personal paper.” I know some items in those bins will elicit 1) memories and feelings I will *not* want to share, and will need alone time as I come across them, and 2) memories I *will* want to share and will take too much time doing so, when the goal is to work efficiently. So I will go through those personal bins on my own. My wonderful organizer – Stephanie from Organizing Maniacs – will help with the rest.
I should add it took a lot of on-line searching and phone calls before I found the right company and organizer for me. (The fact that my organizer admitted in her bio to having two baskets of dog toys did it for me!) The match has to be right.
And once I go though my personal items, my organizer will still offer suggestions of how to best store them.
Thank you for both of your comments Beth. You are so right about finding the right match when hiring a professional organizer. Love that the dog toys solidified the deal for you. (My professional organizer has quite a few dog toys, too. You would love her. 🙂 )
Hi Aby,
Just couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by to let you know I’m still reaping the benefits of the coaching sessions you did with me over the phone a few years ago. I’ve also enjoyed a couple of the online classes you’ve offered to help get me started when other areas get out of control.
I’ve swapped my talents or favors with friends who are gifted in the organizing area over the years and that has really made the whole organizing and purging process not seem so daunting.
Thanks for keeping the quick tips coming and for the practical posts and newsletters that keep me learning and growing to establish the systems and methods that work best for me and for my family.
Thanks so much Shari! I’m so glad that you’re still reaping the benefits of our coaching sessions and online classes! How great that you have also tried swapping talents with a friend gifted in the organizing area. I like how you put that – swapping talents! 🙂
Aby
You’re welcome, Aby. It is scary for some people to have a stranger come into their home. They may be afraid of beingjudged, of being emotional or embarrassed, and so on. But an experienced *professional* organizer has seen it all and would not judge, and decisions are ultimately ours to make. It’s our home so we’re in control – we just have a skilled – and fun – partner as a guide, to speed things up, and to offer neat solutions we may not have thought of since we’re so close to the situation. (I’ll be quiet now!)
Love your comments Beth. And it is so true – experienced professional organizers have seen it all and we come to help not to judge. 🙂
This is a great article Aby.
For me the biggest benefit of hiring a professional was having someone see my home with fresh eyes. And despite being somewhat embarrassed by the state of my home it was completely worth it for someone else to come in and point out ways to make it better. Although I do agree with what the other commentator said – you need to find someone who is a good fit with your personality.
Thanks Alissa! It is often so hard to see things when they’re in our own home or life. Fresh eyes are definitely one of the benefits of hiring a professional organizer.
I once hired a professional organizer. 3 hours minimum for hundreds of dollars. It was a long time ago so I’m not sure of the exact amount however it was a lot of money. I was very disappointed because she just went room to room and gave me her ideas and didn’t bother to send me an email with a review of what she suggested. She wanted me to give her a call after I had completed my filing so that she could come back and charge me for another three hours and tell me what to do next. I never called her back and I still continue to have filing issues and clutter issues she was absolutely no help. Some of her suggestions were good but I could’ve gotten those ideas looking through a magazine. She suggested putting a Lazy Susan in the bathroom and a bookshelf in my sons room but there wasn’t anything really that she said that help me with the clutter issues. I am sorry to report this but I have to tell you my experience with hiring a professional organizer.
Oh Dina, I’m so sorry your experience with hiring a professional organizer didn’t meet your expectations. It sounds like the organizer you worked with conducted a consultation instead of doing hands-on organizing. For some people a consultation is a great fit. It can be a good solution for people who don’t have the time or interest to research organizing ideas on their own, or they’re so overwhelmed that they aren’t sure which ideas are best for them and will solve their needs. It’s the fresh set of eyes Alissa mentioned in her comment. But, for other people, hands on organizing is better solution. This is where the client and the organizer work together to implement the organizing ideas.
I would recommend to others that might be considering hiring a professional organizer to talk to the organizer by phone so you can ask questions about how their process works, what they will be providing with their service, etc. Most professional organizers should accommodate this (both Janine and I do). Then, go with your gut. Does it seem like a good fit? Did you feel good talking to them? Did they make you feel comfortable? Does it feel like it’s going to be a worthwhile investment. If so, that’s great! If not, try someone else.
I really appreciate you sharing your experience, though I’m terribly sorry things didn’t work out better for you.
Aby