Can’t Afford a Professional Organizer?
Professional Organizer Alternatives
There is no doubt about it that professional organizers are very expensive. These professionals are essentially helping improve the quality of life for their clients -- which is why they command such a hefty hourly fee (sometimes in excess of $30 or $40 an hour). If you desire an organized home but don’t want to part with $30 an hour (or more), then you might want to consider a free alternative.
That’s What Friends (and Relatives) Are For
If you want to organize your home, pair up with a friend or relative. There are probably at least a few people in your social circle who could also use the services of a professional organizer, but don’t have the money to spend.
If you pair up with someone else who needs help organizing their cluttered home, then that person can, in turn, help you with your clutter concerns as well. While you won’t be getting the experience of a professional, you will be getting an extra set of eyes and hands to help you out in your home. Sometimes all a disorganized person needs is an objective observer who can guide them in the right direction.
You’ll Need Some Time
You can expect to devote about six hours of time per room when organizing. If you have a friend with a cluttered home office, you will need to devote two hours to sorting items and another four hours or more to purging and reconfiguring the living space.
It’s best to complete one project for your friend (or yourself) before switching homes. If you each have multiple rooms to tackle, alternate back and forth between homes on a room-by-room basis in interest of fairness, but don’t desert a project when you’re only halfway done.
With the above tips, you can get the finished result a professional organizer would provide without the price tag.