6 Myths About Working With A Professional Organizer

I was obsessed with every single home design and organization show on TV as a kid, and hey, I still am, but those shows don’t even tell half the story of being a professional organizer. Every single client I work with has different needs, and one of those needs is not having a home that looks like a magazine. They need a home that looks like them and functions exactly how they see the best version of themselves. So if you’re done with DIY and considering bringing in some extra help, I’m about to bust the six biggest myths about professional organizers.

Myth #1. You need a huge budget for fancy containers.

Hold up Pinterest, did I just read that right? You mean I don’t have to have $5,000 worth of matching baskets in my pantry? Spoiler Alert! Expensive containers work exactly the same as cheap ones! They both do exactly the same thing. Whether you buy clear acrylic fancy-pants containers or plastic multi-colored ones from the Dollar Spot at Target, they both do the very same job.

Myth #2. She’ll make you get rid of half of your stuff.

I was getting my hair done last week at a salon and talking with the woman next to me. When I said I was a home organizer, she said “so you’re one of those that goes into people’s houses and throws away all their stuff?” Whoa, reality check to me…that’s what some people think I do!

Here’s the truth, we don’t throw out anything. We coach you through decision making on what stays in your home and what leaves, and if you don’t want to get rid of anything at all, that’s totally fine. Our job is to help you make decisions, but we never ever ever make you purge anything. And I guarantee we can find a nice tidy home for whatever you choose to hang onto.

Myth #3. You leave for a while, then come home to a new space.

I hate to break it to ya, but it’s almost never a teary-eyed HGTV reveal when it comes to a home organizing job. Most of the time, it’s an on-going process. That’s why we often use package pricing for multiple sessions. Yes, major transformations do happen during each session, but it’s not entirely glamorous. Sometimes our entire session is all about purging. Other times we move around furniture to find the best layout.

And most of the time, clients stay home and work with us. That’s the beauty of hiring an organizer. You get the luxury of building a newly organized space, but during your time with us, you gain priceless education on how to not only organize other spaces, but how to keep them that way.

Myth #4. She’ll silently judge your home.

Trust me, we’ve seen it all. We genuinely care about helping you improve your daily lifestyle and that starts at home. I guarantee nothing will shock us or cause judgement, because more than likely, we’ve seen so much worse. And a lot of us have once been in your shoes, too.

We honestly don’t walk into your house and see a “mess.” We see all the things that hold you back from the things you care about the most, like family time, career advancement, and rest and relaxation. And we instantly know how to fix it for you.

Myth #5. Once you’re organized, you’re done forever.

If this were true, your house would always be perfect after your last Spring Cleaning Binge Sessions. The reality is, life happens. Kids put the scissors in the wrong place, junk drawers get junky, closets get out of hand, and garages become disasters all over again. It’s hard to keep things neat, no matter how much time and effort you put into organizing them.

Most organizers like myself offer maintenance packages for busy families. It’s so wise to invest in these, because your organizer pops in every month (or whatever package routine you choose) and straightens everything back up for you. This actually saves you time and money because it avoids things from becoming a hot mess all over again and having to hire the organizer to come redo it all.

Myth #6. Everyone will think you’re a bad mom/wife.

Oh girl, if I had a dollar every time I heard this. Why does this society think it’s so terrible to reach out for help??? If you have a broken washing machine, you don’t usually Google how to fix it, find the parts you need at the store easily, pop them into the right place, and boom, it’s fixed! I mean, you can, but after all the time you waste trying to figure it out and the money you spend on extra tools and parts you broke during the process, it would’ve been so much faster and cheaper to hire a repairman.

The same should be true for organizing! By hiring a professional who knows the most efficient way to make your home functional, you get it right the first time and you save a ton of time and money DIYing it yourself.

There’s no shame in getting some help, and trust me, your friends are going to be so envious! They’ll actually think you’re an even more incredible mom and wife because you took action to make a positive change for your family. And hey, nobody says you even have to tell them!

Want to work with me to get your own house organized?

If you’re in East Tennessee or North Georgia, I offer in-home services. But if you aren’t nearby and would still like to work with me specifically, I do offer Virtual Organizing and DIY packages, as well as 30 minute Idea Sessions, where we hop on the phone and I help you get some ideas in motion. You can contact me here to get started.