We recently joined Thumbtack, and I really liked the questions they had us answer as part of our profile. I’m including them here, because I think they are useful to think about when hiring a home organizer.
How does your service stand out?
Since 2008, we at reSPACEd have been working with busy families, professionals and individuals with ADHD to organize their homes and businesses. We provide low-cost project estimates, bring in all our own supplies, and use what the client has as much as possible to keep costs low. Featured in Real Simple and Redbook, we bring a cheerful, can-do attitude to every job to keep the project fast, fun and cost-effective.
What do you enjoy about the work you do?
We love meeting you, our clients! We love hearing your stories, meeting your family, petting your dog, and most of all, helping you get organized while having fun.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your service?
We offer a low-cost initial assessment on-site at your home after which we give you a cost and time estimate for your project. Then we charge by the hour for our organizing and unpacking services. We do not charge a travel fee.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We schedule a low-cost, 60-minute initial assessment in your home. This gives you a chance to meet us, and allows us to understand the scope of your project. We type up a bid with a time/cost estimate. Then we schedule organizing sessions in 2-4 hour blocks of time. We work alongside you to help you sort through your belongings and make decisions about what to keep or discard. Then we find homes for the items that you want to keep, and we implement organizing systems. Finally, we come up with a maintenance plan so you can stay organized going forward.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
All of our organizers have at least 7 years’ of experience, with 2 of us having more than 10 years’ experience. We are all members of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), where we receive ongoing training in organizing practices and ethics. Two of us are also members of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD), a national association of professionals who have specialized training in clients with ADHD, hoarding disorder and chronic disorganization. Additionally, we frequently give presentations to other organizers on organizing topics and serve as mentors to new organizers in the Portland organizing industry.
What types of customers have you worked with?
Moms, dads, entrepreneurs, clients aged 6 to 86. People with ADHD, depression and anxiety. Academy and Grammy Award winners. Lawyers, doctors, professors, authors, artists, interior designers, editors. Lots of people in high tech, education and law. Dog lovers, cat lovers, turtle lovers. Hipsters, goths, crunchies. Basically every kind of person in every kind of home wrestling with every level of disorganization you can think of. We love them all.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a home organizer?
1. Make sure they carry insurance and belong to a professional association. That’s a short-cut way of making sure they have the professionalism and training to back up what they say they do.
2. Make sure they offer an on-site assessment. It can make you feel very vulnerable having a stranger in your house go through all of your personal things, so an initial assessment can help you feel comfortable with the person you hire.
What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
1 How do I want my space to look and function? What am I hoping to accomplish in my space?
2 What gets in the way of my space being the space of my dreams?
3 What is my timeline? Budget?
4 Am I open to making changes in my life in order to bring more organization to my space?
Like this post? Then like our Facebook page. In need of home organizing or unpacking services in the Portland, Beaverton or Lake Oswego area for your home or office? Contact us for a low-cost assessment and get a bid on your project here.
