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When you come across someone and they ask 'what do you do for a living?' and you tell them you're a professional declutterer and organiser, more often than not they say one of two things: 'So do you just go into homes and clear them out then?' or 'I never knew there was a service like yours so what does that entail?'.
If you have come across a professional organiser you'll probably already have an idea of what they do to help others but may want to know more. If you haven't, you're in for a treat as I'm about to tell you!
Going back to the first question - the answer is quite simply no, we don't just 'go into homes and clear them out'. I'll explain further in a minute. I'll also answer the second question too.
The Role of a Professional Organiser
In short, the role of a professional organiser and declutterer (PO for short) is to be there as a guide, a supporter and aid to someone who is struggling in some way, whether that be with their space or their systems and processes. It is not to come into someone's home and just clear it out. We have no right to tell you what you can or can't keep or that you simply have to do it our way, but we can help you make those decisions through discussion, our knowledge and expertise, and offerings of alternative ways to do things.
You may have watched the likes of the Home Edit, The Minimalists or the more recent Sort Your Life Out. Or perhaps you've been fixated on one of the hoarding programmes, where they have people in to clear houses of items that have built up over the years. Sadly, a lot of these shows and programmes are created for the wow factor and in some cases, to showcase how beautiful a home can be with the flick of a switch or in the case of Mary Poppins, with a twitch of a nose or a point of a finger. In reality, it's not usually that simple, or quick.
A home doesn't have to look perfect
In fact, what home is perfect without the help of a number of aids? Cleaners, childcare providers, chefs, PAs, chauffeurs, engineers...the list goes on and I think you get my gist.
Sometimes though, just the daily routines can be difficult to manage. The items you've been saving to go to charity are building up, or the ones you just don't know what to do with are getting dumped anywhere there's a space.
You're busy with work / kids / renovations / other family members and you just don't have the time to stop and focus on how to make things easier for yourself. There seems to be clutter everywhere and no clear or easy starting point to sort it out.
Sometimes it's simply a single space, like a wardrobe, spare room or that cupboard under the stairs. Or perhaps your home is fine but it's your processes that need help - what to do with all those photos that have been saved in the cloud, how to organise your diary in a more productive way, how to utilise an online filing system that works so much better and is more streamlined saving you time.
Whatever it may be, there will be a PO out there that can help you.
Hang on (I hear you say), you mentioned processes and not items....yep. A PO doesn't necessarily just deal with physical things. There are a number of specialisms that we can cover and it's worth researching first via the www.findanorganiser.co.uk website to find and make sure that you're contacting the person who can best suit your needs.
PO Specialisms
Some of the specialisms are listed below, although there are more:
In all fairness, if the person you have contacted doesn't feel they're the right fit for you, they'll most often recommend someone else who does.
So why would you enlist the help of a PO?
They're probably only for the wealthy right?? Wrong!
The cost to have a PO in your home won't necessarily break the bank. Services can start from as little as £25.00 - £75.00 an hour but it's all relative to both location and services being provided. If you ask any reputable PO what their rates are, they would be happy to tell you. The last thing anyone wants is to confuse or hide what you're getting and paying for.
However, you need to be aware that there's no answer to the 'how much will it cost to do..(name job)..' question. You could say how long is a piece of string? The same goes for organising. There are a number of factors that come into play: how quickly you can make decisions? How many items you have to go through? How big is the space/system you're covering? Ultimately it's your decision how you want to move forward - you may need someone to help you from start to finish, you might just want someone to get you going and to pop in occasionally or to simply tell you where to start. It's completely up to you.
But why pay for someone to help you declutter or get organised when you can probably do it yourself, right?
So the question then is, why haven't you done it yourself? Sometimes you need to enlist the help of a professional in the field, like a cleaner or car valet or a solicitor, to help you get a job done. This is no different.
Let's put it in another way. Let's say you're a person who occasionally likes to pamper yourself...it could be a day at a spa, a day on the golf course or a day out somewhere. You'd be prepared to pay anything between £50 - £200 for the day. You'd go out, have a lovely day and feel all refreshed until you walk through the door and are immediately reminded of the stresses you were trying to get away from in the first place. The lovely warm, relaxed feeling you'd just forked out for has gone. You now start to think, was it worth it?
You then opt for the help of a PO who gives you direction, support and in some cases hands-on help to really get a problem sorted or at least started to be dealt with. You pay a similar price to the day out yet when you next come home that stress you originally had about the situation has now changed; you feel more in control, like you have a plan of action and a support mechanism to help you achieve what you need. So that next time you go out on that pamper day, you'll come home feeling refreshed and the feeling will last much longer.
Professional Organiser Code of Ethics
That's all great and well but what if you're feeling nervous about having a stranger come in (either virtually or in person) to your home? Don't worry. The job of a PO is to help. That's all we want to do. Help you achieve more, live a happier life and feel confident going forward. We don't judge, blame or frown upon things we see. We're care givers and can be as discreet as you need. As members of APDO we sign up to a Code of Ethics, we're all registered with HMRC and hold full insurance and we look at other members as colleagues not competitors. We're all there to achieve one thing: to help people, and we do so with enthusiasm, compassion and an understanding that it can be a difficult thing to reach out and ask for help.
So next time you're struggling with your space or a process and you feel like something needs to change. Reach out. Don't sit and struggle. Let a professional organiser help guide you until you're pointing in the right direction.
Learn more about the author here
When you come across someone and they ask 'what do you do for a living?' and you tell them you're a professional declutterer and organiser, more often than not they say one of two things: 'So do you just go into homes and clear them out then?' or 'I never knew there was a service like yours so what does that entail?'.
If you have come across a professional organiser you'll probably already have an idea of what they do to help others but may want to know more. If you haven't, you're in for a treat as I'm about to tell you!
Going back to the first question - the answer is quite simply no, we don't just 'go into homes and clear them out'. I'll explain further in a minute. I'll also answer the second question too.
The Role of a Professional Organiser
In short, the role of a professional organiser and declutterer (PO for short) is to be there as a guide, a supporter and aid to someone who is struggling in some way, whether that be with their space or their systems and processes. It is not to come into someone's home and just clear it out. We have no right to tell you what you can or can't keep or that you simply have to do it our way, but we can help you make those decisions through discussion, our knowledge and expertise, and offerings of alternative ways to do things.
You may have watched the likes of the Home Edit, The Minimalists or the more recent Sort Your Life Out. Or perhaps you've been fixated on one of the hoarding programmes, where they have people in to clear houses of items that have built up over the years. Sadly, a lot of these shows and programmes are created for the wow factor and in some cases, to showcase how beautiful a home can be with the flick of a switch or in the case of Mary Poppins, with a twitch of a nose or a point of a finger. In reality, it's not usually that simple, or quick.
A home doesn't have to look perfect
In fact, what home is perfect without the help of a number of aids? Cleaners, childcare providers, chefs, PAs, chauffeurs, engineers...the list goes on and I think you get my gist.
Sometimes though, just the daily routines can be difficult to manage. The items you've been saving to go to charity are building up, or the ones you just don't know what to do with are getting dumped anywhere there's a space.
You're busy with work / kids / renovations / other family members and you just don't have the time to stop and focus on how to make things easier for yourself. There seems to be clutter everywhere and no clear or easy starting point to sort it out.
Sometimes it's simply a single space, like a wardrobe, spare room or that cupboard under the stairs. Or perhaps your home is fine but it's your processes that need help - what to do with all those photos that have been saved in the cloud, how to organise your diary in a more productive way, how to utilise an online filing system that works so much better and is more streamlined saving you time.
Whatever it may be, there will be a PO out there that can help you.
Hang on (I hear you say), you mentioned processes and not items....yep. A PO doesn't necessarily just deal with physical things. There are a number of specialisms that we can cover and it's worth researching first via the www.findanorganiser.co.uk website to find and make sure that you're contacting the person who can best suit your needs.
PO Specialisms
Some of the specialisms are listed below, although there are more:
In all fairness, if the person you have contacted doesn't feel they're the right fit for you, they'll most often recommend someone else who does.
So why would you enlist the help of a PO?
They're probably only for the wealthy right?? Wrong!
The cost to have a PO in your home won't necessarily break the bank. Services can start from as little as £25.00 - £75.00 an hour but it's all relative to both location and services being provided. If you ask any reputable PO what their rates are, they would be happy to tell you. The last thing anyone wants is to confuse or hide what you're getting and paying for.
However, you need to be aware that there's no answer to the 'how much will it cost to do..(name job)..' question. You could say how long is a piece of string? The same goes for organising. There are a number of factors that come into play: how quickly you can make decisions? How many items you have to go through? How big is the space/system you're covering? Ultimately it's your decision how you want to move forward - you may need someone to help you from start to finish, you might just want someone to get you going and to pop in occasionally or to simply tell you where to start. It's completely up to you.
But why pay for someone to help you declutter or get organised when you can probably do it yourself, right?
So the question then is, why haven't you done it yourself? Sometimes you need to enlist the help of a professional in the field, like a cleaner or car valet or a solicitor, to help you get a job done. This is no different.
Let's put it in another way. Let's say you're a person who occasionally likes to pamper yourself...it could be a day at a spa, a day on the golf course or a day out somewhere. You'd be prepared to pay anything between £50 - £200 for the day. You'd go out, have a lovely day and feel all refreshed until you walk through the door and are immediately reminded of the stresses you were trying to get away from in the first place. The lovely warm, relaxed feeling you'd just forked out for has gone. You now start to think, was it worth it?
You then opt for the help of a PO who gives you direction, support and in some cases hands-on help to really get a problem sorted or at least started to be dealt with. You pay a similar price to the day out yet when you next come home that stress you originally had about the situation has now changed; you feel more in control, like you have a plan of action and a support mechanism to help you achieve what you need. So that next time you go out on that pamper day, you'll come home feeling refreshed and the feeling will last much longer.
Professional Organiser Code of Ethics
That's all great and well but what if you're feeling nervous about having a stranger come in (either virtually or in person) to your home? Don't worry. The job of a PO is to help. That's all we want to do. Help you achieve more, live a happier life and feel confident going forward. We don't judge, blame or frown upon things we see. We're care givers and can be as discreet as you need. As members of APDO we sign up to a Code of Ethics, we're all registered with HMRC and hold full insurance and we look at other members as colleagues not competitors. We're all there to achieve one thing: to help people, and we do so with enthusiasm, compassion and an understanding that it can be a difficult thing to reach out and ask for help.
So next time you're struggling with your space or a process and you feel like something needs to change. Reach out. Don't sit and struggle. Let a professional organiser help guide you until you're pointing in the right direction.
Learn more about the author here
