About & Rates
Introductory Visit:
During the 3 hour Introductory Visit we assess the reasons behind the organizational challenges in your home or office, and give you personalized strategies to address these issues. Upon completion of the assessment, you receive a customized plan outlining how to modify your systems and space to create a more organized home or home office. As you institute these changes I am available to troubleshoot and guide you, free, by phone or email, for one year. $180.00
Hands-On Help Organizing Your Space:
Pay by the hour –five hour minimum. Contracting by the hour I roll up my sleeves and get right in there with you to clear out and organize your cluttered areas. As we physically transform your space together I will be able to guide you on good organizational practices, help you process how you want to use your space and which items deserve pride of place, suggest the containers and storage systems that are most appropriate for your unique possessions, provide information regarding your local auction houses, consignment shops, charities and waste disposal services, and trouble shoot challenges as they occur. I will do some labor on my own -shopping for containers, building shelving, organizing boxes of miscellaneous papers, etc., in the evening and (within reason) ‘off the clock’ and without charge. Once the project is complete, I am available, free, by phone or email, for one year, to iron out any problems with your new organizational system. For on-site work the rate is $70.00/hour with a 5 hour minimum. Tasks undertaken in my office and off the clients premises will be billed at a lesser $60.00/hour rate. With some exceptions I collect payment at the end of each work day. See below to find fees for longer distance, out of state travel and phone consults.
Continued Support:
After completion of the organizing project, Chronically Disorganized, ADD/ADHD, physically frail, or overcommitted/overworked clients may wish for a greater degree of physical involvement above and beyond the year of free guidance by phone or email. These individuals can schedule regularly recurring maintenance sessions to keep them on track and/or help them stay organized during high stress events, lifestyle changes and transitions, such as a move, a wedding, the birth of a child, or the death of a loved one. Others may wish to schedule regular ‘body doubling’ sessions in which I am present to ‘lend focus’ during on-going tasks like bill paying. The frequency, type and duration of these continued support sessions will vary with each client’s individual needs and challenges.
Phone Consults:
Some out of area clients may wish to book a handful of phone consults to set them off in the right direction. The initial phone consult is likely to last 90 minutes with subsequent consults at no more than 45 minutes. All phone consults are a minimum $180 per session. After the initial consult anything over 45 minutes is billed at $60.00/hr.
Be Aware When Scheduling:
On 5 hour work days I take a 20-30 minute lunch break (clients choice and ‘off the clock’) so I will be on the premises for a minimum of 5 hours and 20 minutes.
For larger projects it is more efficient to schedule consecutive days or near consecutive days as possible. I tend to over-schedule as finishing a project ahead of schedule and under budget is never a problem, but leaving a project half done because we have run out of time, is worse than not starting it at all. If the project is complete before the five hour minimum is up on the final day, and no other tasks remain in the home that can be reasonably completed in the remaining time then that day will be pro-rated, BUT it is at the organizers discretion whether or not the project is complete and whether no other appropriate projects remain.
Some projects require extra hands; although I can schedule assistants it will be the client’s responsibility to pay them. Currently most assistants bill at $40.00/hr charging for any travel time over 45 minutes each way (90 minutes total).
Out of Area Travel:
A daily 45 minute commute each way (90 minutes total) is included in my minimum daily fee. After 45 minutes commute time is charged at $60.00/hr and is not included as part of the minimum day. Long distance and out of state travel will incur the following expenses: all travel fees including but not limited to mileage, airfare, parking, lodging, car rental and Daily Meals and Incidentals (DMI) at current US Government Per Diem rates. The minimum day for out of area travel is 8 hours at $70.00/hr including travel days.
Cancellation Policy
Any project that finishes earlier than estimated may naturally result in the cancellation of work days. The client will not be penalized for getting a job done ahead of schedule and under budget. Therefore all cancelled work days that come at the end of a completed project do not count as cancellations under the following rules.
Both the client and Professional Organizer shall be considerate of each other’s time and schedules by making every effort to keep appointments. By the same token both client and PO will be reasonable and flexible forgiving a very occasional cancellation if emergencies arise.
Three or more cancellations or reschedules may result in the implementation of the following cancellation policy: The PO will make reasonable efforts to find another client to take the appointment. If another booking is procured the cancellation fee will be waived. If no other client can take the appointment the original client will be subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to a minimum work day (5 hours).