Hiring Professional Organizer

desertmom · **Hiring Professional Organizer**

Have any of you ever hired a professional organizer? Was it worth it? I'm at the point where I think I need to do it. Between physical problems and two active children, including a high demand baby, I barely get enough time and energy to keep the kitchen up and toilet clean. Laundry's clean, but in baskets. I just have dh take baby about once every 2 wks so I can put it away. No, can't put it away as I take it out, because diva wants me with her asap, and she won't sit happily on bed while I fold and put away. Anyway, that's not my problem - it's the TOYS! I am ready to give away some, store others to rotate and organize others, but I simply cannot come up with the best way. The bedrooms are small, and we don't really have a playroom - our front living room is where it should be, but it spreads to our family room. The cost is $45, but she will give us homework. Well, if I had time to do the homework, I would have time to organize!! I feel I do need help in getting a good storage system together, though. I can't really afford it, but at this rate, I'm going nuts and it's not fair to the kids. Experience?

jnbythesea · 08-02-2006, 08:42 PM

Recently I was also very tempted to do this- especially for my master bedroom closet. Then I read all those Simplify your life books and realized that if I had less stuff I wouldn't need an organizer and my life overall would be much easier.

It hasn't been easy to carve out time, since my ds is extreme high maintenance and my dd has food allergies so I have to spend a fair bit of time on food prep for her- but every day for the past couple of months I been going through at least one small drawer or area and ruthlessly getting rid of stuff. What a relief to have things gone!

I realized an organizer would help me organize my stuff, but it doesn't stay organized by itself. It would all still be in my house and need tending to. If it's OUT of my house FOREVER then it can't bog me down.

I think it might be worth the money to have an organizer come in and help you just get rid of stuff (prioritize and haul stuff away for you). Otherwise, I would think of using the money to hire a sitter or bribe a relative one weekend into watching the kids so you can declutter yourself.

I was so overstuffed I felt like a turkey. Now even my laundry is under control (most of the time, LOL).

CoffeeGirl · 08-02-2006, 08:52 PM

An organizer can help you get things in order, but you have to be willing to follow the system she sets up for you. So it may or may not be a good thing, depending on your lifestyle.

The toys at our house are out of control too. I have made a rule if they get a new toy, they have to get of an old one. Even if it is a gumball machine toy, it's one less piece of junk. And they show me first, to make sure it isn't something mom wants to hold on to, return to someone, etc.

I use Flylady's system, have adapted to my own life, and it is free.

What do you want storage for, is it toys? Something else???

CAgirl · 08-02-2006, 09:58 PM

My biggest organizing problem is our office...I would love someone to give me a system. Let us know if you do it...and what you learn

alaskangirl · 08-02-2006, 10:23 PM

i so need an organizer to come and start this house all over again!! i would pay the money for that.

Jodie · 08-02-2006, 10:53 PM

I looked into it recently. The ones i got in contact with were jokes. Soooooooooo expensive. The one was a real snob who charged 200 just for the first visit to see what needed to be done. The other one wanted to charge me $75 and all she had to do was look at poloroids of my house and never even come here. She would tell me what needed to be done by looking at my pictures and I had to do it myself. Her follow up payments were crazy too.

Anyway i hope you find someone worth the money they charge.

allgirls · 08-03-2006, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jodie

I looked into it recently. The ones i got in contact with were jokes. Soooooooooo expensive. The one was a real snob who charged 200 just for the first visit to see what needed to be done. The other one wanted to charge me $75 and all she had to do was look at poloroids of my house and never even come here. She would tell me what needed to be done by looking at my pictures and I had to do it myself. Her follow up payments were crazy too.

Anyway i hope you find someone worth the money they charge.

I had a very similar experience. I decided to live with it until school. I will have 2hrs a day with no kids.:D I will hit it hard at that time.

allgirls

Spoodler · 08-03-2006, 08:44 AM

It sounds like you really need to purge some of the toys, not find a storage solution for them. You won't be any happier with organized clutter than you are now with just clutter.

Can you hire a sitter to entertain your kids in your house for a few hours while you do the organizer's homework?

jnbythesea · 08-03-2006, 10:08 AM

One of the best things I do when I am overwhelmed with an organization project is to bring in a heavy hitter: my mother! Or better still- my sister Donna. Man, she is like boot camp!

She barks out: keep? OK. Save? That? I think NOT.

She can whip through stuff in no time. It helps to a have an objective party making the decisions (and family and friends are free)

brensmom · 08-03-2006, 10:21 AM

i say if you feel it would be benificial for you then heck do it...i also agree once you start purging your house even toys it does make things easier we have been slowly doing this since the late winter and boy does my house stay cleaner with less stuff...