Moving is stressful. Whether you are moving across town or across the country, there are so many factors to think about that you could feel overwhelmed in no time. There is no stress-free way to move, and in Washington, D.C., moving takes on a whole new meaning as you tackle the transient nature of military personnel and government workers who move in and out of office each election season.
Hiring a professional organizer (yes, that is a thing) can be your saving grace when you move to the DC-metro area. Hire someone who has the time to unpack and set up your belongings while you start a new job, get the kids settled into new schools, and figure out the confusing quadrant set up of the city that can cause you to be in the northwest side of the city when you meant to be on the southeast side of town.
Washington, D.C. has its fair share of professional organizers, but it can be hard to figure out where to start. Search the Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers, or check out our handy list below, pulled from personal recommendations and online reviews. No matter your budget, we are sure you will find the help you need.
Organizing Maniacs
Cris Sgrott-Wheedleton started Organizing Maniacs after she was laid off from her project management job. Her business grew as more friends referred her services, but she quickly realized she needed to educate herself on why people hoard, resist change, and need to get organized in the first place. Her team has grown, but that compassion for clients who have a hard time stepping out of their comfort zones is still there, whether you just need your home or office reorganized, or you want to de-clutter before your next move.
Getting Organized with Ellen
Ellen Gilbert loves to organize. She doesn’t just walk into a project, clean up and leave. Gilbert likes to get to know her clients with in-home or office consultations, one-on-one organizing services and follow-up communication so you can actually keep that beautiful new space organized just the way she left it. She wants to give her clients the tools to live a more stress-free life. Follow her blog for even more organizing tips you can try at home.
Let’s Get It Together Professional Organizing
After living a clutter-filled life, both spiritually, mentally and physical, Liz Mason knew she needed a change. She works with women who need to simplify their lives, and a lot of the time that means cleaning out their home or office of unnecessary items. Mason and her team can help you clear the clutter, sort your belongings, containerize items and create a system for all of that paperwork you have piling up, which will simplify your life whether you are moving or not.
Cheryl’s Organizing Concepts
Cheryl Larson believes that “being organized is a way of life, not an acquired skill.” She and her team don’t just want to swoop in to take care of the clutter; they want to help you make lasting changes. If you are moving (note: they specialize in senior moving), the team can help you figure out what to sell, what to bring, what pieces will fit in your new house, get rid of the clutter, schedule home repairs and supervise packing and unpacking at your new place.
Help Me Ronda Concierge
Sometimes you don’t just need someone to de-clutter your stuff, you need a personal assistant to do all of the random things you just can’t squeeze in before or after a move. Ronda Davis is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to organization, whether you need help unpacking, or you need to sell some of your unwanted stuff on eBay. If you want to throw a neighborhood block party before you move, she can help with that too.
Vital Organizing
As a busy professional, Emily Hemphill knows how precious your time is and how demanding life can be. She works with her clients to create tailored solutions that get your organized and keep you that way so you are efficient at home and at work. She wants to make your home and office easy to maintain long after she is gone. Hemphill is a Konmari convert and has been helping clients Konmari their way into the home they crave.
ICU Organized
Being a military wife and living in small government housing with a growing family made Michele Fortenberry sit up and realize she had to purge and get organized. She’s worked with families over the past 20 years as a childcare worker, a coordinator at a community college, and now as a professional organizer. She does not believe in judging people, as she was not always an organized person. She’s been disorganized, organized and everything in between, which allows her to have compassion and perseverance no matter where you are in your moving and organizing process.
Neat and Tidy Spaces
Coumba Peterson got her feet wet in the professional organizing world at a young age. As a child she loved to organize and rearrange her room. While her parents were working in South Africa, the American Embassy hired her to stage and organizing the homes of newly arrived families. Her upbeat, down-to-earth attitude makes it easy for her to work with people, no matter their needs, whether you need help packing up, unpacking or just don’t know how to set up a new space.
Alejandra.tv
DC-area native Alejandra Costello knew she was born for something other than IT. She figured out her passion for helping people get organized quickly, launching her own business and a series of videos that have been watched more than fifty-five million times. On her site you will find training programs, printable check lists, her favorite products to use while organizing, and how-to videos that make it easy to unpack boxes, sort papers, organize your car and more. Best of all—many of her tips and tricks are free!
Rachel and Company
As a single working mother of identical twins, Rachel Strisik knows how to stay organized. She’s worked with clients all over the Washington, D.C. metro area, so much so that she finally created a product so people across the country can get organized on their own. Her site gives invaluable tips for the nitty gritty of getting organized, but if you really want to dive in you need to grab one of her Organized In A Box kits. Her Playbook comes packed with tips, tools and tricks that Rachel has used time and again with clients, and she is convinced it will work for you too.
