Send in the cavalry! Home organization professionals to the rescue...

The past few weeks, I've been dabbling in home organization. I have taken on this task for two reasons--in the interest of spring cleaning, of course, and also to pass along information that I think can help a home organization amateur (like myself) begin the complicated task of getting control of those closets and cabinets.


But a few weeks into this, and I'll admit I haven't made it too far. That's because life (work, kids, commitment, stuff) gets in the way.


And that's why I asked my team of Edmond home organization professionals why someone like me might finally take a plunge and bring in the big guns (i.e., hire a professional).


Here's what they had to say...


Amber Austin, of Dwelling Place Organizing said, "The most common thing I hear from clients about the benefit of working with a professional organizer is preventing panic halfway through the process. In many projects, there is a point where you drag everything out and 'it gets worse before it gets better.' Having an expert right there, helping you stay focused and moving toward your goals, can save you valuable time and money."

Becky Marple of Bee Neat Professional Organizing added this, "A professional organizer can be of great service to an individual who is dealing with a major life change such as a move, addition of a baby or elderly family member to the home, a death of a loved one, or a transition into an assisted living center. These can be extremely stressful and, often times, debilitating to an individual. Having a professional there to help encourage and guide the client is often just what a person needs."

In addition, Marple mentioned that working on your own makes it too easy to justify holding onto things, and working with a family member can still be too personal. Having an objective person there to help you can often result in the most successful outcome. 

Amy Bolder of Simplicity Professional Organizing agreed, adding, "A seasoned organizer is able to plan and deal with emotions and roadblocks that often arise when clients are faced with tough decisions that they might typically just ignore or give up on if an organizer was not present to walk them through it. Dealing with these emotions and decisions is often easier to do with a professional than with a friend, who might not be able to look past the stuff and why the person is stuck within it. "

Finally, Bolder gave this advice for hiring professional organizers...

• Talk to them and find out how long they have been working with clients.
• Ask what their specialty areas are (and what they do or don't do, such as doing only inside work, etc.).  
• Ask to see some photos of previous projects and always ask for references.  A previous client can shed light on the process and help an individual know if a particular organizer is right for them.  

Sounds like a plan. Now, I only have to decide whether I have the courage to let someone see what a mess I am.

We'll see.