Room-by-Room Organizing & Editing – Space Assessments
Maintenance Plans – Change-in-Lifestyle Organizing – FAQs
Our first meeting will be an initial assessment of the space that needs to be organized. This will help determine the scope of the work to be done. Together, we will discuss what's already working for you and what is not, and we'll make an appointment and create a plan for how to proceed. We will discuss expectations (yours and ours) about the final outcome, and then schedule an appointment for the fun part: organizing and editing.
Just like owner Heather Lambie learned in Journalism school, we will EDIT, EDIT, EDIT, which is why we call our team of organizers "Home Editors". One of our Home Editors will help you maximize the space you have by purging what you no longer need, use, or love, and being very selective in keeping what most enhances your home and your current life. As we work with you we'll share basic organizing principles you can use when we're gone to maintain your newfound and oh-so-valuable living space.
Your Home Editor™ is bonded and insured for your protection.
If it is not in your budget to work with one of our Home Editors for multiple sessions, we suggest a one-time Space Assessment between yourself and our Home Editor in Chief, Heather Lambie, about the state of your space. Heather will walk through your home with you and develop a professional assessment with suggestions and solutions for how to deal with problematic areas. Heather will provide you with a plan of attack and some basic organizing principles you can immediately put to use. In addition to a typed, detailed plan, you will receive a personalized list of recommended organizing items for your space as well as a list local of donation sites suitable for items you may wish to part with.
After establishing a system that works for you, if you still feel that you would like someone to guide you through the process (but not do it for you) one of our Home Editors can be made available for periodic visits and assessments through a Maintenance Plan that suits your schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly). We will coach you through the organizing process by giving you homework assignments to work on between sessions to keep you accountable for your decisions. We hope to equip you with the tools to form life-changing habits.
Your Home Editor™ offers move-in services to help clients get through a variety of stressful lifestyle changes that include:
- Merging the items of two households when couples move in together or get married.
- Setting up an orderly nursery for a new baby.
- Making a comfortable and functional living space for an elderly parent joining a household.
- Helping empty nesters reclaim space after teenagers move out of the home.
- Helping new homeowners unpack so their home is move-in ready when they arrive (whether it is a local or out-of-town move).
Your Home Editor™ can. . .
- Act as an impartial third party to help with decision-making and downsizing from two sets of dishes, two sets of linens, etc., when two homes merge so the new home has just ONE set of everything.
- Space planning and furniture placement in a new home.
- Meeting with the movers and helping on moving day.
- Unpacking boxes as soon as they arrive.
- Arranging for storage facilities when needed.
- Returning after the move for more downsizing or organizing as needed.
Your Home Editor™ is bonded and insured for your protection.
HOW DOES YOUR PRICING/PAYMENT WORK?
Your Home Editor™ works by the hour in half day (3-hour) or full day (6-hour) sessions. At the Initial Assessment, a time estimate can be given for the job.
Payment
Your Home Editor™ currently requires payment at the end of each session by cash or personal check. You may pay via credit card using the link below. A retainer of 50% of the first session is required to book an appointment after the initial assessment.
| 3 Hr. Organizing Session | |
| 3 Hr. Session with 2 Organizers | |
| 6 Hr. Organizing Session | |
| 6 Hr. Session with 2 Organizers | |
Pre-Session Assessment |
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| Space Assessment/Consultation |
Cancellation Policy
Client may cancel or reschedule a planned organizing session within 24 hours of scheduled session with no penalty. If client cancels or reschedules session with less than 24 hours notice to Your Home Editor™, client will be responsible for paying Your Home Editor™ for 50% of the planned session.
Gift Certificates
Gift certificates are available for all occasions. They are ideal for birthdays, housewarmings, home closings, weddings, births/adoptions and retirements.
ARE YOUR SERVICES EXPENSIVE?
When considering whether or not a professional organizer is cost effective for you, consider this: decluttering and organizing can actually save you money! Every month you pay a mortgage (or rent) and that money is paying for every square foot of your home. So if your living room or a spare bedroom is full of clutter and is unusable, you're wasting a good portion of your monthly housing expenses on "storage fees" for stuff you don't use. You're not getting your money's worth out of your home!
Also, when you organize and regain closet space or kitchen cabinet space, or even garage space, it's like building an addition on your home. You may even end up making money when you organize, by eliminating the need for outside storage facilities, finding things you thought were lost, taking a tax deduction for donated items, or selling unneeded items on eBay. And of course, you cannot put a price tag on the sense of calm and fulfillment that comes from an efficient, organized home.
WHAT IS MY ROLE IN THE ORGANIZING PROCESS? DO I NEED TO BE PRESENT?
We like clients to be present for the organizing sessions so they can take ownership of the process and make decisions on what stays and what goes. However, Your Home Editor™ maintains regular business hours (no evenings or weekends), so if you need organizing help but cannot be home during the week because of your work schedule, we offer Organizing in Absentia, where we will meet you at your space in the morning, get specific instructions on what you'd like accomplished and what should not be touched or moved. One of our Home Editors will then do all the work for you while you're away and you'll come home to an expertly organized and newly-functional space! This option is not available for work on home offices. The homeowner must be present for home office sessions.
IS IT OKAY TO GIVE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER ACCESS TO MY PERSONAL PAPERS AND BELONGINGS?
Yes. Your Home Editor™ is a completely confidential service and our approach is non-judgmental. We have pledged to follow the NAPO Code of Ethics which we requires that we serve our clients with integrity and objectivity, treat them with respect and courtesy, and that we will keep all client information (business and personal) confidential. We take this oath very seriously. Further, Your Home Editor™ is bonded and insured for your protection. If you would like to read what some of our clients have said about our organizing services, please visit the About Us page.
WILL I HAVE TO BUY A LOT OF ORGANIZING PRODUCTS?
Not necessarily. We try to work with what you already have, thinking creatively to find organizing accessories and solutions that fit your budget. If products are needed, we will make recommendations and you may buy them for a follow-up session. OR if you prefer to have a professional find you the perfect organizing tool or storage option, after assessing your space, Your Home Editor™ will shop for you, purchase products, bring them to you, and install them when needed. This service is provided at the regular, hourly rate.
ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE ME THROW MY STUFF AWAY?
No. We will never force you to throw anything away. We recognize that eliminating items can be tough, but doing so is a necessary part of the process, and can lead to unbelievable transformations. We are firm in our belief that you should only have things in your home that you love and use every day.