With interest rates at all-time lows and employers offering the ability to work from home, families are opting for a change in scenery now more than ever. Between preparing your home to sell and searching for a new residence, the thought of moving is daunting. Thankfully most realtors kindly offer their clients professional stagers. Typically, stagers tour your residence and offer a myriad of pointers to prepare the home for pictures and tours. Top suggestions include de-personalization, decluttering, and using neutral decor. Seems fairly straightforward, right? Well, if you are working full-time, taking care of children, have a significant amount of clutter and need to pack, a simple list from a stager significantly adds to your stress.
Fear not! Professional home organizers are fully equipped and ready to help you prepare for your move! When seeking out a home organizer to help you with your move, first start with the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO). NAPO certifies professional organizers and equips them with specialized training and credentials.
Home organizers can help you in a myriad of ways. Here are some suggestions to get the most out of professional organizers when moving:
- Decluttering – Moving is a perfect time to address clutter that has accumulated over the years. Organizers can sort through what to keep and what to discard. They can help you take items to donation sites, recycling centers, or call in junk haulers. Best part is that you will save money on buying boxes or a bigger moving van by getting rid of excess clutter.
- Packing – The most obvious of all services would be help with packing your belongings. Organizers will put “like with like” and carefully containerize your goods. Probably the foremost strength of an organizer is their ability to label! They come equipped with sharpies and label makers to insure you will be able to find your stuff when unpacking.
- They “know a guy” – Most home organizers are well connected and can help you find tradespeople should you need work done on your house prior to listing. They also know the best moving companies to use and likely can offer a discount through NAPO.
- Staging – That’s right, home organizers are oftentimes stagers too! The process of decluttering and packing naturally aids in staging because usually at the top of most staging lists is the elimination of excess stuff around the house and de-personalizing the home. Organizers have an eye for detail and will make your pantries picture perfect and your closets photo ready!
So while it is wonderful that most realtors offer free staging assistance to their clients, what could be most needed is the help of a home organizer who can tackle the moving to-do list, lift burdens off the homeowners shoulders, and prepare the home for a quick sale!
