Organizing FAQs
What does a professional organizer do?Our clients see professional organization as an investment in their home and well-being.
When you work with us, you'll receive:
We work in all areas of the home, as well as commercial spaces and storage units, and are adept at organizing everything from clothing and kitchenware to paperwork and sentimental items. Getting organized is a lifestyle change that can happen in comfortable increments or all at once. Professional organizing services are for those who want to feel great in a space that is easier to keep tidy, fresh, and inviting. |
How does the organizing process work?
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What services do you offer?We offer:
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Do you specialize in anything?We specialize in working with clients going through major life changes. This can include:
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How much does it cost?Our in-home consultation is complimentary.
Organizing rates are $89/hr per organizer. Projects have a 6-hour minimum. If you'd like to get started with a single day of organizing, decluttering, or unpacking it is $534 per organizer. |
What’s included with your services?
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Are organizing products included?We’ve got you covered when it comes to organizing products! Upon booking, we create a curated list of recommended products for your spaces and get your approval before ordering.
We'll do all the product planning, shopping, and returns. At the end of the project we'll invoice you for only the products we ended up using, plus a 20% shopping fee on that final utilized product amount. |
How long does organizing take?Organizing time varies greatly by space based on the size and how many items are in each space, the amount of desired products to be implemented, and how quickly decisions can be made by clients on decluttering choices. We provide complimentary in-home consultations to see each space and provide a more accurate estimate.
Here are some rough guidelines by space:
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Do I need to be involved in the process?Yes, if you want to get the most out of working with us.
Your organizers will do all the labor-intensive work of pulling everything out of a space and sorting items into like categories. Then we bring you in to make decisions (with our help and guidance) on what to keep or let go of. After that you can go do your own thing again while we organize it all and create functional systems. Once the space is organized, we’ll show you where everything is and how to maintain it. Every project is different, so we will work around your schedule if you need to work from home, or even if on larger projects you need to step out of the house for a few hours. But for most projects, we will need your help with decluttering decisions. After all, you know best what you want to keep! Although it’s nice on TV to see people leave for the day and come back to a fully transformed home, our goal isn’t to just organize your current stuff (and those shows in reality take huge teams multiple days and have a lot of behind-the-scenes purging taking place). Almost every home has excess items and that’s part of why it’s so hard to get organized and find what you actually need. In our eyes, it would be a disservice to work with you and not declutter, unless you’ve already fully decluttered before a move, for example. To make lasting change, it is SO beneficial to let us guide you in letting go of what no longer serves you, so you’re left with a home that has items you use and love. |
Why should I use organizers instead of movers to pack and unpack?Professional organizers are simply more organized in packing and labeling boxes than other companies that offer packing and unpacking will provide.
We don't just throw toys that happen to be in the kitchen into a box and label it 'kitchen'. Enter mass confusion and frustration upon unpacking. You can't find anything you need! Instead, we methodically categorize and pack based on where items will go in your NEW home, not where they happen to be in your old home. The movers will know exactly where to put the boxes in your new home, and, if you're unpacking, you'll know what's in each box and will be able to prioritize what to open first. Most companies that offer unpacking do just that: unpack your stuff and leave it there. Then you're stuck with putting everything away. When we unpack for you, we not only unpack the boxes, but we'll have your new home completely set up and organized. Read more about this topic in our blog post! |
Are you bonded and insured?Yes, we are a bonded and insured company.
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Do you have employees or subcontractors?We have employees and they are dedicated and enthusiastic members of the Hello Simplified team. All of our organizers are background-checked, thoroughly trained, and covered under our bonding and insurance.
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Will you judge my space?Never! We pride ourselves on being 100% confidential with zero judgment.
We understand that it can be nerve-wracking to let someone see your space, but remember that we’re often our own worst critic. As professional organizers, we’ve seen countless homes in different levels of clutter, disarray, and accumulation. Trust us; we’ve seen it all! We want to see your home in its usual state so we know how to best serve you and create systems that work for you. We want to meet you and help you where you are right now. You’re taking the brave step of asking for help - and that’s something to be proud of. |
How are you different than house cleaners?Cleaning and organizing are in the same realm, but they’re not the same. Think of it this way: house cleaners clear the dirt and professional organizers clear the clutter.
Our expertise is organizing: clearing the clutter and getting to the root of your overwhelm. We sort and declutter your items, then organize them to create lasting systems that are functional, maintainable, and beautiful. We do light cleaning along the way, such as wiping down surfaces, but we don’t do deep cleaning. Once your home is organized, house cleaners are able to clean your home more effectively because they don’t need to work around excess items. |
Will you make me get rid of all my stuff?Nope! While we applaud minimalism, we also know it isn't practical for most homes — ours included. We do always encourage and can coach you through decluttering so that you cull away the excess and have items that you LOVE and use in your home. There’s less visual clutter and it’s easier to find the items you actually use.
With that being said, we will never force you to get rid of anything. There is no shame in having belongings, collections, or keepsakes. You know best what is meaningful and useful to you. The final decision is always yours. |
How will I maintain the organization after you're gone?With our home organizing services, we will create organized systems for your home that are functional and maintainable. Before we part, we'll talk about your newly organized home and how to keep things running smoothly.
Once we’ve put these systems in place, we also offer maintenance services. These services include monthly, quarterly, or biannual visits to your home to maintain, enhance, or build on the systems we set up for you. |
What do you do with items that don’t belong in the room you’re organizing?As we are organizing or unpacking a room, we often come across items that don’t belong in that room, such as toys in the dining room or a box of office papers in the primary closet. We will move these items to the appropriate room, but do not organize those items in the new room unless that room is one of the spaces in your estimate. That is one of the many benefits to choosing a larger package.
Our goal isn’t just to move things from room to room. Our goal is to leave you with a fully organized and functional home, curated down to items you use and love. On that same note, we’ll collect items around the home that belong in the room we’re organizing before we start or ask you if there are any other items that belong in that room. This can be especially helpful for spaces like closets, since there are often other coat closets, laundry rooms, or guest rooms that have clothes you’d like to incorporate into the soon-to-be-organized space. |