Simplicity Blog

How to Start Organizing Your Home: 12 Expert Tips

Julia Weaver January 11, 2021

2020 has been a whirlwind of a year. Whether you live in Philadelphia, PA, or Portland, OR, you’ve suddenly found yourself spending almost all your time at home. Now you’re noticing just how messy your home has become. Because let’s face it, it’s easy to accumulate stuff over the years. But amidst the endless piles of laundry,

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Google Rating

5.0

Based on 53 reviews

Simplicity

5.0

Abby Werner

We had a wonderful experience with Simplicity Organizers. The prelim walk-through was eye-opening, and the Head Organizer sent along a thoughtful plan with additional thoughts for other parts of the house. On the actual day, 4 specialists showed up ready to work. They helped clear space and set up a functional system that will be easy to maintain. What they managed to accomplish in 5 hours is more than I've been able to do alone in 5 years. This was such a treat! Highly recommend.

Victoria Selover

Had Emily’s help with organizing my kitchen and bathrooms after just moving into a new townhome. It was absolute chaos and my brain just doesn’t work in this 3D way. She made my spaces flow so well and I want her to organize my whole house now!

Josie Sanctis

From the moment we met Laurie and team we knew this whole experience would be nothing short of exceptional. Simplicity brought back function and routine to our home. With kids, I no longer worry about the mess they will make - everything has a place it can return to. We love the way our home look, feel and functions.

Erin Brighton

If I could give Jess and her team more than five stars, I would! After a major water leak, I needed my kitchen and pantry organized and packed up quickly. I cannot believe how efficient and organized they were and how much we accomplished. I never could have managed this project by myself. I highly recommend Simplicity Organizers and I will certainly be using them again.

Diane Sadow

I received a gift card for Simplicity Organizers and it is the best present I've had in a long time!!! Jesse and Melissa were amazing! They took my craft/office room from a place I avoided to a room I never want to leave. They were so wonderful to work with and made it so easy to decide what to keep and what to donate! They were fun, easy to work with and fast! My room has never been so organized! I can find everything! I will say I was very skeptical when my girls gave me the gift card, but I can't wait to do more!! We all think we can do organize by ourselves, but never get around to it! Now it is so easy to stay organized! Thank you for making my room a place I want to go and can be creative - the stress is gone!!!

Paris Harrell

Simplicity Organizers has been working with the school that I work at for the last few years. They always go above and beyond for us. The services they offer extend far beyond organization. They have completely transformed three spaces at our school: Our PE closet, teacher workspace and community wellness center, The Lighthouse. Before Simplicity we were not able to use these spaces effectively. They were filled with junk and stressed everyone out. People used these places as dumping grounds! Simplicity helped us not only organize and declutter but they taught us and helped us create a system that works for our school. We not only have a clean space, but we also KEEP a clean space. The spaces are now used on a daily basis and the systems that were created run themselves. We now know what materials we have and can clearly identify when we are in need of something new. I cannot recommend Simplicity enough. They are also very sustainable and will make sure to find a new home for your "junk" so you do not have to throw it away. They are always seeking to serve the community, they make you feel at ease and never embarrassed. Truly, WE LOVE THEM! Do yourself a favor, and hire Simplicity!

Martha Runkle

Jess and Melissa were great to work with on organizing our pantry/kitchen! Jess was our main point of contact and was extremely responsive and communicative throughout the entire process. You can tell they both love what they do. They had great ideas on how to organize things to maximize the way we use our current space. We can't wait to have them back for more projects in the future!

Tracy Warden

We had Simplicity Organizers come to our house and organize our playroom. They pulled toys from all over the house and sorted/organized it all into the playroom. So not only is our playroom organized- the rest of the house is clean and decluttered!! They were on-time, efficient, and friendly. We plan on using them again for our basement storage and after seeing the magic they worked today- we can’t wait! Highly recommend!

Carrie Lynch

Working with these women made moving and organizing while working full time and parenting three littles during a pandemic enjoyable. I didn’t think it was possible, but they did it and in such a fun, safe and respectful way. I cannot recommend these Simplicity Organizers enough. They can handle projects (and budgets) big and small and everything in between.They set up two pantries in our new house and organized our new kitchen in a way that everyone (kids and adults) can access what they need. They are true professionals who asked tons of questions up front, helped me think about how to get these spaces functioning appropriately for our needs and came prepped and ready for set up.The biggest lift for these ladies, and our family, was sorting and downsizing more than 50 years of stuff. Initially it felt like sorting family heirlooms, sentimental items to straight up junk was impossible, but our trifecta of organizers had seen it all. Their experience, sensitivity and sense of humor kept my husband and I moving forward. Miraculously, we accomplished our goal to safely sort through, pack up and part way our old house.With our needs, it was important to have a group of professionals who could help us manage our emotions associated with letting go of material possessions no longer serving us or our family. It was also important to work together safely as we have some health issues and young children. We took all necessary precautions without hesitation, which was incredibly reassuring.All in all, this was our first time working with professional organizers and their expertise made all the difference. We successfully set up areas in our new house and sorted our way out of our old house. It felt great and we can’t thank Simplicity Organizers enough.

cindy costa

Jess O'Rourke with Simplicity Organizers is phenomenal. Her initial consultation was well worth the fee, providing me with detailed notes and ideas, as well as links to products and inspiration pages to help me think through my basement playroom renovation and and toy organization. For the installation day, Jess and her team brought everything needed to sort, organize, label and display items in a way that delivers peace and tranquility...in a playroom storage closet! She even removed items I no longer needed and took them to a donation destination. The whole project took only 5 hours from arrival to departure - they work quickly and efficiently. Jess is a parent of three children and favors function over fuss - her ideas are practical, useful and just make sense. I can't wait to call on Jess and Simplicity again!

Emily Harry

Jess was a mailing label genius sorting my Christmas card mailing list and printing out cute labels for our Christmas cards. Simplicity makes sending Christmas cards so easy and painless. Thank you!!! I will book their services each and every year.

Maddy Stevens

Laurie Martin is the real deal. She led a Classroom Organizational Tips Workshop for our community of educators, and her presentation was so thorough, insightful, creative, and packed full of practical tips for simplifying and organizing spaces for teachers and students. Our teachers raved about the workshop and were so grateful Laurie shared her expertise. Thank you, Laurie!

Wendy Osborn

The Simplicity Team's work has been life changing!! They are not only non-judgmental and encouraging (which was very important to me as I let them into the middle of my chaos and clutter), they are practical and empowering. My house feels lighter and more welcoming, and I feel so much freer in it! I will definitely be calling on them again as I continue to go through various rooms in my house!!Wendy Osborn

Ivy Berman

I was given a gift certificate for Simplicity's services for my birthday, and it was such a pleasure to work with Laurie, Sarah, and the team! They really listened to my needs, worked with what I had, and helped me organize my kitchen in a tidy and logical way. Highly recommend!

Ashley Stahlschmidt

I attended the pantry and the supplies workshops and they were amazing! It was so clear and concise. I learned so much about getting a kitchen organized and efficient. The information she gave about what products can be used most effectively was very informative and useful. I am already looking at what workshops are coming up that I can sign up for! Highly recommend!!

Kristen Chesser Miller

I can't say enough about Laurie Martin and her team of organizers at Simplicity! I started out working with Simplicity by taking a few of their workshops and they were just the thing we needed to get serious about getting organized! Their methods have worked so well for us, in learning how to minimize and live with less clutter. The workshops have totally changed how we think about our "stuff", but it's still a work in progress! We are having them in our home to help put the finishing touches on our organization as we prepare for another addition to our family and can't wait for the final result!

wendy petricoff

I’ve taken 3 simplicity workshops. The workshops are well organized and informative-but the best part is that I always have 2 or 3 great organizing takeaways that I can easily implement. And it’s nice to be in a community of people who are willing to share best practices, tips and tricks. Highly recommend!

Timothy Coff

When my wife told me that she had engaged Simplicity to help organize our home, I quietly rolled my eyes and thought about the countless other home organization expenditures we have made in the past. At the end of the job, I was amazed as our house felt so much bigger! With the rising cost of real estate, this was an easy way to increase the size and enjoyment of our home without a major construction project. Eventually we did move and asked Simplicity to help us set up our new home so we can be efficient from the start. The results are amazing and the team is top notch.

sherree brady

I was downsizing my house and needed to get it ready to sell. It was overwhelming. The Simplicity team came in and helped me get over the hurdle that was holding me back. They helped me go through everything in my house and decide what to keep, toss & donate....and organized everything that remained to really showcase the house & its storage possibilities. One of the package options they offer includes helping unpack & organize your new home. Just imagine how exhausted you are following packing & moving......to have a team come in and unpack the myriad of boxes and organize your new home!! This was definitely the right choice for me. Choosing Simplicity Organizers to help me with this life transition was one of the best decisions I have ever made. If you are in need of home organization or downsizing assistance, hire Simplicity. You will not regret it!

Dan Ryan

Melissa and team were great! No hidden fees and they delivered in the timeframe promised. Excellent communication before, during and after project and they did fantastic work. Highly recommend

Lisa Brueggemann

Simplicity Organizers are simply magnificent. I surprised my husband with the gift of an organized garage and could not have done it without the Simplicity Organizers team. They took a filthy, chaotic, overstuffed space and turned it into a neat and organized showroom garage. Everything now has a place and a purpose. I could not recommend the Simplicity team more highly! (One photo is the before the others are the after. Magic!

Emily Klein

I am beyond grateful for Jessica with Simplicity Organizers in the Lake Norman area. She helped me transform my garage and bonus room into clean, functional, and aesthetically pleasing areas with so much potential! Jessica and her team were prepared, hardworking, nonjudgmental, and so fun to spend time organizing with!! Highly recommend!!!

Heather Obleada

What an amazing difference Simplicity Organizers made in our transition back into our home after a year long remodel. I went from feeling 100% anxious and overwhelmed about our move, to spending two days (10 hours total) with a team of organizers and feeling 100% ready to live in our home. Simplicity tackled downstairs first (all of our living spaces) and saved upstairs (bedrooms) for day 2. I didn't even think they needed to come back for bedrooms / closets thinking I could do it on my own...............so HAPPY they came back the 2nd day. We were literally unpacked and enjoying our home after 10 hours with our Simplicity team.I am forever grateful!

Katherine Shapiro

I absolutely love Simplicity Organizers! I have always loved the idea of being organized, but have fallen short in execution. Enter Simplicity Organizers, Melissa and Jess came and helped me understand the best way to organize my spaces. They were so patient with me throughout the entire process (especially during the purging process, which I wanted to happen, but find difficult). I truly can not say enough wonderful things! This service is worth every penny & even my husband says it has mad our lives so much easier!

Courtney Jackson

Melissa and Robin were fantastic! The team was very communicative prior to, during, and after their arrival at our home. After two days (and 15 donation bags later!), they completely transformed our master suite. For the first time in many years, my husband and I can find things and have a solid system for keeping our space clean and organized. I just want to sit in our closet as it's now such a relaxing space. Before and after pics attached

Emilie Gray

Lisa at simplicity organizers was great! She was on time, organized, and brought products I could buy to help in my project. My pantry is much more functional and looks great too!

Marci Grebstein

I recently hired Simplicity to help us unpack and organize the house after moving and downsizing. This was my second time using their services and all I can say is "wow". They did an amazing job in our kitchen, closets, master bath, garage and laundry room. Their team did in two days what would have taken my husband and I 1-2 weeks to accomplish. I can't recommend them enough for moving out just organizing your life. Thank you @simplicityorganizers.com!

Salina Millen

Simplicity is Amazing! I loved my team. They were encouraging, yet firm.

Colleen Black

The team at Simplicity is truly amazing! Sarah, Jen, and Lisa have transformed by house, room by room, decluttering and creating not only neat organized spaces, but most importantly systems to keep things in place. Truly life changing!

Leila Shaw

Simplicity organizers did an amazing job helping me declutter and then organize my office/craft room. They really took the daunting task of decluttering and made it so simple and then they created me a system to help me keep it that way. They were very efficient and a joy to work with. I look forward to future projects!

Kathy Scott Rummage

Simplicity Organizers has a fantastic team! I worked directly with Jess on a project to better organize my home office desk area, plus a few common area closets in our house -- all had become cluttered and disorganized. After just a few hours with Jess, I could breathe easier to see clear surfaces and well-organized spaces. Such a great decision to use Simplicity Organizers -- I'll be a repeat customer soon when I tackle some other parts of the house that could use their magic!

Jennifer Whitlock

Melissa and Jessica were outstanding to work with! They helped me prepare for downsizing my home of 14 yrs and ready to move. Once moved they came back and helped set up and organize the kitchen and pantry for efficiency in a smaller space! They truely took a daunting task and made it simple and easy! I highly recommend their services to anyone in need of simplifying or organizing!

Alison Summerville

I can’t express my appreciation enough for the excellent work your team did! Everyone was an absolute joy to be around and worked so hard. I would be completely overwhelmed by our move without your help! I have been bragging on you every chance I get. Thank you!

pender murphy

Simplicity came and organized the mobile unit at the high school where our tennis program stores rackets, clothes, and shoes. We had no semblance of organization, so Laurie, Robin, and Lisa volunteered to help us. With bins and racks and amazing logistics they ordered our unit so that our players will easily be able to access what we have. Previously it was sort of disaster-area like.We teach people who don't have means to purchase equipment, and this has been a game changer for them. They can easily see what we have and determine what will work for them. This is something that I had wanted to do for a long time, but was pretty sure, actually certain, I couldn't pull it off. Simplicity did, and TLA Tennis is so grateful to them.

Vicki Fetherston

Many thanks once again Sarah for organizing our home, you and your team always do a fabulous job and I love having you here. It’s better than therapy :)

Courtney Latta

Sarah and Laurie were amazing at helping me organize my kids closets and I was so impressed we could do this virtually! I never thought their closets would be able to look so neat and the space could be used so efficiently. The process and turn around was so quick using virtual technology. Thank you Simplicity!

Grace Bednarcik

Assistance League of Charlotte is trying to maximize, and more efficiently make use of our Center, As part of a national charitable organization our building must serve us in many ways. The Center holds our Thrift Shop, its' warehouse, all our offices and is the home to our many children oriented philanthropic programs. Laurie and Sarah were able to look at our operations and facilities with fresh eyes, and give us both valuable ideas, and additional resources to use.

Jenny Snyder

I’ve been working with the team at Simplicity to rework every space in my home. I’m blown away with the results so far! Room by room, they have helped me clear out unnecessary clutter and maximize my space by putting easy new systems in place that my entire family will easily be able to maintain..A few of the many reasons why this team is amazing:⭐️ No going down rabbit holes when organizing! These ladies are hyper efficient!! They have a tight process and can knock a full space (or more) out in a few hours!⭐️ It’s easier to make the hard decisions and keep it real when it’s not just you. There’s no pressure to get rid of anything, but once they begin their sorting process and pull out 14 tiny Barbie brushes... you begin to uncover more and more opportunities to create space.⭐️ They are an “unbiased eye”. I have looked at the same space for 13 years, but they see it in a way I don’t. For example, in my garage, I was storing vases, candles, and other random Knick knacks on a wooden shelf right next to my backdoor. They had the genius idea to turn it into a quick grab snack area for the kids... easy for them to reach AND helps free up kitchen space.Each finished space touched by Simplicity has been a breath of fresh air and a weight lifted from our shoulders. This process has been absolutely therapeutic and emotionally calming... it’s a amazing feeling to walk into a fully organized home!

Bryan Jones

Laurie did our kitchen 14 years ago and it is still organized today. We thought, “no way was our kitchen not organized!” We were incorrect of course. They are for real. Side note, I had high hopes that they would clean our house as well, but alas, they do not.

Duffy-Marie Bengel

We can not thank Lori and her team enough. They were incredible!! We absolutely love our home now sooooo much! I get so excited when I put an item away- b/c I know exactly where it goes! And my closet!!! I didn’t know they were going to label all my drawers- I think I squealed when I saw that!!!! They became part of our family and we miss them!! But, we are hiring them again to help my parents when they move here at the end of April- so we are thrilled to see them again!!!

Lauren Verlander

I am on hour 30 of a 60 hour package and cannot say enough good things about Melissa. She is efficient, she keeps me on track, and my rooms are becoming easier to manage because they have good systems in place. I highly recommend Simplicity. Wish I had started sooner!

Elizabeth Kiser

I couldn’t love Simplicity Organizers any more than I do! They are all so professional and highly efficient. From garages to closets to bedrooms, they have simplified my entire space. It’s a joy to come home to tidy and organized space!

Katie Coff

These folks are the real deal. If you want to keep things as they are, you will not enjoy the benefits of 'starting fresh'. Let them come in to your home and give it a totally clean slate that will give you a chance to recharge and turn a new page without the hassle of doing it yourself. It's the best money you can spend on running your home efficiently.

Priscilla Chapman

I think of myself as a pretty organized person, but life with a three children has caused some areas of our house to become unorganized and cluttered. Simplicity first helped me four years ago when we moved and just recently have come back to organize garage, attic and closets. Their service is priceless and the staff is precessional, punctual and efficient!

Anna Anglemyer

I am a mom of 4, and when I was pregnant with my 4th, we thought we were going to need to hire a nanny to help. Instead, Simplicity got me completely organized and we do not need a nanny because all the kids can easily find/put away what they need, and can easily help out. Everything from easily finding their Scouts uniform to helping cook, to packing for trips, the kids happily and easily help out. Simplicity is excellent in every way...efficient, professional, kind, and environmentally conscientious. I highly recommend their services.

Mary Tabor Engel

Carolyn Giammarinaro

I love Simplicity. It’s expensive but I looked at it as an investment and was worth it. I had them help me with my laundry/mud room/craft room and my kitchen and pantry. Shyla was absolutely amazing and “met me” where I was in the process and nudged me along when needed. I can’t wait for them to come back out to help me tackle the next space.

Rebecca Abernethy

Simplicity Organizers are that and more. They helped me climb out of my piles of accumulated stuff in a kind, efficient, caring, thorough, sensible way. I was skeptical that anyone could help me deal with my precious, but overwhelming amount of possessions, but my wonderful Simplicity Team partners with me, and did so in such a loving and smart way that I can model their simple and straightforward approach going forward. I also appreciate knowing they are a phone call or email away if I need any future help to keep me organized.

Lauren Agans

Laurie and her team are lifesavers! Simplicity helped us unpack and organize when we moved back into our home after a renovation.They are patient, kind, and detail oriented. What would’ve been a stressful and exhausting process on our own was positive, exciting and even fun thanks to them. They really focused on our needs/wants and personal uses for each space. You can tell that they all enjoy the organizing process and were so helpful with coming up with unique storage solutions.It is so much easier to stay organized now since we started off organized. There is a place for everything. They even labeled drawers and storage spaces so my husband has no excuse that he doesn’t know where to put something!We highly recommend them and we’ll work with them again in the future when our garage is done.A special thanks to Lori, who was our main point of contact. She kept the experience from ever being daunting and went out of her way to make sure we were happy and comfortable in our space.

Tammy S. Greyshock

I would not be able to downsize and ‘simplify’ our home without the help of my awsome simplicity consultant. Her patience and understanding, as we sort through memories, is always gracefully paired with encouragement and focus to keep us moving along. I can’t begin to say enough good things about Simplicity. For anyone wanting to downsize, organize, purge and/or streamline their lives, working with Simplicity is a must. Not sure where I’d be without them. Thank you, Simplicity!

Mary Ann Ciciarelli

We've been working with Simplicity for 3 years and will keep them in our lives as long as possible. With the busy pace of life we all live these days, Simplicity helps making home organization so easy! Not only do they come in and organize any and everything, they do it FAST! The first time they came I was shocked at how quickly they were able to get things done. 3 years later they are just as quick and just was fabulous as the first time! We love Simplicity!

Jess O'Rorke

Ryan Waters

I worked with Laurie and her team and they were absolutely amazing in every way

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