Have you been watching The Home Edit on Netflix? Me too! I hope it’s inspiring you to get rid of the stuff you never use and organize your home and offices to make them beautiful and functional again.
If you haven’t seen the show, don’t worry, this post will be very helpful to anyone who wants organizing tips.
At Simply Organized, we’ve been getting a lot of calls from clients wanting us to help them do “a home edit” job at their house. We love that another organizing show (remember Marie Kondo) is inspiring people to get organized and we love to help people feel better about their spaces.
As a professional organizer for the last 10 years, I always feel like it’s my job to show you the reality of what organizing really looks like (and costs) when it’s not on TV. I love The Home Edit ladies and their style as much as you do but not everyone can afford it or keep that level of perfection maintained. I’m going to go over some differences in our systems and our costs.
SYSTEM
Just in case you have not seen the show, here is the 4 Step Home Edit method:
1. EDIT = we use the terms purge or de-clutter but it’s all the same thing. This is where you get rid of the items you no longer need, use or want.
2. CATEGORIZE = we say “like with like”. This is the part where you put all like items into categories.
3. CONTAIN = we also use the word contain but don’t usually break the bank at The Container Store the way the home edit team does.
4. LABEL = again, we use the same word and sometimes say “it’s home”. This is the part where you label the contents on the container, drawer, bin, etc. so everyone know where it lives and it goes back every time.
Our system is similar but we do usually categorize first. We believe you need to see that you have 34 frying pans to be more motivated to purge or “edit”.
The Home Edit team usually meets with the client for a few minutes and then sends them away. In each episode, you usually see them creating bins of items for the client to go through or decide on later.
We are usually working with our clients but when we are not, this is a good way to be able to organize a space without our clients present. 90% of the organizing job is the edit, purge, de-cluttering part. This requires difficult decision making from you, our clients. I wish we could wave a magic wand and make the last 20 years of stuff go away but I can’t. I always say “it did not get this way over night and it will not disappear over night either”. This process takes time. Some longer than others but I want to set the expectations very clear, You can not make your mess go away by spending a lot of money buying containers.
After we purge, we create a system for your items that works for you. Some people do not want their clothes color coordinated some want the full rainbow (ROTGBV) treatment. One of the hardest things for me is talking to clients about the pantry food storage containers. They are beautiful but is it practical for you to dump cereal out of it’s already labeled box and into a clear plastic one every day? The system needs to work for you and your family so it’s easily maintained.
We have the same goals but a different way of executing them. Simply Organized is more concerned with function and an easy maintenance for you than the more highly designed (magazine cover) spaces we see in the episodes.
COSTS
I want to address the cost of what you see on most TV shows versus our reality. This is important to set expectation for our clients. On The Home Edit, there are anywhere from 5-8 people working in one space. According to their website, they charge $185-$250 per hour for teams of 2. In Atlanta, it’s $195 per hour. If you have 5 people working on your closet, that’s $487/ hour. 8 people would be $780/ hour. This is just the labor costs. I’ve added up the costs of the supplies they use and it ranges from $500-$4000 per space for the everyday clients (not the famous ones).
Watching each episode, let’s assume it takes 3 hours to organize a closet with 5 people. The cost would be $1461 labor plus $500+ for supplies = $1961+.
We usually work send one organizer per space in a home (unless we are packing, unpacking or it’s a huge job). This may take us longer, but a normal closet, pantry, office or kitchen would be 3-6 hours. Most clients have everything they need as far as product but some may want new hangers, bins, shelves, hooks, etc. Also, we don’t do installation work but have experts we hire who charge $200-$500 to install shelving, closets, etc.
Our organizing jobs usually cost $300-$700. Of course we are happy to shop for you and buy whatever supplies you need or want. We are very cognizant of your budget and goals.
I want to set the expectations that we can make your space more functional and beautiful without spending a ton of money. The biggest thing you will spend is time and decision making.
Please contact us for questions or to book a session so we can make your home a more peaceful and simplified place to live.
Heather@simplyorganizedyou.com or 404-825-2105