It can be intimidating to contact a professional organizer for the first time. People feel self conscious about their space, or think they are a failure for asking for help. But we’re in the business of helping you function at your best through organization.

The other day I asked members of my performing artist circle what their worries and expectations are with hiring a professional organizer. I wanted to address concerns others really have and not assume I know what their worries are. Without further ado, here are some of those questions answered!

They will think I’m a hopeless trash panda.

First off, I love trash pandas! Anyone who doesn’t think raccoons are freakin’ adorable is just plain crazy.

Now that that has been addressed, organizers come into the industry because they want to help, not because they want to judge others on the amount of clutter they have. Quite frankly, we wouldn’t have a job if it weren’t for those who have become disorganized, so it would be pretty mean of us to come in with judgement.

We realize that most clutter is just situational…it’s not indicative of anything wrong with the owner of the clutter. It just means they have other priorities in their life that has gotten in the way, or they just aren’t naturally inclined to organization because they have other skills they specialize in.

It’s ok. You are not hopeless. You just need a helping hand.

It’s gonna be suuuuuper prohibitively expensive, especially when thinking about the labor fee and the items I’ll probably have to buy.

Before I fully get into this one, I do need to address something.

We live in a society where many people are only making enough to meet their basic needs or less! And no matter how much help having an organized life is, it doesn’t beat the need for basic clothing, food, and shelter. So being able to have any discretionary funds to consider using toward hiring a professional organizer is something to be grateful for. I am someone that would like to find a way to serve those with extenuating circumstances, but I also have to balance that with meeting my basic needs as well.

So with that said, my answer is directed to those who tend to have a bit of discretionary funds available in their budget…

Hiring a professional organizer can be less expensive than you think. The fees organizers charge vary from person to person as well as regionally. In addition, more and more organizers are offering virtual services, which can be less expensive than an in person session. Some organizers post their rates on their websites, so be sure to check out a few to find a price range you are comfortable with.

To help you get the best bang for your buck, I have a few recommendations.

First, follow a few professional organizers that you may want to hire on social media. This will help get a feel for their personality and their organizing style. Many also offer organizing tips and challenges that you can try out for yourself, and therefore maybe have one less area you would need help tackling. But mostly, you want to work with someone you click with, where you both are on the same wavelength and communicate easily with one another.

Second, when it comes to containers, use what you have. Old shoe boxes, that old cell phone box you never tossed, old Tupperware containers you lost the lid to, and some masking tape and a marker for labels. You can use these containers to keep like items together and stored on a shelf. Organizing containers don’t need to be pretty, they just need to keep categories of items together in one place. After your items are contained in an organized manner, you can decide whether you would like different storage options and buy exactly what you need. While the cost of containers can add up, there are some attractive organizing options available at The Dollar Tree that are pretty inexpensive. And if you work with a professional organizer, let them know it’s important to you to keep container costs down.

Lastly, if you have a budget you are trying to stick to, let the professional organizer know. We often have other options available, or can direct you to another colleague who can meet your requirements.

If I got an organizer to help me, I won’t have the skills to keep myself organized.

When I joined the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), in one of the first classes I took, we discussed transferring skills to our clients. While I can’t speak for any professional organizer that isn’t part of NAPO, and can say that among NAPO professional organizers, we often work with our clients to transfer some of our skills to them.

There are many organizers out there that work side by side with clients, helping them to declutter by asking questions, showing how to fold pants in a new way, and how to maintain their newly established systems. They will discuss new habits with the client to help the organizing work stick.

Can an organizer help me get to the root of the cause if my disorganization if it’s more than just bad habits?

Many organizers have different specialties. Some get training to recognize signs of ADHD and other neurodivergent issues that may come up. Others specialize in helping those that have been diagnosed as having a hoarding disorder. It’s important to note that professional organizers are not therapists. However, some organizers can work closely with a therapist, given the client has expressed that desire and has given the proper permissions. If you are in search of that kind of work, speak with your therapist, as they may already have someone they can recommend you to. If they don’t, a search of professional organizers with one of these specializations is available via the NAPO website. The Institute for Challenging Disorganization is also a great resource for organizers that specialize in helping those that may need special care.

Maintaining organizational systems afterward. Are there quarterly check-ins to see what’s working, what needs refinement, etc?

This is all dependent on the client’s needs. Once a relationship is established with an organizer, most would be happy to discuss setting up a maintenance plan if needed. After all, sometimes it can take some tweaking to get the system just right. However, it is the goal of the organizer to establish the systems in the home that work well with the client’s way of thinking and learning so they may be maintained on their own, or at least quickly recovered.

So your home is perfectly organized all over, right?

LOL, no, I wish. Although most items have their home, some areas still look cluttered (at least for my taste). I also live with someone with a different tolerance level to clutter than I do. Though I can’t blame him for all the clutter. I myself have a project pile that I need to get cracking on.

I hope these answers are helpful for you. The main takeaway I have for anyone though is that it’s important to research professional organizers you may want to work with. Visit their website, interact with them via social media, and even schedule a call with them. You will want to work with someone that can address your specific needs, and that has a personality that meshes well with your own.

Have any more organizing questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments below!