Professional organizer: services and prices
Recently, I realized just how little known the profession of professional organizer still is. I regularly meet people who tell me, "Stéphanie, I didn't even know this service existed!"
It always makes me smile, because for me, helping someone declutter and organize their home is just part of my daily life. Yet, many people don't know exactly what I do, in which situations they can call on me, or how much this type of service can cost.
Some think you need to have a completely cluttered house to contact me. Others imagine that a professional organizer arrives at your home, throws away half your things, and leaves with a Pinterest-worthy house. There are also those who would like help, but don't dare contact me because they think they don't have the necessary budget.
So I wanted to demystify my job a bit: to explain to you concretely in which situations I can help you, how coaching works, and what budget to expect.
Why hire a professional organizer?
There is no single type of person who hires me. Nor is there a specific level of clutter to reach before having "the right" to ask for help.
Sometimes, a person simply calls me because they are tired of searching for their things every morning. Sometimes, it’s a basement that has quietly filled up over the years and they no longer know where to begin. In other situations, there is a much more significant event behind the need to declutter: a move, a breakup, the arrival of a child, the children leaving home, the death of a loved one, or an estate settlement.
Often, it is not even the organizing itself that is the hardest part. It is making the decisions.
What do I keep? What do I give away? Will I regret getting rid of it? What do I do with all these boxes? Where do I start?
That is precisely where my work takes on its full meaning.
Decluttering, sorting and home organization
A large part of my work involves offering help with decluttering and home organization. And contrary to what one might think, my goal is never to convince you to get rid of as many things as possible.
I am here to help you make decisions, move forward, and create an environment that better suits your current life.
This can mean decluttering a kitchen that has become difficult to use, reorganizing wardrobes, sorting through clothing, going through boxes that haven't been opened in years, or completely rethinking how certain spaces are used.
Every assignment is different because every person is too.
I can also support you through major transitions
Home organization is often associated with tidying up, but my work goes much further.
In particular, I can assist my clients during a move to sort through their possessions before packing boxes and avoid transporting things they no longer need. I can also step in after a move to help organize the new home.
I also accompany people going through different life transitionsA separation, for example, can lead to completely rethinking one's environment. An inheritance can mean finding oneself in front of all the possessions of a parent or loved one without knowing what to do with them.
In those moments, there are objects, of course, but above all, there is a lot of emotion.
My role is also to be that neutral person who supports you, one decision at a time, without judgment and without pressure.
Are my services suitable for all levels of clutter?
I work with people who experience very different levels of clutter: from someone who simply wants to better organize certain rooms to someone who feels completely overwhelmed by accumulation.
However, I would like to make an important distinction: certain situations are beyond my field of expertise.
In more advanced situations of compulsive hoarding, particularly those associated with Diogenes syndrome, the needs can be much more complex. Specifically, some interventions require specialized sanitary equipment and psychological support. I am neither equipped nor trained to intervene alone in these situations.
I strongly believe in the importance of recognizing the limits of one's profession. When the situation requires specialized expertise, I recommend turning to the right resources, notablyInstitute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD), which offers information and resources regarding chronic and complex disorganization.
Asking for the right kind of help is already making progress.
What does a first meeting with me look like?
I know that having a stranger into your home to show them the things that have sometimes bothered us for years can be daunting. That is why the first meeting is primarily about getting to know each other.
I want to understand what is currently bothering you, what you would like to change, the spaces that cause you the most difficulties, and what you want to achieve.
We also talk about something very important: your pace.
Some people want to move quickly and make many decisions in a single day. Others need to take one item at a time, think about it, talk about it, and sometimes postpone a decision. Both ways are correct.
I adapt to the person in front of me. I don’t want you to feel like I am taking control of your home: I am here to support you through the process.
How much does a professional organizer cost?
This is probably one of the first questions you ask yourself if you are considering using my services: how much does a professional organizer cost?
The answer depends heavily on the mandate.
The price of a home organization service can vary depending on the amount of work to be done, the number of spaces involved, the level of clutter, the number of hours required, the pace at which you wish to proceed, and the type of support you need.
A person who wants to organize a single room obviously does not have the same needs as someone who wants to declutter an entire house before a move.
That is why I prefer to understand your situation before determining what the support could look like.
"I might not have the budget for that..."
I sometimes hear this concern even before someone contacts me. She would like some help, but imagines that she necessarily needs to plan a huge budget or entrust me with her entire house.
That is not the case.
I can adapt to your budget and determine with you where my help will have the greatest impact. We can work together for a few hours on a specific priority. We can move forward gradually. We can also target the steps where my presence is truly necessary and identify what you are comfortable continuing on your own.
You don't have to do everything at once.
Besides, going faster isn't always the goal. I recently worked with a client who preferred that I come alone, even if it meant her project would take longer. She needed more time to think before parting with certain items, to chat, and to gently get used to the process.
So, that's what we did.
Because at the end of the day, the best support isn't necessarily the one that gets things done the fastest: it's the one that respects the person who lives in the home.
You don't need to wait until you are overwhelmed
If there is one thing I would like people to remember about my profession, it is this: you do not need to wait until your home is completely cluttered to ask for help.
You can call me because a room no longer works for you. Because you are moving. Because you inherited a loved one's possessions. Because you have accumulated too many things over the years. Because you are going through a transition. Or simply because you look around and tell yourself: "I really don't know where to start."
That is precisely why my job exists.
If you are wondering which home organization service would suit your situation or what budget to plan for, write to me. We can discuss what is currently weighing on you, what you would like to change, and how I can support you, at your own pace and according to your budget.
