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Questions and answers: Q: How long does it take to declutter a room or storage area? A: Unlike a carpet layer or painter who knows how many square feet you have to cover and which materials you have decided on, an organizer has to get an idea of the ability of the family member or members they are working with and what is being decluttered and organized as well as the conditions of the home. More often than not the home owner has long forgotten what is hidden beneath the piled boxes. Some people are gung-ho and able to work several hours in a row without a break to achieve results. Some cannot. Most people are tired and ready to stop after about three to four hours (an average session). An organizer routinely can do many tasks while giving a home owner a break thus maintaining energy levels. But each house and storage area is different and only after a consultation can an organizer give an estimate written or verbal of time and materials needed. And given that one cannot know for certain what items the home owner will choose to throw away or what can be donated it is as good an estimate as can be made. Often an organizer will be brought in by a stager who has outlined previously what they need to attend to and will then not need to work all the time with the home owner in order to achieve the tasks at hand. Q: How can I get an estimate? A: The cost of an estimate is an hour's cost or $55.00 plus HST. However it can take more time as needed to discuss your needs. This offers details and consultation time to discuss needs and get an idea of the extent of the work for a written estimate. The cost may be picked up by your agent or stager so do ask if this is possible. Often an agent is pleased to offer such a service to better care for their clients. My hourly rate is $49.00 for three hours or more and $55.00 for under three hours time for any session. Q: Are organizers insured? A:Yes, good ones are. And each organizer will note what they are willing or unwilling to move or pack given their liability concerns. Q: Does my agent have an organizer as part of their roster of services? A: Often yes as well as a stager, decorator, painter etc. People who they have worked with and recommend. If your Realtor does not have an organizer one may be found to suit by reviewing listing in your area via the Professional Organizers in Canada web site at: http://www.organizersincanada.com/. This is an association of organizers with registered companies who are adhering to a code of ethics and responsible business behavior. Q: How long has Decluttering.ca been in business? A: Stephen Ilott has run Decluttering.ca full time for over six and a half years and has a background in spatial design, senior project management and detail organization. His talents have earned him nominations in the industry. More Questions and answers: Q: Do organizers have training in psychology or sociology? A: A good organizer may have such a background or have many other skills to bring to the table. Most will actively study human behavior and after several years and many hundreds of clients know a great many ways to motivate people in order to help move them forward. Each client is different and has special needs. Should a situation require serious counseling a psychologist may be suggested. Q: What do you do with the piles and bags of stuff one needs to get rid of from almost every client project? A: I have a very wide circle of charities, churches and individuals who simply need things but cannot afford them. Distribution is not as difficult as one might imagine but does require good coordination skills. And knowing what can and cannot be donated is key. Many items such as plastics become toxic and should not be donated - even to those who have nothing. Knowing what is trash helps ready amounts for pickup. Lists of locations and places to donate as well as where to drop off toxic items are usually available from most organizers should you wish to undertake this yourself. Q: How far will you travel? A: I travel to clients from Ancaster to Toronto. But in general - the Western GTA. Q: Who takes away the trash and how much does this cost? A: Depending how much you have accumulated trash can become an expensive problem. A small amount say an old sofa, a few boxes of odds and ends, a dozen bags of garbage, metal and such can usually fit into a pick up truck size and prices may range from around $100.00 depending on the contractor. Often though one will find they have a cold storage filled with old magazines or musty clothes or bottles of unnamed toxins. Trash people will not take toxic items and this must be dispensed with either yourself or with the help of an organizer. Most waste management sites take toxic items for free; paint, oil, batteries etc. you need only know where to go. Costs vary with amounts of trash and type. Costs can be reduced drastically if you have donatable items, the pickup of which can be coordinated with your Organizer and his costs alone will come into play. As best as possible use city services for as many bags of items as is allowable as well as recycling. Q: Who does the physical work? A: If you get the right organizer - he or she does. As one of the few male Professional Organizers in Canada I have a tendency to do a good deal more lifting and hauling than most and can achieve more work done for the time and dollars. In fact I am known for it. (See my testimonials)
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