So How Does it Work?
If you’ve ever wondered what professional organizing actually involves, here’s a run-through of my process. On my website, I talk about four basic steps: Discuss, Design, Declutter, and Discover. Here are those four overarching concepts in more detail.
Discuss
Consider this: the person who primarily benefits from the space you’re getting professionally organized is you—which makes you the most important part of this project. To best personalize this service to your needs, your style, and your vision, I’ll have a few questions ready for our first meeting. Naturally, the questions and topics discussed will vary based on the type of space you wish to have organized.
Whether in person or virtually, here is a list of topics we might cover:
Which part of a professionally organized space is most exciting to you and why?
In what areas of your life would you benefit most from organization?
How does the work that you do impact the organization of your home or office?
Are there systems currently in place in your home that help you stay organized?
We will go over the other three steps (Design, Declutter, and Discover) during this meeting as well, which will allow other important questions to surface. At some point, I will also ask for a few pictures of your space, as well as some key measurements, to make the transition into the next step as smooth as possible. Lastly, we’ll talk about your budget and look at an estimated project span and quote. If necessary, we will find ways to adapt the quote to your budget. This initial meeting should take about an hour.
Design
Any organizing issues you’ve listed during our meeting will get tackled during the Design portion. In this step, I will draft a digital blueprint of your space to help you better visualize the final result. The draft will include an explanation of problem-solving techniques involved in customizing the design to your needs. As you might imagine, feedback is key during this stage. We can always schedule an additional call or meeting here to delve into design details and work together to make adjustments. As your professional organizer, I am here to make your life easier so don’t be afraid to share your thoughts, opinions, concerns, and ideas with me.
Declutter
Once you sign off on the design, I can now come in and begin decluttering the space. There are two ways I like to do this and you can choose whichever you prefer.
The first approach is more “hands-off” as it allows me to sort through everything in your space on my own. I will organize everything into different categories (i.e. “to toss,” “to donate,” or “to keep”). This categorization process is a series of educated guesses based on what we discussed in our initial meetings—nothing will be tossed or donated without your explicit permission. Everything that is labeled “to keep”, however, will be reintegrated into your newly organized space. Once the space has been organized and you are satisfied with the result, we will go through everything together to determine the best course of action for the items labeled “to toss” or “to donate”. Naturally, you may decide that you would like to keep some items I assumed would be tossed or donated (or vice versa) in which case I will happily store them for you (or remove them from within the organized space). In short, if you would rather not think about decluttering at all and are eager to skip to the final result, this approach is for you. This method may also be beneficial in organizing a space where the items don’t hold as much value, such as a pantry, for example.
The second approach involves working together before I can complete the reorganization or reincorporation process. If you would prefer to sort through your belongings with me as I am purging and decluttering your space, then we will make those categorizations together. Everything that you have decided should stay will find its place within the new design, and everything else can be tossed or donated right at the start. You’ll prefer this approach if you don’t want to worry about anything else once the project is complete. You may also choose to do this if you are getting your closet organized.
Discover
This is the final and most exciting step; it’s the grand reveal. You’ll finally be able to enjoy the many benefits of a professionally organized space. You’ll feel peaceful yet energized, grounded yet motivated, elated yet satisfied—and I’m so excited for you to experience all of those things! In the weeks to follow, I will check in to make sure the design’s visual appeal, accessibility, and maintainability are still up to par. If not, I can come in to make the necessary adjustments to the design. Or you may choose to schedule Upkeeps with me—more about those here.
Now that you know exactly what professional organizing with Exquis entails, book your first appointment with me and you’ll be one step closer to that organized oasis you’ve been dreaming about.
