Phillips says it’s important to start in one room and work slowly — “2 feet by 2 feet,” she said, adding that it’s a good idea to start in the youngest kid’s room first so it will already be organized when you start bringing the older kids’ hand-me-downs into it.
“I tell them to only leave out everything that is in-season,” Phillips says. “Put the stuff that is out of season in the basement.”
Garages can also get messy after a long summer because more items see more use in the summer. Also, Cooper says, garages often serve as a “catch all” spot for many households.
Unlike some service providers who get called in for a repair and work alone until the job is done, most home organizers prefer work closely with customers, Cooper said.
“We go in and see the areas that need to be organized,” Cooper says. “We’ll purge things that need to be thrown out, get rid of broken toys or donate clothes that have become too small.”