ACCUMULATION OVER THE YEARS – DEAL WITH THROUGH PHASES

I’ve moved several times during my life which creates the added benefit of purging items that are no longer relevant to my life anymore. For those who have not had the opportunity to deal with their “stuff” through moving often find that their possessions accumulate faster than the ability to deal with them correctly. Spring cleaning is a necessary idea that should become a common practice. Recently, I had the opportunity to help clean and organize a garage that has been the storehouse of 50 years worth of collections and the merging of at least five households. Working through this kind of task can be overwhelming and must be dealt with in phases. The initial phase is to group like items into zones and designated areas. Establish areas such as automotive, construction, household, laundry, garden, sports, camping, clothing, pantry, etc… and move all those items to the appropriate areas.  Phase two is sorting those items into categories such as the automotive section should have tools, oil, antifreeze, car wax, vacuum, and other like items. Phase three is making room and storing these items based upon quantity and space needed to store these items properly. My goal is to make it just as appealing in the home as you would find in a display rack at an automotive store. I approach each area with this in mind. With projects this big you need to be flexible in thinking and adjusting space as the discovery of like items are revealed under stacks and layer of treasures. Working through a project with this process in mind you can easily clean and organize any room quickly.

FAQ – WHAT DOES AN ORGANIZER CHARGE?

A:  Just as professional doctor fees or attorney fees differ so do the fees of an organizer. Some charge by the hour and some by the project. Rates vary widely depending on knowledge and location within the United States. The average hourly rate for a professional organizer is between $55 to $85 an hour. Currently, my services are $40 an hour which is a below average hourly rate. My goal during these economic times is to continue to make organizing fun and affordable as we ride the tides of the economic graphs of the year.

Personally, I do both fees. I charge by the hour for cleaning and organizing. I charge by the project for floor plan layouts and color coordination.  See my list of services and what I charge to help you determine what is best for you.

I will soon be adding to my business the ability to bring households up to a “GREEN” level which is the up and coming nomenclature for our times as we face global warming. By spring of 2010, I will be LEED certified in home energy audits. What this allows me to do is inspect for a world wide standard of individual energy use and certify residences as qualifying for these standards. For example, this service will enable the real estate market to sale homes that are labeled with a “GREEN” energy symbol on the “FOR SALE” sign in the yard. This will help future buyers be aware that the home is a good investment. This service will also be provided to individual house holds that are looking to decrease their energy use and need a plan to achieve their goals. After the spring of 2010, I will be establishing my fees for these energy audit services. Keep posted!