professional organizer Archives

What Questions Should I Ask a Professional Organizer?

February 3, 2022/in Professional Organizer /by Christy B

When you decide to team up with a professional organizer, you might be unsure what to ask this person. To help you find the right person for your needs, consider asking them the questions below. Their answers can help you decide if they have the qualities that you are looking for so that you can get organized!

What Area is Your Expertise?

From helping seniors with downsizing to assisting new parents in clearing clutter, there are many specialties when it comes to organization. Also, some professionals focus on homes while others help businesses. Look for an expert in the service you need.

How Long Have You Been in Business?

Look for someone who has experience under their belt. After working with several clients, a decluttering pro can tackle your home or business with ease based on what they’ve learned from previous projects. This person is more likely to have a smoother approach than someone new to the world of organization.

Do You Have Client References?

Getting references from the organizer will give you access to the people they’ve worked with before so that you can determine if they were satisfied with the experience. If the prospective organizer is hesitant about providing you with references, it might be a “red flag” that they are not trustworthy or high quality.

Do You Arrange to Donate Items?

When hiring someone, you want to make sure that they can help you with specific upcoming tasks. That may include arranging for pickup or drop-off of donations as you declutter the house. A pro who takes care of this part of the project relieves you of this task so you can focus on other things.

When Are You Available?

Teaming up with an expert who is available when you are is essential. So, be sure to ask what days and times they can work. Also, inquire if each meeting is in-person or virtual choose which option you prefer if both types are available.

How ClutterBGone Answers the Questions Above

The professionals at ClutterBGone have been helping people organize their homes and businesses since 2011. We provide a range of services, including small office/home office organizing, downsizing/packing/move-in organizing, home reno organizing, and maternity organizing.

Browse our services page to see what we offer and the different ways we can help you. We respect your belongings and confidentiality. Rather than doing the work for you, our professionals support and work cooperatively with you to achieve the set objectives.

We meet in-person or virtual, depending on what is comfortable for you. Our organizers have flexible hours, working around what is best for you. References are available upon request, and we are happy to arrange donation drop-off or pickup if you want it.

Feel free to ask us questions and finally get the support you’re looking for. We can also show you how to maintain any organizing systems we help you create in the home or office. It’s time to take back your space, and we can help you do so!

What Will a Professional Organizer Do For Me?

February 5, 2020/in Professional Organizer /by Nikki

When you walk into a well-organized space, the calmness that is instilled is both tangible and intangible. You feel physically calm because the clean surfaces provide an escape from the cluttered outside world. There is also a mental calmness and clarity that increases quality of life and brings joy and productivity. As a professional organizer, we help you achieve a tidy, well-organized home. More than that, however, we help you create spaces that serve you and help you create the life you are supposed to have. We do this by working with our clients to personalize their home to fit their needs.. Here are some things we do with our clients.

Give purpose to your space

Do you have a “catch-all” drawer or table at your home or in your office? Even worse, is your home office your “catch-all” for life’s overflow? We help our clients create systems of organization that will give every space a purpose. When there is a system in place to organize a space, it will be easy to maintain. When your physical space is easy to maintain, it makes life easier to maintain. The project you’ve been working on will be completed faster, your kid won’t avoid their chores so much, and you’ll finally finish that book you started last year. Giving purpose to your space will allow life to flow more seamlessly and without disruption.

Stress relief from the outside in

Life is better when it is streamlined and simple. As a professional organizing company, there is nothing more rewarding than helping our clients find peace in their homes for the first time. We help them achieve a space that brings order and cleanliness to their lives and their minds. People that live in chronic anxiety and overwhelm are able to breathe and live in the moment when a professional organizer works with them on a space- whether that space is an office or home.

Help you live the life you want

When less time is spent organizing life, there is more time to enjoy life. If you’ve ever questioned why we do what we do, this is it. We take pride in helping our clients flourish and grow into the people they want to be and to live the life they’ve always wanted by clearing the clutter. We do our job to create a clear and tidy platform upon which our clients experience life.

A professional organizer will help you find organization in different spaces in your home or office. Throughout the process, however, the client reaps benefits that are often unexpected. Some people increase productivity in their new space, form new relationships, and sleep better at night. There is so much in life that clutter and disorganization stands in the way of. The true purpose behind the work of a professional organizer is allowing the client to experience life in a whole new, clearer, relaxed way. What can a professional organizer do for you? They can help you achieve the dreams, happiness, and life that you’ve always wanted for yourself. Call us to book your consultation – don’t wait any longer.

The Best Ways to Organize for an Estate Sale

January 21, 2020/in Estate Organizing /by Nikki

Estate sales are happening all of the time. You’ve seen the signs. When it comes time for you to organize for an estate sale, you may find yourself a bit overwhelmed. Don’t worry, because we will outline the best ways to organize for an estate sale. Whether you find yourself suddenly needing to hold an estate sale because of a death, divorce, or some other immediate need to sell a home, you can use this guide to make your life easier.

Catalog everything in your home that you will be selling. This is a basic inventory check, so you can track everything more easily.
Anything you will not be selling, take note of it and set it aside. If they are belongings of others, inform them and provide a final date for when they can pick them up. Anything left over should be included in the estate sale.
Donate items that are not worth selling or have a free section at your estate sale.
Where there are lots of things that you need to throw out, rent a dumpster, so you can throw out many things at once, easily. A dumpster company can take away the items you throw out at a recurring set time, such as once a week. It may be difficult to part with certain sentimental things, but you will have to eventually split up your emotions from your junk.
Clean anything that you are selling, since this will raise their value at your sale.
Research what pricing should be for any of the items you are selling. Avoid pricing things too high, since you are trying to get rid of things and people are looking for a good deal. If you are unsure what you should price something, price it at the higher end so you have some room for price negotiations.
Print out price tags for everything, to save you time and energy.
Set up everything in the home to be on the perimeters of all the rooms, to make it easier for people to browse.
Anything still in your home that you are definitely not selling should be labeled as such.
Have people helping with security, so nobody runs off with things you aren’t selling that are still in your home.
Have helpers with collecting money from people who are buying things. You should also have helpers to assist with moving the big items, such as furniture, out of your home.

If you find all of this overwhelming, you can contact us for support. We can help you with all of your organizing needs, so you can breathe easy and focus on promoting your estate sale to get more people to come and take your old treasures. The next time you plan to organize an estate sale in the Toronto area, contact ClutterBGone to schedule a free per-assessment chat, with no obligation.

The Truth about Professional Organizing and Home Staging

January 8, 2020/in Professional Organizer /by Nikki

Professional organizing and home staging are two terms that are not interchangeable, so understanding what the difference between them is will help you choose the right service for you. Here’s how professional organizing and home staging differ.

Professional Organizing

Professional Organizing services are for individuals or business owners wanting to have organization and ease brought to their lives. Professional organizers will assess organizing styles and preferences, guiding homeowners through the difficult decisions they will undoubtedly face. They have both the skill and proper training to provide clarity and guidance when needed. It can be difficult to part with something that may seem important, but you will be relieved when you do. Professional organizers are meticulous and hold the necessary expertise to sort out all the essential items you need to keep, as well as which ones you can get rid of.

Professional organizers do all of the physical labor, so you don’t have to. They will coordinate pick-ups with donation centers and junk removal services. They will also use the services of consignment shops, shredding companies, cleaning companies, auction houses, and charities. Homes are generally packed in just a few days, meaning you will not have to be surrounded by boxes for weeks on end. A home can look and function well within just a few days – leaving the individual(s) feeling more relaxed, calm and stress-free in their own space.

Home Staging

Home Stagers are skilled in setting scenes within a home, so you get as much as you can when you sell your home. Home stagers are also usually interior decorators. This is a service you would use when you don’t have the patience to go through every item you own to figure out whether to get rid of it or keep it. Home staging de-personalizes a home, while highlighting its most impressive features. The home is made to appear brighter, warmer, and more inviting. As on a stage, home staging is all about creating the illusion of a home looking in a way it normally does not. It is meant to be done in order to sell a home.

For Our Realtors

At ClutterBGone, we work collaboratively with Home Stagers. We help home-owners wanting to sell, declutter and organize their space before staging – if staging is needed.

We partner with realtors to get their listings on the market quickly and add value to their client’s experience to ensure a smooth transition. Check out our Realtor Program here.

Holiday Organizing Tips

December 11, 2019/in Home Organizing /by Nikki

The holidays are an absolute wonderful time of year, without question. However, sometimes, we’re left feeling more stressed-out over our to-do lists and planning to enjoy it fully. We’re hoping to help you out a little here, with some holiday organizing tips.

There’s An App For That

We all tend to stress-out a little (or a lot) over our shopping lists and to-do lists this time of year. But what if we had an app to help us stay focused and on-track? Zapier has provided a list of iphone apps that will help you list and keep track of your shopping items, gifts, groceries and more. And Ubuntupid shares their top Android to-do list apps here. I’ve used the simple Samsung Notes app to keep track of my holiday shopping list. I’ve found it quite helpful in keeping me organized this time of year. Using a list will ensure you don’t over-spend, or buy the same gift twice by mistake!

Manage The Unneeded Gift Clutter

Just because someone has given you a gift, doesn’t mean you have to keep it. The joy is in the giving and receiving. As Marie Kondo put it ‘Presents are not things, but a means for conveying someone’s feelings.’ Try not to keep a gift out of obligation or guilt. This will only clutter up your home with items that don’t bring you joy. Perhaps even consider re-gifting to someone you know will enjoy the gift very much.

Holiday Cards Are Everywhere

Holiday cards are coming by mail in the masses. Your counter spaces and table-tops are covered with holiday cards for lack of other places to put them. Consider archiving the ones you absolutely cherish – the ones with the family pictures attached for example. Place them in a keep sake tote and only display a few. We’ve even been known to display some of our favourites on the Christmas tree. Archiving some of the cards will cut down on the cluttered feeling – and you will have peace of mind knowing that the ones you wish to keep are filed away.

Schedule Your Time

Time – oh my! This is maybe the biggest stressor over the holiday season. Try scheduling your time backwards from the holidays and block off specific time periods to do certain tasks. Don’t just block a Saturday off for ‘shopping’ – be as specific as you can. From 9-2pm on Saturday you’ll be Holiday shopping. Block off times for baking, wrapping, visiting. An organized calendar will help with the chaos the holiday season can sneak in.

Organize as many tasks as you can this holiday season and you might just find yourself enjoying this special time of year a little more than you have in the past. Our wish for you! If you need a little extra support – we’re always here.

Who Would Hire a Professional Organizer?

October 30, 2019/in Professional Organizer /by Nikki

When it comes to organizing your home or space, it can be hard and overwhelming for anyone to know where to begin. How do you make your space work for you and your family? Many every day stresses get in the way of making your home-organizing a priority, and so the overwhelm continues.

Professional Organizers do more than just organize your spaces and put items into labelled bins for you. They are trained specialists who help people create order where it is lacking in their lives. They can help you make long-term improvements and keep disorder at bay.

Here are just a few reasons why someone might hire a Professional Organizer, and some various ways in which they can help.

When Time Is Lacking

You know that a well-organized environment is important for your overall well-being, but you’re stretched much too thin. Whether it be with driving your kids to sports events or your work schedule – hiring a professional organizer might just be the solution for you. Maybe you commute to work and by the time you get home, there’s just little time to do the things that warrant your attention such as making dinner and helping the kids with their homework. You don’t want to be spending those few hours at home with your family organizing your home.

Work From Home Office

You work from a home office, putting in long hours and the last thing you want to do at the end of your day is organize your paperwork and files. Hiring a professional organizer can take a mound of stress off your shoulders and tackle the office organizing for you.

You Don’t Know Where To Start

Decluttering and organizing is one of the most challenging and time-consuming things a homeowner has to do from time to time. If you feel you need to declutter and you have no idea where to begin, a quick consultation with a professional organizer may help a lot. The organizer will provide ideas and processes that will kick start your decluttering journey. And, of course they are also available to take on the task of decluttering and organizing for you all together if you find you just want to have someone else manage it for you.

New Baby On The Way

It goes unnoticed sometimes just how much time, effort and not to mention expense goes into planning for a new baby’s arrival. Oftentimes people over-spend on items they may never need, causing overwhelm and clutter in an area that requires peace and tranquility. A professional organizer can suggest items for the baby’s room, layouts that work and are functional and even help set up the room to ensure a peaceful transition for everyone involved, including the baby!

As we mentioned above, Professional Organizers do so much more than just put your items into categorized piles. We all lead very busy lives – we need to give ourselves a space that we can come home to and feel a little less stressed, and a whole lot more relaxed. We have professionals help us with so many other areas of our lives like our taxes, tutors for our kids, barbers… why not consider the help of a professional organizer to help you get your home organized. Contact ClutterBGone for a no-obligation, complimentary consultation.

Tips To An Organized Bedroom Space

September 25, 2019/in Decluttering /by Nikki

Your bedroom is the first thing you will see every morning, and the last thing you see every night. An organized bedroom will help you sleep, put you in a better state of mind, and help you get your days (and nights!) started on the right foot.

If you’re ready to de-clutter your bedroom and turn it into a beautiful, serene, and organized place, here are some top tips on how to do so.

Organized Bedroom Tip 1: De-clutter Your Bedroom

Even the cleanest bedroom will look chaotic if you simply have too much stuffed into drawers and bursting out of your closet. Go through your clothing, shoes, and accessories – and be honest with yourself. Does it fit? Have you ever worn it? Are the tags still on and you bought it 2 years ago?

Donate the items you have never used, haven’t worn in years, or don’t like anymore. If it’s too stained or damaged to donate, start a toss pile. You’ll probably also find stuff that actually doesn’t belong in your room. You can put them in a pile to take to the correct room after you’re done in the bedroom.

Reducing the amount of ‘stuff’ you have will make finding the ‘stuff’ you truly love easier – and will also help you better organize what’s left.

Organized Bedroom Tip 2: Improve Storage Efficiency

Do you know what’s lurking under your bed? Storage units like roll-out drawers under your bed can help you turn this space into extra storage for off-season clothing, extra bed linens, or other items you don’t use very often.

If you’re planning on updating your bed frame, choosing one that has a storage unit for the head board can add space for books, pictures, and other decorative items.

There are lots of wonderful ways you can add more space for storage, such as laundry bags that hang from the back of your door, to hanging shoe organizers. Figure out what you need more space for, and check out the many options available.

Organized Bedroom Tip 3: Put Things Away Neatly

Once you’ve de-cluttered and gained more storage space, fold your clothing as you put it away, and store your lose items neatly in boxes. You’ll be able to fit more in if things are put away properly. It will look better – and you’ll feel better about it too.

Organized Bedroom Tip 4: Detail Your Vanity Top

Our night stands, vanities, and other bedroom surfaces tend to pile up with clutter quickly. Clearing them off and making them beautiful will not only make your bedroom a more pleasant place to sleep, it’ll make you less likely to clutter it up again.

Ideas for beautiful vanity top organizers include displays for your jewelry, decorative boxes, or nice baskets. You can get creative with what you choose to put on top of your vanity, including DIY items as well as those available at shops.

It takes time to make a bedroom beautiful again. It didn’t get disorganized overnight, and it isn’t going to be perfect in just one day either. Take your time sorting out the bedroom, and break it up into small pieces if you need to. Even a small amount of progress will make you feel better about your room, and better about yourself too.

And of course – if you need a little extra guidance and support – we are just a phone call away!

How To Organize Your Car

September 18, 2019/in Professional Organizer /by Nikki

An organized car, like an organized office, makes spending time there a lot nicer.

We spend a lot of time in our cars. From driving to work in the morning in rush hour to shopping, visiting friends or family, running kids to events or even just for the pleasure of driving, there is hardly a day that goes by that you don’t get into your car.

For many people their car shows off their personality and tells the world a little bit about themselves. A fast sports car, a large family car, a working truck all say something about their drivers. How we look after our cars tells people something as well.

We never want to come across as disorganized. An organized car shows people that you are an organized person. Sometimes, though, we don’t have the time to pay enough attention to these things.

If you’re constantly losing and searching for items in your car, suffering constant breakdowns and embarrassed about anyone seeing the inside of your vehicle, it might be time to organize your car.

So, how do I organize my car?

An organized car is one that is clean, tidy, well-maintained and provisioned. It’s easy to do and is well worth the pay off.

To start with, completely empty out your car including the trunk. It’s best to start with a clean slate. To this we can add, rather than take away. It’s also a great chance to clean your car and find lost items. Grab a garbage bag and throw away any rubbish, hoover it out, and clean any surfaces and windows. The first time might take a while, but it will be quicker and easier the next time.

Organizing your documents is the most important thing to do. Insurance and registration should always be with you. But maintenance records, owner’s manual, and receipts are useful to carry around as well. I like to put mine in a folder with separate pockets. You can put this underneath the driver’s seat if your glove box isn’t big enough.

Keep a page with a note of the last time your car had an oil change, new tires or brakes, and an engine service among other things in the folder as well. This will focus your mind on getting those things done before something breaks down. A well maintained and organized car won’t let you down and will be cheaper to run in the long term.

The trunk is a great place to keep bulkier items. If your car does breakdown, or you get stuck somewhere in bad weather, being well organized and prepared will make a world of difference. Besides the obligatory spare tire, keep a fully stocked first aid kit, blanket, bottled water, jumper cables and a fresh pair of socks. Trust me on the socks.

Finally, a roll of garbage bags, a pack of wipes and some emergency cash in your glove box will come in handy. You can hide the cash in an envelope if you are worried about it.

A car is a tool. The better we treat it, the more useful it will become. A car helps you get places. An organized car just makes the journey more enjoyable! Call us if you need some help!

Fall Organizing Tips – Where Do I Start?

September 4, 2019/in Home Organizing /by Nikki

Fall seems to be the season for fresh starts. The crisp and cool mornings and the new school clothes get you in the mood for organizing this time of year. You feel the urge to get yourselves and your home in great shape. But you may be asking yourself – where do I begin? If this sounds like you, the following Fall organizing tips may help you get started with your organizing:

Fall Organizing Tip 1: Simplify morning routines

If your Fall mornings tend to feel a bit busied and chaotic, try simplifying your routines. Ensure that the everyday essentials required by your kids in the morning are easily accessible such as back packs, sports gear etc – perhaps at the door so they can see it and grab it on the way out. With regards to the dreaded lunch making – try setting up bins in your refrigerator that the kids can pick items from and assemble their own lunches.

The most common problem between you and an organized home is simply just a lack of routine. Have a look at your current daily routine and try to establish new ways of planning out how to maximize your time. Get your kids involved too – they’ll love it. Having an organized morning routine will leave everyone feeling less stressed and ready for the day.

Fall Organizing Tip 2: Do you wear it?

A simple technique to organize any closet is to get rid of the clothes you don’t wear at the end of each season. Try looking at your closet with a fresh set of eyes. Clear out your unworn shorts and sundresses at the end of summer so that you have less clothing to store and fewer accessories to deal with. Put the clothes that you wish to keep in a labelled bin ready for easy access for the next appropriate season. If you find items in your closet that you won’t wear again – ever – then it could be time to take a trip to Goodwill or – ClutterBgone is a proud supporter of the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness. They will happily take your gently used items and put them to good use.

Fall Organizing Tip 3: Organize the kitchen

I don’t know about you, but I tend to slack off in the ‘home cooking’ department during the summer months. Everyone is so busy running here and there so quick meals tend to be our go-to. When the Fall rolls around however, I love an organized kitchen. When my kitchen is clean and well-organized, I feel I can tend better to the needs of my family by cooking healthy meals, turning on the crock pot and locating my apple peeler. Ensure that your kitchen drawers are ‘junk-free’ and that the utensils you use often are easily accessible. Consider purchasing small bins (dollar store) for your food pantry and labeling them for such things as your cereal, pasta, kids snack crackers etc. It gives a neat and organized feel.

Try one or two areas at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to organize every area of the house in one weekend. Grab a nice pumpkin latte (if that’s your thing) and enjoy the crisp cool breezes of Fall. Remember, we are always here for you. Should you need some extra guidance or support, we are just a phone call away and would love to assist you in your organizing needs this season.

Organize For Back To School

August 28, 2019/in Home Organizing /by Nikki

Organization is key if you want to avoid stressful back to school mornings. The summer holiday is over and the fun is coming to an end. The time creeps up on most parents and we leave the planning until the last minute – leaving room for stress. You end up looking for unorganized school items for hours. We want to provide you with some tips on how to organize for back to school to help make it as smooth of a transition as possible.

Create a checklist

Before the day sneaks up on you, make it a point to create a checklist of all the things the kids need prior to going back to school. Are their supplies in order? Do they need new supplies? Have they outgrown their clothes over the summer break? Where are their school bags? Do they need new indoor shoes? Create a checklist and tick whenever you have something ready.

Adjust your clock

This might sound simple or silly but it’s very effective and makes such a difference. Set all the clocks in the house ten minutes ahead. The most common mistake families make in the morning is underestimating the time it takes to do something. For example, they may think it will take 10 minutes to get ready while in reality, it will take 20.

Organize kids’ closets

If you don’t organize your kid’s clothing well, they will likely head out the door wearing their Sunday best clothes without any worry – or worse – the joggers with the holes in them. You could try picking out their clothes every weekend and placing them on five hooks in the closet, one for every day of the week.

Organize paperwork

If the kids came home with paper piles to be signed as well as permission slips, be sure to sign them before they go back to school. Back to school means back to sports, field trips and other school programs and you don’t want your kids to miss any or tell you the day before the trip.

When parents are faced with the back to school rush, they feel like there is no time to organize. Professional organizers advise you to take things slowly. If you are overwhelmed, you can always get a professional organizer to guide you on how to avoid all the stress and rush that comes with going back to school – and all throughout the school year too!

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