Our professional organizer's top tips

Raise your hand if you love organization! I am someone who truly thrives in an organized environment. With two kids, it is rarely the case that everything is in its place, but it is definitely the goal. And as much as I thrive in an organized home, I also find that listings truly shine after a few hours of organization. That is why a few months ago we started working with Kimberly Karzen, a professional organizer and owner of Before/After. She has become a true extension of our team and we love working with Kimberly! 

Today Kimberly is sharing more about her process and all of her best organization tips!

The beginning is going to be hard, but it is for a larger good

When you first start you are probably going to feel overwhelmed. Kimberly tells her clients that is totally normal, and part of the process! Organizing can be extremely therapeutic because it gives you a sense of control. Kimberly often finds clients saying things like “If I can get this closet to look this good, I can do the same to other parts of my life.” Kimberly believes that for a lot of people, the state of your home is the state of your overall attitude. If your home looks good, you feel food, and vice versa. 

How to actually start?

Start by removing everything from the space you are trying to organize. Then, when it is time to actually start putting things back, create two piles: one to keep and one to donate. For clothes, every single piece should be tried on. Kimberly reminds clients that just because something was expensive doesn’t mean you actually wear it! If it doesn’t fit, give it away. 

The best way to store things

Kimberly’s favorite way to store just about anything is clear plastic bins–but not too big! She loves using 12x8 or 12x6 bins that fit the items as perfectly as possible without a lot of overflow space. The key here is if there isn’t space to stick extraneous things in the bin, you won’t be tempted to ruin the organization! When the bin is all done, label with as few words as possible: summer shoes, hair products, etc. 

Before you put things back! 

Clean! Kimberly always cleans the space before putting everything back in its place. Dust, vacuum, do whatever necessary to make the space look sparkling! 

Everything in its place

Once it is finally time to put everything back, for clothes, Kimberly likes to organize by type rather than season. Floral shirts should all go together, for example. This way you can see how many of a particular item you have–and don’t need more of! That is another rule Kimberly always passes onto clients: if you are going to buy something new, be prepared to give away something you already have. 

Kimberly also prefers to hang rather than fold clothes because it saves a considerable amount of space and also keeps the clothes looking neater for longer. 

Such a useful list, right? For our seller clients, when Kimberly comes, you can either be there to be a part of the process, or not. A lot of our clients have Kimberly come when they aren’t home and work her magic! She works in either four or eight hour shifts, and it always amazes me how much she is able to accomplish in that time!