Frequently Asked Questions

A professional organizer uses their expertise and tried-and-true processes to help you get control over your belongings and your space so that you can move through life efficiently and without friction.

A good professional organizer learns about your challenges, needs, preferences, goals, working style, personality type, emotions, and more to tailor their approach and solutions to you.

People from all walks of life hire a professional organizer for a variety of reasons.

• Some are overwhelmed every day at the amount of clutter around them.
• Some don't have friends over because they're embarrassed by their mess.
• Some are paying late fees because they don't pay their bills on time.
• Some miss appointments and deadlines because they can't keep track of them.
• Some are spending money on storage units to keep things they know they don't need.
• Some are moving, having a baby, downsizing, merging households, getting divorced, remodeling, or going through some other significant life change.
• Many are organized by nature but were thrown off track because of illness, a death in the family, having kids, or some other unexpected and/or emotional situation.

A professional organizer will not make you throw away your stuff. They will ask questions to help you make decisions about what to do with your stuff and then help you organize it so it's easy to find and use.

No matter why you want to work with a professional organizer, there is no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed.

A good professional organizer is empathetic, patient, non-judgmental, and will respect your privacy.

And when you're done with your organizing project, you'll feel a huge sense of relief, accomplishment, motivation, pride, and a host of other positive feelings!

I am a sole proprietor and I have a wonderful network of professional organizers who work one-on-one with some of my clients and also join me on larger projects. We love big projects...the messier the better!

I know that bringing someone into your home can be daunting, so I match you with the organizer whom I think is the best fit for your personality, your needs, and your "stuff," whether it's me or one of my colleagues.

Yes! I can help you prepare to sell your home, prepare to move, coordinate and supervise your move, and get you set up in your new home.

Visit my Services page above to learn more about all of the move management services I offer, or contact me below for a free consultation.

Yes! I can stage your home for sale by helping you edit your belongings, rearranging your own furniture and accessories, and recommending enhancements that will help potential buyers envision themselves living in your home.

If you're the DIY type and just need some guidance, I can do a walkthrough of your home and prepare a report for you with room-by-room instructins.

I can also provide names of reputable interior stylists and stagers who can do more full-service staging, bringing in furniture and accessories and making recommendations on paint colors, fixtures, and more.

Every project is different, and the time it takes to complete depends on how much stuff you have, how quickly you can make decisions, and a variety of other factors.

I schedule a free phone consultation with every potential client, and if I need to see the space in person, I'll do an in-person assessment of their space if we think we might be a good fit. There is a $75 fee for an assessment, and if you hire me, I apply that to your invoice.

Once I have a good understanding of your unique situation, I can give you an estimate for the project, which might be completed in a single hands-on session or over multiple sessions.

Contact me and let's set up your free consultation!

Whether you're looking for home decluttering and organizing, digital life organizing, or transition preparation/recovery, my processes are very similar.

First we'll have a free phone consultation. I'll ask you to describe your situation, your challenges, your desires, and your goals for the project.

If we agree that we might be a good fit, I'll come do a thorough in-person assessment (for a $75 fee, which gets credited back to you if you hire me). I'll ask lots of questions and may take some measurements and pictures. (Don't worry, I will never share them without your permission!) If we don't think we're a good fit, I will do my best to connect you with an organizer who might be better suited to you.

After the assessment, I'll give you a time and cost estimate. If you want to move forward, we'll schedule our first hands-on session.

Note that the actual cost will depend on how quickly you make decisions, whether you need to buy any organizing supplies, and other factors.

I may recommend you buy some organizing products, or I can buy them for you. But most of the time I find that my clients already have what they need. We'll just go shopping in your own home!

I may also suggest a few small, easy tasks to do ahead of time. Completing them will give us a head start and, more importantly, will boost your confidence and get you pumped up for our session.

In the hands-on session, I like to use timers and other tools to motivate you and keep things moving. (I promise not to sing A Spoonful of Sugar.)

At the beginning of our session, we'll do a rough sort of your belongings. You'll find that you'll have items you want to get rid of right off the bat.

Next we'll do a finer sort of what's left, making a decision about whether to keep, donate, or let go of each item.

Once we've got our "keepers," we'll get to work organizing and arranging them so you can easily find and use them. We'll also create systems that will help you keep things tidy going forward.

I will make recommendations of how you can part ways with your unwanted items. In many cases I can take donations with me when I leave. I may connect you with resourcs for selling your items.

Before I leave, we'll review what we did and talk about how you can maintain the state of organization going forward. I may also recommend organizing products you might want to try.

I'm willing to bet that you'll be so motivated that you'll want to tackle another space!

My minimum in-person session is three hours, and I prefer to keep it under four, since you may experience decision fatigue and lose steam if we work too long. I want you to have a positive experience so you're motivated to stick with it!

My minimum virtual session is one hour, and I suggest booking no more than two hours.

If you've got a tight deadline, or if we've worked together before and know we can maintain our energy, we can do longer sessions.

If your project is large, we can schedule multiple sessions to tackle it and/or I can bring in a team. I offer multi-session packages that can help you save money. Contact me to learn more about package pricing.

First of all, don't start organizing before I get there! I need to see you in your "natural habitat" so I can base my recommendations on your reality.

We can jump right in and maximize our time if you do the following before I arrive:

• Get buy-in. It's important that everyone who uses the space knows that you've hired an organizer. They don't have to participate in the hands-on session, but they need to be on board with the idea.
• Do your homework. Do any small tasks that I gave to you do ahead of time. They'll boost your confidence and pump you up for our session, and they'll save us time. (Guess what...only about 10% of my clients do their homework, so if you don't, it's OK!)
• Gather some cleaning supplies. While I am not there to clean your house, we will need to wipe down items and surfaces and sweep or vacuum a bit.
• Gather organizing products. If you have empty tubs, bins, boxes, drawer organizers, etc., bring them out. Many of my clients find that they already have everything they need to organize their stuff. Do not go out and buy new bins for our session.
• Eliminate distractions. Block out the time. Turn off your phone. If you have kids and/or pets, please keep them occupied and away from our project space. I want you to get as much value out of our time together as possible.
• Dress casually and wear closed-toe shoes. We'll probably get a little dusty and may be moving heavy items.
• Eat breakfast. You're going to need energy and be able to focus and make decisions. Having a snack and water on hand is a also a good idea!

I will check in with you  before our session in case you have any questions about our big day. And you can always call or email me at any time!

Yes, I can!

I can help you prepare for the change, recover from the change, or both. And I'll make sure to design systems that will help you maintain organization after I leave.

My process for most transitions is similar to the one I describe above, but it may be larger in scope and involve more specific tasks and more space planning.

If you're moving, I offer comprehensive move management services that include things like developing a plan and timeline, recommending and coordination realtors and other service providers, packing, supervising the movers, and unpacking to get you set up in your new home.

Contact me and let's discuss how I can help you!

Yes, I will!

I'll bring the trash and recycling guidelines for your town if they're posted online. I'll also recommend places where you can donate, share, recycle, or dispose of your items.

I will arrange for donation pick-ups, and most importantly, I will leave with a full carload of items and take them to a donation center so they can be used and loved by someone else.

I do not sell items for clients. However, I can recommend places where you can sell them, and I can take photos and write descriptions of your items for you.

I do not sell items for clients. However, I can recommend places where you can sell them, and I can take photos and write descriptions of your items for you, for a fee.

Contact me below for more information!