What We’re Really Looking For When We Visit Your Home

Professional organizer listening to a client during an in-home organizing assessment.

If you’ve ever considered hiring a professional organizer but thought, I need to get the house cleaned up before they come, I want you to know something right away.

You don’t.

When I come to your home for an assessment, I’m not coming to see how well you keep house. I’m not checking to see whether everything is tidy, whether the laundry is put away, or whether your closets look presentable.

I’m coming because you’ve decided you might be ready for some help. And that is where our conversation begins.

We’re Not Looking to Judge Your Home

Let’s get this part out of the way first, because I know it can be a real concern.

I am not looking to determine whether or not you’re a good housekeeper. I’m not looking for a spotless kitchen, perfectly made beds, or beautifully organized closets.

And I am certainly not looking for an opportunity to shame, blame, or guilt you.

There is no judgment.

In fact, I sometimes tell clients, “Your disorganization is my job security.” This is what I do. I organize homes.

Before your assessment, you’ll receive a note from us explaining anything we need you to have in place before we arrive. What we do not need is a spick-and-span house. Please don’t spend your time trying to make your home look organized for the organizers.

We’re not coming to judge you.

We’re coming to serve you.

What We Are Looking For

During an assessment, two of the most important things I’m looking for are readiness and resources.

Are you ready to get your home organized?

That question is about much more than whether you’re ready for us to sort a pantry, clear a closet, or organize a garage.

Organizing requires decisions, and many of those decisions involve emotional and mental work.

Our team can do the physical work. We can move things, sort things, create categories, set up systems, label, organize, and put your home back together in a way that makes sense.

But some decisions belong to you.

You may be deciding whether you’re ready to let go of physical belongings. You may also be letting go of ideas about how you thought you would use something, habits that no longer work for you, or mindsets that have kept you from creating the home you want.

That doesn’t mean you have to make every decision instantly or without emotion. Organizing is about progress, not perfection.

What matters is that you’re ready to begin.

Your Most Important Resource May Be Trust

Resources matter, too.

Yes, professional organizing requires financial resources. It also requires some of your time and attention.

But there is another resource that I consider incredibly important: your ability to trust us to execute your vision using your criteria.

Notice that I said your vision and your criteria.

Our goal is not to come into your home and make it function the way I think it ought to function. We ask questions so we can understand what matters to you.

What do you want your home to feel like?

What needs to be easy to reach?

What do you use every day?

What is important to the other people who live in your home?

Where can you make the decision yourself, and where will you need to collaborate with a spouse, partner, child, or someone else who shares the space?

Sometimes creating a home that works beautifully means giving a little here and getting a little there. That is part of living in a shared space. Our job is to listen, understand those priorities, and help create systems that support the people who actually live there.

So, if you’ve been putting off an organizing assessment because you’re worried about what we’ll think when we walk through the door, please release yourself from that worry. We aren’t looking for perfection. We’re looking for readiness, resources, trust, and an opportunity to understand what you want your home to become.

Because ultimately, this isn’t about having a home that looks perfect. It’s about having a home that looks, feels, and functions the way you want it to. And sometimes, inviting someone in to help you get there is the very first bit of progress.


Pinky Jackson is a Decluttering Specialist and Home Organizing Expert. If you need expert organizing help, don't hesitate to reach out. Pinky and her team would love to help you. Onsite Organizing services are available in the Louisville, KY area and Virtual Organizing services are offered for clients in other locations and for those who prefer to work online. Visit pinkyjackson.com to learn about our services and schedule a free assessment.

Photo: Yaroslav Shuraev @yaroslav-shuraev