Let’s be honest—if we could teleport all of our belongings from one house to the next without the arduous sorting, packing and lifting, we’d be all over it. (Get on it, science!)
Yep, moving is tough work. And part of that is deciding what to do with all of the stuff you may have tucked away in various nooks and crannies throughout your home. Chances are, you’ll just put most of that clutter in a box, bring it over to your new residence, and never open it again. It’ll likely sit around taking up precious real estate or become a new pile of unorganized clutter that you swear you’ll clean up… one day.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need to do it alone. Because that’s where a professional organizer comes in. Their mission is to assess your mess, formulate an action plan to get it organized and then actually put that plan to work. Most of them understand the emotional attachment we can form to some of our clutter, and will help you work through that in a non-judgmental and empathetic way.
Word of mouth is always a great source for finding a professional organizer, but that can be tough when you’ve just moved into a new town. Organizations like the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) can help you find one in your area, often sharing their credentials and affiliations.
Below you’ll find a list of 10 organizers who came recommended by friends and colleagues and are often called upon by the media to weigh in de-cluttering tactics using their varied expertise.
Lauriann Davies Stepp, The Clutterologist
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Lauriann Davies Stepp has brought her talent for uncluttering a space down to South Florida. If she looks familiar, it’s no surprise—she’s been featured on HGTV’s Fine Living Network and Good Day Atlanta helping people sort through their clutter, with hands-on, non-judgmental guidance. She’ll help sort, purge and re-purpose everything from bedrooms and closets to garages and home offices.
Less Is More
Based in Chicago and Miami, the design-forward team of Less Is More has a keen eye for creating balance and clarity within a space. All of their services include guided de-cluttering, space planning, “where to donate” lists, strategies for keeping things organized in the long run and email check-ins to make sure you’re staying on track—how nice is that?
Beth Levin, Closet Queen
For over 15 years, Beth Levin has been revamping people’s kitchens, garages, bedrooms and helping them eliminate clutter—and the anxiety that comes with it!—one closet at a time. She goes beyond traditional de-cluttering and helps customers unpack boxes within hours of their move. She’s a Golden Circle member of the NAPO and has been featured in HGTV’s Mission: Organization.
Sort It Out FL
Lourdes, Eva and Jennie have extensive backgrounds in retail merchandising and purchasing. Needless to say, they have a knack for multi-tasking and organization. Working in tandem with clients, they establish the goals and priorities of the project ahead and create customized plans of action. They believe that, “any cluttered area can be transformed into a space that is not only functional, but enjoyable and relaxing.”
Gayle Jacobs, Actually Organized
Serving Dade, Broward and Monroe counties since 2003, Gayle Jacobs is a Golden member of NAPO and a past board member of the South Florida NAPO chapter. She prides herself on being able to relate to her clients and understand the challenges and issues that come with disorganization, clutter, and a life of overflowing schedules, activities and to do lists. She takes all of that in mind when diagnosing and creating organizational systems that are user friendly, easy to maintain and fit the specific needs of each client.
The NEAT Method
Forbes. Oprah. Vogue. The New York Times. All of them have featured the organization experts behind the NEAT method. Labeling themselves a lifestyle service, the NEAT method is committed to providing their clients with a de-cluttered living space that’s more luxurious and refined. They not only offer home organization, but will help with the logistics of your move—including unpacking, supervising home deliveries and installations and coordinating storage solutions.
Tatiana Knight, Neat With Knight
From yard sales to move-outs and move-ins, Tatiana Knight helps guide her clients through the process of de-cluttering and getting organized, one-on-one. She creates personalized plans for each client, having organized for children, young adults, adults, and senior citizens. She’s worked in offices of realtors, insurance companies, lawyers, salon owners, store owners and managed numerous garage sales, always keeping each individual client’s specific needs in mind.
Clutter Magic
The ladies of Clutter Magic believe that “organization is process, it is definitely not achieved in one day.” Which is why after de-cluttering a space, they focus on how their clients can maintain it. Through the right systems and tools, they believe that change becomes easier. They pride themselves on working with clients to de-clutter, purge, organize, sell, pack and organize at the pace their client is most comfortable moving at.
Jeremie and Kelly Barber, MeInOrder
Leaders in the professional organizing industry, Jeremie and Kelly Barber have been quoted in MSNBC, The Miami Herald and The Palm Beach Post for their wise insights in the field of eliminating clutter. Their team at MeInOrder are expert organizers, passionate about creating functional living spaces and bringing peace and clutter-free harmony to your home—even if it means making sure that on the first day of your move, you’re ready to sleep in your own bed and wake up to a pot of coffee!
Emma Jalouga, Organize2Minimize
The team at Organize2Minimize, headed up by owner Emma Jalouga, not only work to organize your space and help you relocate, they work with designers to create units for closets, pantries and garages that help their clients keep clutter to a minimum. They pride themselves on working with individuals, small businesses and families to create systems that are easy to use and maintain while staying on budget.
