Would you pay an organiser/ declutter/ cleaner specialist to help you restore calm in your home?

[ItsmeLu]

I’m just curious so asking the question- would you pay a fee for this? Not a monthly subscription just a one-off payment/ a few payments to somebody who could work with you to help you restore your home so it is organised and easy to keep clean and clutter free? The person would be non-judgmental but help you systemise your home so it would be easier to keep on top of etc. thanks everyone 😊

No

I know someone who has used a specialist and she was amazing
the person I know has adhd and I would say has a Bit of a hoarding problem……. She’s a single mum and can’t resist a bargain, or if someone offers her something she accepts in and becomes over run with things.

No, I wouldn't need the service. But if I were in a real mess, I would consider it depending on price.

It would have to be a true clear out and reorganise though. I wouldn't pay for it if it just involved instagram-style "decant stuff into plastic/glass jars for no real reason" and systems that people won't realistically keep on top of.

They'd also have to be helping with the getting rid of stuff. If all they did was leave me with a ton of bags that I still had to donate/sell/give away free on Facebook then that's not much help.

My house is mostly organised and not too cluttered, but there are some categories of stuff (like old photos/possessions that hold (not always the best) memories) and I’d love some help with those.
Also the attic and the garage probably need someone else’s eyes on and some energy putting into them
I bet there’s a need for someone kind to help sort through the possessions of lost loved ones. I know a fair few people (me included) who’ve really struggled with that and I, for one, didn’t have anyone I felt I could ask for help from

I would but only if they took the stuff with them when they left. Otherwise it would stay in piles in my house and eventually spread out again

so would need to be someone who was prepared to do a tip run / charity shop run or sell stuff on Vinted. Once I've decided to let it go, it needs to be gone!

I'm reasonably organised. But I watch Clutterbug on YouTube (she's in the US) and she offers a similar service over there and seems to have plenty of work. She's very good at the ADHD uncluttering methods, which work for me!

No.

If I needed this, I'd watch a few episodes of Sort Your Life Out With Stacey Solomon where they declutter hard core for inspo. If I still felt I couldn't manage it alone, I'd enlist a friend to help for a day or half a day (bribed with a meal out or drinks) to deal with the biggest problem in the house either a particular room or a particular category of stuff like clothes. I'd tell them they need to be ruthless with me and encourage less not more and then get on with it.

Thank you, everyone. There seems to be quite a lot of people who would use this service. It’s funny because I absolutely love Stacey Solomon’s ‘sort your life out’ and I guess it’s inspired me! I’m desperate to change career and am thinking about giving this business a go. Again, thanks for your responses.

Yes! Especially if they physically remove stuff and take to tip / recycling / charity shop etc.

Have a look at dilly carter’s business - she trains people to do this.

Two examples: My friend paid a professional declutterer after being overwhelmed post baby and needing to move. She has moved into her husband’s flat with all his clutter when they married. Flat was unsellable but she did all the “homework” the professional required and they had a weekly review and resetting of targets. Flat sold, they could move, husband hardly noticed anything had been chucked. (I didn’t think it was fair it was all on her, but that’s their dynamic).
My parents are paying a handyman they trust to clear their house of clutter built up over a life time. They will work through each room in turn and a trusted man with a van (and disposal licence) will take it to the tip each week. I am really excited about this as their house is very full and I think clearing it will make their lives nicer and also, eventually mine and my siblings too when they are gone.
The first declutterer was aesthetically and functionally focused and charged something like £60ph for the ideas and motivation.
The second option will physically clear things but make few suggestions. Handyman charges something like £25 an hour and man with van a bit less I think.

No, because I keep on top of stuff. Anything that is decent get taken to the local hospice hub, and anything that can't be donated gets taken to the local recycling centre.

I can't bear clutter and regularly do a sweep of cupboards and drawers.

My thoughts exactly. I don't understand why so called professional declutterers charge so much. I too thought that they would charge similar to a cleaner, as they don't actually take anything away.
I looked into using one at one point but thought they were cheeky the hourly price they were asking and didn't go ahead with it.

My DS was an OT for a mental health team and part of her role was to support people who needed this service - basically they were hoarders who could not face sorting out their homes.
If people need support in declutterring their homes, then why would they not pay for it? It sounds a good idea and is a job I’d love to do!!!

So you wouldn’t pay for a service that you don’t actually need 🤣🤣🤣

Well they don't, usually. They seem to prefer to charge £50 per hour to 'motivate' you to put your books in colour order or suchlike.

i love Sort your Life Out and Dilly but occasionally she'll do something that I think is batshit and it really puts me off - the example that really sticks in my mind is her decanting biscuits into a clear jar in a circular pattern. The pattern was very pelasing to the eye but it was inefficient spacewise and took ages and TOTALLY pointless. If someone I'd paid to help me declutter spent their time doing that I would be angry and disappointed.

Yep. That's about it 😂

I guess my comment comes from a place of finding it difficult to get my head around the need for a professional declutterer in the first place. I grew up in a dirty, untidy and cluttered house and knew that was not how I wanted to live my life.

I had a cleaner when I worked very long hours, but not once I had more time.

The thing with hiring a declutterer and/ or organiser is if you really need someone to help you with that it’s unlikely to be a one off. I think there is often a psychological reason why people hoard or are so disorganised it’s a problem for them. Without resolving that the hoarding and chaos will probably restart before their payment has cleared.

Surely people end up with constant questions, what do you want to do with this? Do you still need that?

It would make more sense to declutter a room at a time and get a cleaner to keep on top of it.
Or the cleaner to free up time for you to declutter

I wouldn’t but I know people that have; you know it’s pretty common? Like this isnt a new idea?

Following with interest. I think my DMIL will need to move into some form of sheltered housing or just something with a bit more support on hand fairly soon, and the sorting out and downsizing is a bit overwhelming for all of us (plus we live at a distance) so someone who could help with this might be a weight off. A lot of things will have a lot of sentimental memory for her and my DH so can see them getting sidetracked - not that I would not be the same, so that’s where an impartial person might be helpful, as long as they were sensitive and empathetic. As with everything it’s a service that I think would be very helpful, but no doubt quite expensive.

Surely people end up with constant questions, what do you want to do with this? Do you still need that?

To some extent, yes, you do get that, but having someone in your house to make you do it, is invaluable for some of us. I have a friend who came round and helped me twice, when she wasn't working, and it made me focus for 6 hours and we got a huge amount done. I don't want to speak for anyone else but in my case I feel overwhelmed, and I put off starting when left to my own devices.

The thing with hiring a declutterer and/ or organiser is if you really need someone to help you with that it’s unlikely to be a one off. I think there is often a psychological reason why people hoard or are so disorganised it’s a problem for them. Without resolving that the hoarding and chaos will probably restart before their payment has cleared.

I don't disagree with this on the whole, but there are lots of cases where it isn't necessarily the case. Some mentioned above - clearing an older person's house for them to move into sheltered housing, or having combined 2 homes into one, and all the people who would like to downsize from a larger home they might have lived in for 30 years or more. There are "stages of life" times for a really good clear out that lots of people would like help with, as well as people who have a real mental health issue with hoarding things. They are separate situations.

I have used someone to help me sort out and declutter when I downsized and it was worth every penny. She was calm and methodical and we got done in a couple of days what it would have taken me weeks to do on my own. She understood that some parts of getting rid of stuff is a sensitive issue and the best bit was that she took everything away so once it was cleared it was done. Most of the stuff I got rid of ended up being donated to various charities or being recycled, but the fact that she dealt with it was such a godsend. I’d use her services again in a heartbeat if and when I ever need it.

I would. I need some motivation to do it