5 reasons to hire a professional home organizer

When TV shows about professional home organizers consistently make Netflix’s Top 10, you know home organization is on trend. However, organizing your home is more than just a fad, it saves time and money, too.

The average household loses 2.5 days a year looking for lost items (mostly the TV remote but also keys, phones, and sunglasses). And Americans as a whole spend $2.7 billion—yes, BILLION— each year replacing items that seemed lost forever.

Another fun (and perhaps motivating) fact: Getting rid of clutter cuts down on housework by more than 40%, according to the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). That alone may be an incentive to start organizing your home.

But what if you’re completely overwhelmed by clutter and disorganization? Stress, it turns out, is one of the best reasons to launch a home organization project. Some 80% of medical expenditures are stress related, and stress-related illness costs the US $300 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity.

Organizers are home “super heroes” who can help you declutter, move, downsize, find storage, remove junk—just about anything to make a home efficient, and enjoyable. Photo: For the Love of Tidy

More than just a bossy busybody, a professional organizer is someone who will “support evaluation, decision-making, and action around objects, spaces, and data, helping clients achieve desired outcomes regarding function, order, and clarity,” according to NAPO.

Simply put, organizers are home “super heroes.” They don’t wear capes, but they do have heroic talents that can help you declutter, move, downsize, find storage, remove junk—just about anything to make a home efficient, and enjoyable.

“It goes beyond putting things in boxes and tidying,” says Julie Naylon of No Wire Hangers Organizing in Los Angeles. “It’s about [helping clients] focus on what and how much they’re consuming, having systems in place, and sticking to them. It’s a lifestyle change.”

Professional organizers are also de facto “therapists,” helping clients identify and change unhealthy habits. “I’m there as a mirror, a guide,” says Jeni Aron of Clutter Cowgirl in Brooklyn, New York. “If you’re not ready to do the work emotionally and physically, however, you’ll get out of it what you put into it.” Find out how Aron got one woman’s unruly closet under control.

An organizer can help anytime you feel dragged down by stuff you’ve accumulated.

Although getting organized is a popular New Year’s resolution, home organization is a good idea any time you feel dragged down by the stuff you’ve accumulated.

Life-changing events—such as decluttering and organizing after a divorce, spousal death, or moving aging parents into assisted living—are ideal times to get help from a professional organizer. When faced with overwhelming or emotionally draining change, professional organizers can “hold your hand” while helping you declutter and organize your space for a fresh new start. “There has to be a lot of trust and empathy,” explains Aron.

Here are 5 important ways professional organizers can help you change your home—and your life.

Studies have shown that the simple act of tidying up can boost mood, self-esteem, confidence—even productivity. An organized kitchen, for example, often helps people start cooking. Photo: Organizing with Mary

Decluttering can save you time, money—even improve your health.

A study of home environment and stress found that women who described their households as “messy” or “cluttered” showed more signs of depression and fatigue, and had higher levels of cortisol, the “stress” hormone. Study after study, in fact, has shown that the simple act of tidying up can boost mood, self-esteem, confidence—even productivity.

“When I [organize] a kitchen, people start cooking again because there’s a proper flow,” says Naylon. Other clients stop spending money on clothes and start “shopping in their closets.”

That’s because professional home organizers have clutter-free vision: They can see past the “stuff” that blinds homeowners and help them let go of things that no longer hold meaning. Most pros follow a simple 3-step approach:

As move managers, professional organizers can handle every aspect of relocating your residence, including helping you decide what to keep, donate or recycle.

Moving can be time-consuming and stressful, especially for families with busy schedules or older clients who are downsizing to a smaller house or assisted living. Did you know that home organizers can also help make your relocation go more smoothly?

As move managers, they’ll handle every aspect of relocating your residence, including:

Before packing even starts, organizing services will help you assess how much will fit into the new home and what to purge. They’ll also work with moving companies to acquire boxes and packing materials at a lower cost than you could buy on your own. Learn more about the benefits of hiring a mover.

And because organizers are also well-connected among their fellow service providers, they can recommend quality movers, packers, art installers, piano movers, storage units, junk haulers, closet designers and installers, house cleaners, painters, electricians, plumbers—basically any professional needed to set up your new house.

Once your boxes have safely arrived, home organizing teams can also unpack and organize at the same time, making the new living space more efficient from the start. They’ll also take care of removing all the boxes and packing materials.

Professional home organizers can help you find good storage space—and even schlep all your stuff there.

Some items defy decluttering. Family heirlooms, seasonal decorations, or important books and papers need a different approach. The IRS, for example, suggests keeping seven years-worth of tax information, but that file box doesn’t have to take up valuable space in your makeshift home office.

Home organizers can help you decide what to put in storage, and how to safely pack your most treasured items. They can also assist you in securing storage space—they know the best places to store valuables and can recommend the right facility for your needs. They’ll even help you schlep all your stuff there.

Once you’ve edited out the items that will stay behind, you may face another daunting task: how to get rid of unwanted items. Not to worry, your organizer can handle that, too. They usually have connections with antique dealers, consignment shops, and junk haulers who’ll take everything off your hands.

And don’t let the term “junk” fool you. Most haulers are multi-purpose. They’ll sort through your unwanted items, donate the usable pieces, and dispose of the rest. Your organizer might also have other donation resources, such as a local furniture bank. Most are non-profits that’ll pick up your items for a small donation or even for free.

Downsizing can be emotionally challenging but organizers such as Jeni Aron of Clutter Cowgirl will be right by your side as you edit a lifetime of belongings. Photo: Clutter Cowgirl

Downsizing can be a physically and emotionally challenging experience. Whether you’re leaving a long-time home that’s now an empty nest or moving into an active senior living community, a home organizer can help you make a softer landing.

As you sift through a lifetime of belongings, for example, an organizer will be by your side, guiding you on what to take and what to leave. “I always tell clients, ‘Don’t hold on to things that aren’t going to spark amazing beautiful memories. There’s no reason to keep things that don’t make you feel welcome in your own home,’” explains Aron.

Many organizers have interior design backgrounds. They can create floor plans for the new residence, which can help you figure out how much furniture will fit and what it will look like. Accurate floor plans also help movers put furniture in the correct room, so you won’t have to move it later.

The key to a successful organizing project? When a client is truly committed to change, says Julie Naylon (right) of No Wire Hangers. Photo: No Wire Hangers

Now that you’ve made the decision to hire a home organizer, how can you find a highly rated, trusted professional?

First, ask for referrals from friends or family. This is someone who will be handling a lifetime of your possessions. You want to make sure you can trust them and feel comfortable during the process, which is bound to bring up memories and emotions. Also check online reviews and Better Business Bureau ratings.

NAPO also recommends questions to ask potential organizers:

There’s also a web page with more hiring information and a guide to NAPO members, searchable by zip code.

If you’re concerned that a professional organizer is beyond your budget, consider that you’ll be saving money on packing, moving, and other labor, which could offset the cost of their services.

Nationally, home organizer rates vary from $40 to more than $500 per hour. Pricing varies by location, professional experience, and services provided. Some organizers charge a flat fee per project; others charge hourly rates or a combination of the two.

NAPO recommends not choosing an organizer based solely on price. Rather, have a budget in mind but look for the best fit in terms of style and cost.

There are ways, however, to declutter on a dime. Ask your home organizer to create a game plan (for a fee) that you can execute yourself. You’ll have to do some, or all, of the heavy lifting, but it’ll save money versus paying an hourly rate for someone to do everything for you.

Also, take advantage of your organizer’s connections. They may have access to moving and organizational supplies at wholesale or discount rates. They’ll also offer creative ways to work with materials you already have, such as baskets and boxes.

How can you be sure that a home organizer is trustworthy? Most reputable organizers are members of NAPO, NASMM (National Association of Senior Move Managers), or similar organizations. Those certified by the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO®) examination have a high level of experience and abide by a strict code of ethics. Certified Professional Organizers must also commit to continuing education and recertification of their CPO designation every three years.

And how can you protect your possessions—and identity—when a professional organizer is in your home? Organizers should carry both general and professional liability insurance. Most also use strict confidentiality agreements and require anyone who works for them to sign non-disclosure agreements.

This means any and all of your property, locations, and paperwork viewed while packing remains confidential. Make sure this is covered in the final contract, which should be signed before any work starts.

Home organizing is a year-round trend, not just a new year resolution. Searches and reviews for organizers increased nearly 40% in 2020, and 56% from July to September 2020, according to Yelp data, reported in the 2021 Home Trend Forecast.

These days, everyone’s getting organized. If you live in New Orleans, Cincinnati, Chicago, or Portland, Oregon, congratulations! You’re among the most organized cities in America, according to new Yelp data.

But no matter where you live, the first step toward organizing success starts with you.

Make sure you’re really ready to implement lasting change, says Naylon. “You’ve lived one way for so long and changing old habits is the hardest part,” she says. “My ideal new client is someone who is open to change.”

A good home organizer is a partner. “I love seeing the growth and seeing them get out of the stuck place. I appreciate, respect, trust, and admire my clients,” Aron explains.

“And we laugh,” she adds. “It’s not all serious. I’m a fan of using friendliness and humor to get us through tough episodes. I become somewhat of a friend…but a friend with boundaries.”

Find a professional home organizer in your area.