What to know about hiring a professional organizer – 2/15/2018 Washington Post article

This February 15, 2018 Washington Post Home and Garden article “What to know about hiring a professional organizer” by Kevin Brasler is worth analyzing, line by sometimes-painful line. So I’m reprinting it in its entirety, with my comments in red. A National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals colleague sent us the link via a Facebook chatroom – their reactions mirror mine.

Please share this post with anyone you know who is considering hiring an Organizer. It might answer some questions and ease some fears.

“Is your den a disaster? Is your closet so crammed that you can’t find pants and shoes that match? If you’re like many Americans, you have so much stuff that you can’t control it. So you just throw up your hands and let it accumulate.

It might be time to call in a professional organizer. These specialists can help clear out and clean up junky garages, stuffed closets, dirty dens and even your computer’s hard drive. All true!

To explore how organizers work and who would (or wouldn’t) benefit from their services, several Washington Consumers’ Checkbook staffers hired professional neat freaks to assist with their very different projects, which included a wreck of a family room, a space-challenged clothes closet and a mountain of mail. They were shocked by the differences in fees that organizers charged. One company required a $3,000 retainer, even if all that was desired was a closet redo. I kinda dislike that “professional neat freaks” slang – it’s not about getting neat, it’s about getting effective – neat may not be the goal for our clients. Can I admit I found a $3,00 retainer just a wee bit high too? EXCEPT that figure may reflect the fact that the professional in question has multiple certifications, 10 or more years of experience, has the integrity to have insurance…

[A professional organizer’s 6 resolutions for the new year]

Not surprisingly, the two most disorganized Checkbook staffers gained the most from calling in a pro; both said they’d hire help again. Our tidier bunch generally agreed that organizers had some good ideas on bringing order to a house, but they doubted they’d shell out again for these services.

[Just because an item doesn’t spark joy doesn’t mean you should toss it]

A Checkbook researcher with a toy- and book-strewn family room found that her professional organizer inspired her to sort and toss things, and leading by example helped her kids follow suit. One of her biggest takeaways: Get rid of or deal with larger stuff first, say, extra furniture or sporting equipment, because this leaves more space for dealing with what’s left behind. Yup, we come in with a fresh set of eyes and some new ideas!

A Checkbook researcher’s family room before going under a professional organizer’s scrutiny. (Gayle Krughoff/Washington Consumers’ Checkbook)

The family room after decluttering. (Gayle Krughoff/Washington Consumers’ Checkbook)

Checkbook’s research director hired a devotee of the KonMari Method (basically, trash anything that doesn’t “spark joy”) to sort through her family’s reams of paperwork. With the organizer, she went through every drawer and cleared every counter. They grouped papers by category (financial, kid art, medical), determining which could be shredded and which should be kept, finally filing what was left into neat folders. The staffer thought the advice was good, particularly the suggestion to curate children’s art, saving only a few drawings or finger paintings and photographing the rest. Still, she wouldn’t hire an Organizer again, as she felt capable of doing future projects on her own. It’s wonderful when a client gets the resources and skills s/he needs to continue on his/her own. I know it’s my goal, and the goal of many of my colleagues, to get “fired.” Nonetheless, many people who feel capable of continuing on their own may be overly-optimistic, for many valid reasons, and Organizers can continue relationships with their clients for many years.

Another staffer wanted relief from her stuffed bedroom closet. But after reaching out to several organizers, she was surprised by the prices and ideas she was getting. One pro said he would work only on her whole house, even though she just needed closet help. Another wanted $400 just to come look at the mess, then would charge more if she wanted him to do the work. In the end, the staffer went to the Container Store, where she got fast help designing a shelves-and-rods system. It cost her $400, including installation. Her observation? If you’ve got one space — a closet, a kitchen pantry — that’s a wreck because it’s not well planned, you may need new shelves and storage systems, not an organizer. The observation about a confined space like a closet is absolutely true. Only you and your conscience know whether the challenge is a lousy design or 15 little black dresses or 20 Brooks Brothers suits you haven’t won in 15 years. Or both.

Surprisingly, although Checkbook expected organizers to recommend buying expensive materials and furniture to stuff everything into, they barely mentioned buying bins, boxes and hooks; most projects involved corralling and throwing stuff away. YUP. Everybody who is good at the work doesn’t let a client buy a darn thing until the bitter end. And it’s just as likely to come from Target as The Container Store.

Start by assessing whether you really need to enlist an organizer. If you suspect you need help, then you probably do. If you are relatively neat, you can probably save money by tackling the work yourself. As true a metric for when to hire as any I’ve ever seen.

[I was getting buried in clutter. Here’s how I finally got free. ]

But if you’ve got a real mess on your hands, you might get a lot out of spending a few hours with a pro. Our test-case staffers found that it was valuable to have a stranger’s unbiased opinion, some friendly, informed guidance and another pair of hands. Downsizing seniors and people who suffer from hoarding disorders can also benefit from hiring an expert. So can busy Moms, people recovering from traumas such as illness, divorce, multiple dis-orienting relocations…

When contacting prospective organizers, ask them:

• What kinds of projects do you specialize in? Although many organizers are generalists, able to sort through and clean up closets, kitchens, garages, etc., others focus on helping downsizers, scanning photos and other memorabilia, assisting hoarders and more. Excellent observation.

• Have you completed training? Some organizers have gone through coursework in productivity coaching, chronic disorganization or interior design. Many ­organizers belong to the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), which requires members to take three courses before joining. Many of its members become CPOs (certified professional organizers), which requires 1,500 hours of documented professional experience or related education. Although NAPO’s certification program seems well conceived and well managed, know that many good organizers don’t bother seeking credentials. And this is my single biggest qualm with this entire article – I am not convinced that any good Organizers “don’t bother seeking credentials.” Let me try to qualify: many very good Organizers belong to NAPO who don’t attempt to attain Board-certification. I, however, am not convinced that anyone who wants to be truly competent at this vocation would ever refrain from joining NAPO and taking advantage of its educational opportunities. A TRULY skillful Organizer doesn’t come in and do your organizing for you: a TRULY well-trained Organizer comes in and helps you figure out what you need to keep yourself organized. Not really a subtle difference.

• What’s your approach to tackling projects? Ask prospective organizers what their typical work sessions are like. Some pros work solo, but most pitch in alongside clients. Still others come in and give you a list of things to do (ugh, homework) and come back a few weeks later to check in and assist. If you’re a real slob, hire a hands-on organizer, but if you’re confident that you can DIY the work, you can save money by finding an organizer who provides a to-do list. This is valid, and to some degree speaks to my point just above.

• Do you offer free initial consultations? Many organizers offer free phone consultations with potential clients, but it’s better if you arrange a free drop-by to get an initial evaluation and cost estimate. YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• What do you charge? Some organizers charge by the hour, others by the project. We found that some services ask for big retainers — don’t pay them unless you’ve already tried out the company and know you’ll like the results. Get specifics on fees and, if possible, an estimate for your job in writing. Expect to pay between $80 and $140 an hour, though some organizers offer packages, such as a closet clean-out for $250 or a garage sorting for $350. If you’re already relatively organized, a small kitchen tidying session might run you $200; a full-house effort for a downsizing senior might cost more than $1,000. A retainer is not an unreasonable requirement – cancellations cost professionals time, money and lost opportunities. Seems to me a more reasonable approach than “don’t do it” is: do it with a written agreement about potential return policies for retainers. Anybody charging $350 for a garage is, frankly, coming in without liability insurance at the least – NOT A GOOD IDEA.

• Can you provide references? Ask for the names and contact information of customers who had projects similar to yours or who live near you to prevent the company from handing you its usual list of favorite customers (or friends posing as past clients). But keep in mind that many organizers’ clients desire confidentiality. Yes, references are tricky. I don’t provide them, as a sample of one.

The Washington Post is partnering with Washington Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org, a nonprofit consumer group with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. Checkbook is supported by consumers and takes no money from the service providers it evaluates. You can get full access to Checkbook’s ratings and advice for free until March 15 at checkbook.org/washingtonpost/organizers.