Pro organizers make a pretty penny cleaning up clutter
Americans who find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they've managed to accumulate are turning to professional organizers to set them on the path to a neater, less-cluttered future.
The pros help clean out closets, donate unwanted items and even dispose of, or recycle, waste. Some also act as advisers, helping clients make wiser decisions about product purchases and storage.
But such guidance and expertise comes at a price tag that can be thousands of dollars per day. At Done & Done, an organizing business based in New York, a recent day of organizing an entire apartment ran about $2,000.
However, you might eliminate fees from storing extra unneeded items. Around 10 percent of Americans rent a self-storage unit, according to the Self Storage Association, and the average cost of a unit is $91 per month.
Paying to hire a pro sounds costly -- but the peace of mind may be worth the money. Nearly half of American adults say worrying that their home isn't clean enough or well organized is a stress trigger, according to a recent Huffington Post report.
Of course, letting go of long-time possessions can be difficult. Done & Done co-founder Kate Pawlowski said the toughest items to encourage customers to part with tend to be those they have an emotional attachment to.
"The biggest category would be sentimental items," Pawlowski told CBS in an interview.
If you're thinking of hiring an organizer, the The National Association of Productivity and Organizing (NAPO) recommends consulting with that individual first to make sure the contract parameters are aboveboard.
Keep in mind, the agreement doesn't have to be just for organizing an entire home or garage -- some pros "specialize" in particular types of decluttering.
"Even photo organizers is just a niche thing for professional organizers ... or tech organizing, where it's just your computer and email, things like that," NAPO member and business owner Jessica Kennedy told CBS.
