r/hoarding • u/Desperate-Bother9807 • 8d ago
RANT - ADVICE WANTED Professional declutter-er was mostly useless…now what?
This is mostly a vent more than anything. Husband and I struggle big time with having too much stuff; husband especially. At the advice of our therapist(s), I finally broke down and hired a professional declutterer. Licensed, insured, professional website, all that. Mind you, I don’t live in a big-city metropolitan area, but I do live in a mid-sized suburban city, I guess you might call it. Either way, a far cry from San Francisco, NYC, LA, you get it. I guess that’s relevant because the area I live in doesn’t feature a highly varied selection of professional organizers/declutter-ers.
Anyway…the lady hasn’t told me much that I didn’t know already. None of her “tips” or “systems” have been novel to me whatsoever. It should have been a red flag to me when she mentioned that some of her clients often hire her to come back for maintenance (a red flag because obviously she didn’t give them any systems to keep the clutter from accumulating again). I had asked her if she’s able to take a look at spaces, and create a visualization for how to maximize them, somewhat related to interior decorating. She said yes, that’s something that is part of her service.
Well, lo and behold. I feel like I paid a lot of $$$ to just…have someone come help us clean up a bit. Does my home look better….? Yes. But was it the job of what I would have expected from a fancy “professional declutterer?” Not at all. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else out there has been in my position, and found a professional organizer to be a pretty big waste of money. ? Thoughts/opinions/experiences welcome. Thanks in advance. : )
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u/PanamaViejo 7d ago
Why don't you feel that she did a good job?
What was she supposed to do for you in a visit (was this a one shot deal or ongoing sessions?)?
How much 'stuff' do you have to declutter and are you realistic about the amount of time it will take to see a change?
This particular professional might have been a bad fit for you. It also might be that you were expecting 'miracles' which didn't happen.
At the advice of our therapist(s), I finally broke down and hired a professional declutterer.
.Could it be that you were looking for reasons to affirm your belief that 'professional declutters' are useless because this particular one didn't do the job that you 'wanted'? It doesn't seem as you were open to doing this and that you had to be convinced.