How Much Does a Home Organizer Charge To Curb Your Clutter?

It’s been a few years since Marie Kondo came on the scene and spread her gospel of decluttering to the masses. Since then, shows such as “Get Organized with The Home Edit” and “Hot Mess House” have glamorized the process of tidying up—and made celebrities of the experts who do so.

 

And while few of us can actually afford to hire Kondo, there are many other skilled home organizers who have built successful businesses on helping people eliminate their clutter and reveal the home that’s been hiding under piles of stuff.

 

So how much does it actually cost to hire a professional home organizer?

 

Let’s talk dollars and cents, as well as the services a home organizer provides and how to go about hiring someone to help you curb the chaos in your home.

 

 

Home organizers help people tidy up their living spaces, whether it’s one room or the entire house and garage.

 

“Professional home organizers help declutter and organize your home or business, create systems to help make your space functional and efficient, and help you make room for what matters most,” says Jill Moore, who runs Organized Jill, a professional home organization company specializing in decluttering closets, kitchens, pantries, playrooms, and home offices.

 

Organizers often work with clients who are in the process of either relocating or going through transitions within their home that require organization, says Alana Frost, founder and CEO of Alana’s Organizing. Some of these transitions include having a baby, remodeling, or moving kids out for college.

 

“We also do a lot of space planning and design. This includes working with custom builders to design closets and storage solutions based on client needs,” says Frost.

 

When a home is being built or remodeled, home organizers create detailed inventories of stored items. They also do a lot of decluttering, sorting, and donating.

 

“Personal shopping for organizing products and storage solutions is also a central part of the work. Organizers are familiar with the best products to use and can tailor them to client needs and desires,” says Frost.

 

 

Home organizers typically charge an hourly rate, but pricing can vary from project to project. Most homeowners pay a home organizer between $250 to $750 for their services. Hourly costs can range between $80 and $140, and a typical job can take from two to 10 hours, according to HomeAdvisor.

 

“Prices can vary greatly, but typically with an increase in the price comes more expertise and higher-level services. And location counts: A higher cost of living area will see higher rates for an organizer,” says Frost.

 

 

Finding the right home organizer for your space requires asking some specific questions when interviewing the pro.

 

“Home organizing is a little different than other service industry businesses in that, by the time someone has booked a consultation with you, they have generally already checked out your website, social media feeds, client reviews, and portfolio,” says Moore. “The most commonly asked questions that I hear from my new clients are ‘How long have you been organizing?’ and ‘Can you please make my closet look like this picture I saw on your Instagram?’”

 

It’s true that an organized home is visually appealing and most home organizers display their work on social media, but the following questions are invaluable to helping you choose the right professional for your project.

 

 

“It’s important to have insurance when working inside clients’ homes, [as] there’s often expensive items that could potentially get damaged. Insurance is protection for both the homeowner and the organizing company,” says Frost.

 

 

“Organizing isn’t a one-size-fits-all job. Some organizers specialize in coaching their clients, others work with hoarding,” says Frost. “There’s also concierge-level organizing, which includes everything from having your favorite pajamas easily accessible to having your sparkling water bought and stocked in the fridge.”Do you work alone or with a team?

 

“This is super important because some clients are looking for a one-on-one approach,” says Frost. “Others have a large home that needs a lot of work done in a short amount of time. An organizing team is best suited to take on these specialized requests.”