Alright everyone, the time has come for our final installment of Burning Questions. Clutter is anything you’re keeping around your house that doesn’t add value to your life. Not only does it lead to frustration when you waste inordinate amounts of time looking for things you cannot find, clutter can also be bad for your health. Decluttering is all about making room in your home for the things that truly matter. In this final stage of editing, categorizing, and reorganizing, clients can finally see their vision of a clean and organized home materialize before their eyes. For the final time in this series, we look to The Detailed Life’s Business Owner, Kat Farrior, to help us out and answer questions all about Editing, Categorizing, and Reorganizing!
What does ‘editing’ entail?
Kat: ”Editing refers to us sorting through all existing items to identify what is no longer needed/wanted. Those items can either be donated, regifted or thrown out. Of course, for this process the client's help is needed.”
What is your categorizing process?
Kat: ”Depending on the area to be organized, categorizing means grouping like-items together to store them in one particular place, which allows all family members to maintain the system without any problems.”
What is your strategy for items with sentimental value?
Kat: ”It is definitely a lot harder sorting through items with sentimental value. A lot of times, this process can be quite draining for the client, so it is important to take breaks or even revisit on another day. Sometimes our clients simply want to pick and choose a few of the items to remember a special time or deceased family member; other times, we need to find a home for ALL of the items to be handed down to following generations.”
How long does the reorganizing take?
Kat: ”This varies depending on the size of the area and amount of items to be organized.”
Do you reorganize alone?
Kat: ”Yes, oftentimes this is the part where the client is no longer needed. We have a lot of experience in this field and try to establish the most logical system that can be easily maintained.”
What is the client’s part in the process?
Kat: ”The client's most important role is to identify what's no longer needed or wanted. We cannot make this decision for them, so oftentimes we recommend working on the editing part before we arrive or while we are there.”
What is your favorite part of the process?
Kat: ”Definitely the reorganizing part. This is where creativity comes in and we all just love seeing the final product.”
What has been your favorite project so far?
Kat: ”So far our favorite project was a Lago Vista vacation home that did not only have THE BEST view; we also had the opportunity to get really creative since the client trusted us to work on this project with very little input of their own.”
Is there anything else potential clients should know about the importance of organizing?
Kat: ”I love the quote "For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned" since this easily justifies the amount of money spent on a professional home organizer. While it can be a larger investment depending on the amount of spaces that need organization, I have never had a client who didn't feel like it truly paid off.”