Frequently Asked Questions

At Renegade, we recommend starting at the place that will give you the quickest “win” and motivate you to continue.

We always begin our sessions by listening to our clients and their specific challenges.

Sometimes we start with their biggest pain point. . . like the dining room table covered in 3 feet of clutter.

Other times we start with the place you look at most frequently. . . like that bookshelf that’s overflowing with board games.

Ultimately, there is no “perfect” place to start, just start!

Nope. You decide what you keep with zero judgment from us.

Our role is to ask questions that help you decide if certain items are helping you achieve your goals or holding you back.

If you decide to keep it, we work together to create a maintainable organizing system based on how your brain works.

If you decide to let go of the item, we help you re-home it with one of our Community Partners. Our network works nonstop to place your donations directly into the hands of those who need them the most. Over 95% of our client’s donations stay in our local community. At the end of each project we give you the list of community groups that you supported.

A Professional Organizer is usually an organizing nerd who has studied organizing (yes, you really can do that!) and is able to teach their clients new skills and techniques to achieve their decluttering & organizing goals (called skill transfer).

Professional Organizers work with you to focus your attention, reduce the overwhelm & stress and walk you methodically through the decluttering & organizing process.

Professional Organizers may also choose to pursue further training in areas such as working with Elders & Seniors, neurodivergent (ADHD, Autism, etc.) & other brain-based conditions such as dementia, Move Management & Home Staging, and more.

Check out our Certifications page for more details on Renegade’s specialty certificates.

We recommend looking for a Professional Organizer who:

1) Is someone you like and feel a genuine connection with. You might be spending a lot of time with your Professional Organizer. Make sure it’s with someone you are able to comfortably communicate with!

2) Their company is fully insured, holds any required licenses and/or permits & maintains compliance with all local, state, and national laws.

3) They are strongly tied to their local community and can recommend multiple people or companies able to serve a variety of needs. Need a realtor, mover, house cleaner, or fence repair person? They’ll have a name (or three) for you.

3) Is a member of a nationally recognized professional group such as NAPO (the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals). NAPO has a strict code of ethics, strongly encourages continuing education, and focuses on skill transfer (the ability of a Professional Organizer to teach their client new skills & techniques).

Professional groups such as NAPO have a strong community that works together to support their clients. This means you don’t work with just one of their Professional Organizers, you have access to the entire network of knowledge and experience.

Added Bonus! Well known retailers (such as The Container Store) recognize NAPO as a national partner and give trade discounts to their members. Renegade is proud to pass these savings directly to their clients.

You may not need one. Honestly. However, if any of the following apply, it may benefit you to work with a Professional Organizer. Many (including Renegade) offer free consultations.

1. You feel stuck, totally overwhelmed and just don’t know where to start

2. You feel like your brain is broken and you need someone who will work WITH you to design a system that works for YOUR brain

3. You know where you want to start but you just can’t get started

4. A big stressor has recently happened in your life (such as a move, a loss of a loved one, or a divorce)

5. You have tried repeatedly over the years to get organized with little to no success

6. There is disagreement about how things “should” be organized and you just can’t find a solution

7. You need a neutral, nonjudgmental presence and you know that’s not your friend or family member who “loves to organize” (even though you love them)

There is no “perfect” way. Renegade is grounded the belief that perfection doesn’t exist, it’s about what works for you as an individual.

We work with you to find what functions FIRST, makes sense to your brain, matches your goals, and most importantly, is one you can maintain. THEN we work with you to find the aesthetic you like (aka “pretty”).

Nope, we’re human. Which means our house has its own messes. However (and here’s the critical point), it’s functional and it works for us because we have a system in place to re-set our messes and that fits our aesthetic.

Remember, if you’re human you’re going to have messes! The key is to have systems in place to re-set them on a regular basis.

The two main factors affecting time are the amount of items that need to be sorted and how quickly decisions can be made about those items.

Some average times to declutter and organize by room are below. Your space may take less or more time.

Garage 8-12
Kitchen 6-8
Pantry 3-6
Primary Bathroom 3-6
Primary Closet 5-10
Home Office 6+
Craft Room/Bonus Room 5
Kid’s Room & Closet 5
Estate Documents (locating and digitizing) 12

Wow, you really did scroll down to the bottom didn’t you? We’re flattered!

We’re scientists (and proud nerds!) by nature & training - which means we question EVERYTHING. Society trains us to think and do things a certain way. But those things often don’t work for us.

One of our bedrock beliefs is that the Status Quo is meant to be questioned. If it works for you great! But, if it doesn’t, CHANGE it!!!!! Life is meant to be lived by your own rules.