First Steps
What do I do if I want to hire you?
We would be pleased to help you achieve your organizing goals!
The safety of our team is very important to us, so in order to begin we ask that you fill out our Contact Form, including uploading photos of the area(s) you need help with.
Once you fill out the Contact Form, here are the next steps:
- Simplify Experts will contact you to schedule your complimentary assessment, which takes approximately 45 minutes.
- Your virtual or on-site move assessment is completed, and if you decide to go forward, a contract is signed and we collect a 25% deposit, which is applied to your first session.
- A 3-4 hour session will be scheduled with our organization team. These are scheduled Monday-Friday and as needed on Saturdays.
- Payment is collected at the end of each daily session or at the time of a package purchase.
- We that ask our clients participate in all organizing projects to ensure their satisfaction with the final results.
Is your Complimentary Assessment really free?
Yes! There are no hidden charges or fees.
What happens during an assessment?
We evaluate your home so we can determine the scope of your project, the hours needed, and which organizer would be the best fit. We look at the spaces that you need help with, then discuss ideas and possible solutions with you. We both ask each other a lot of questions! We want to know what your goals are, what organizing challenges you are dealing with, what your daily routines are like, and how you want your spaces to function.
During your virtual assessment via FaceTime, you take us through your home and the areas you need help with.
Next, if we mutually decide to move forward, we will schedule you for a session as soon as there is availability on our calendar.
Not at all. We would prefer you let your house be—it gives us a more accurate idea of how you and your household truly live and what areas you need help with. Please do not be nervous or embarrassed. We will not judge you or make you feel bad; we understand you have reached out to us for support and that you are trusting us with your home.
What is the cost, and how long will it take?
Our pricing is $120-150/hour for a Chronic Disorganization Certified Organizer, $120/hour for a NAPO-certified Organizer, and $95-110/hour for a Supporting Organizer.
After the assessment we will give you an estimate on the hours that we think it will take to get you to your vision. We ask that you pay a 25% deposit prior to your initial session, which will be applied to your first session. Payments are collected at the end of each daily session, with the exception of an organizing package.
Our Process
Will you make me get rid of all my things?
No, you are in complete control of your items. We do not remove anything that you have not given us permission to donate, recycle, or toss. Our job is to make your space work better for you, not to make you get rid of everything.
We can offer some helpful guidelines of what a typical home of your size keeps for an inventory. You will be amazed by the efficiency and the ease of the session. Clients remark how quickly the three hours pass by and how much is accomplished. They love that we then haul away all the donations we can fit into our vehicles.
Do I leave you at my house, or do I need to be there the whole time?
We work side-by-side with you and go over all the items in the areas we are working in, so we do need you to be there. We cannot make a decision on your items without you.
That being said, when we have clients we have worked with for a long time, there is a level of understanding and trust that is reached, and depending on the project, we are able to work without you at home.
Will I need one or more organizers?
Some spaces and projects lend themselves to a team project. Garages are often supported by two organizers, especially if there is a high volume of items. Storage units and very large kitchens or pantries are another space that work well for dual organizers. For a pack/unpack for a move or remodel, we bring in a team.
What is your approach to organizing for ADHD clients?
We want to lower the white noise of your living space so that your brain can rest and recharge at home. It has received so much stimulation out in the world that we want to help you create simple solutions that are easy to maintain. We need to bring the clutter down and implement ADHD-friendly solutions such as: racks for keys, analog clocks in all the spaces you spend time, simple closet hacks that appeal to you, a mail sorting center, and easy processes to get out the door with all that you need. Working hands-on with a body double will help you get to completion to the organized systems you have longed for.
This article has more details on ADHD strategies we use with clients.
What organizing products do I need to buy?
Nothing at first. We advise our clients not to buy organizing storage solutions until we have decluttered and pared down the household. Then we can advise on what products would work best, and where to purchase them in the most economical way. Of course, we will take measurements for you, too!
Where do you take all my stuff to when you leave my house?
- Donations go to Goodwill, Value Village, or a nonprofit such as KidVantage (formerly Eastside Baby) that would benefit from your donation.
- Electronics go to InterConnection in Seattle where we know the data is thoroughly destroyed as not to jeopardize your identity or security.
- Batteries and Styrofoam are disposed of through Ridwell.
- Medications go into lockboxes at participating pharmacies like CVS and Rite Aid, where they dispose of them safely.
- Eyeglasses are recycled at Costco.
- Food that is unopened, packaged, and unexpired goes to area food banks.
- Clients generally need to take their own items to consignment. We can refer you to places that take consigned clothing, furniture, art, and other household items.
- We have a long resource list that we have nuanced for specific items thorough the last 17 years since we’ve been in business.
For the safety and health of our organizers, we do not take away items that are very large and heavy (e.g., a bookshelf), or that are a biohazard. Trash and recycling go in the clients’ bins.
Are you sure my private information and paperwork will be safely disposed of?
Absolutely. We have a long-standing relationship with Frontline Shredding. We meet up every 7-10 days at their semi-sized shredder truck that is fully running and ready for clients. We load up the shredding bins from our cars and watch all the items get shredded via a small camera in the truck itself. We take client identity and their documents very seriously. On prescription bottles, we black out clients’ names and prescription numbers with a Sharpie before disposing at a participating pharmacy.
I have little kids and animals.
We adore kiddos and pets! But we do need them in a separate space than the one we are working in—for safety and efficiency reasons.
Services
What parts of the home do you organize?
If it’s a part of your home, we can declutter and organize it. Living spaces, kitchens and pantries, laundry rooms, home offices, bedrooms and bathrooms, playrooms, hobby rooms, closets, garages, garden sheds—we have pretty much done it all. Have a look at our Before & After photos!
Do you organize businesses, too?
Yes! We have organized a variety of businesses—offices, restaurants, and even a children’s camp.
Yes, Denise offers both time management and project coaching through Zoom. She completed her two years of coaching training in 2015 through the ‘Coach Approach for Organizers’ program that specializes in supporting clients with ADHD. Learn more about Denise’s speaking and coaching.
Do you organize, pack, and unpack for moves and remodels?
Moves and remodels are one of our specialties! We help you declutter and organize before packing, help with consignment of large items such as furniture, and carefully pack and label your household items. We coordinate for haulers to take away donations or to do a dump run. On moving day, we are at your new home telling the movers where to place everything. We then carefully unpack everything and organize as we unpack.
Learn all the details of what we can do to make your move or remodel way less stressful!
We have some terrific relationships with both in-person and online auction companies and can help prepare the items in lots for sale.
Do you offer gift certificates?
We sure do! You can purchase right here on our website with PayPal or Venmo.
Have questions or not seeing what you’re looking for? Email us the details and we can help get that going for you and the lucky recipient.
About Us
What makes Simplify Experts different from other professional organizing companies?
- We have the tools to support you through our continuing education and hands-on experience working with thousands of clients since 2007.
- We understand no client is the same and offer you options to make the strategy and the process both appealing and easy to maintain.
- We come with a solid understanding of neurodiversity and continue building that knowledge through classes, conferences, ADHD expert podcasts, and trainings.
- We work with many clients who have anxiety and depression, or are overwhelmed or stressed, and we work hard to put you at ease with empathy, patience, and respect.
- Our organizers are all assessed for strong relationship skills, thoroughly screened, and share their expertise with fun and compassion.
- We regularly check in with you on pacing, fatigue, and comfort as we progress through the project together.
- We understand how vulnerable our clients are when they allow us to support them in their homes, and we hold that responsibility carefully and thoughtfully.
- We maintain a long list of resources and current product savvy.
- We are women of high integrity and confidentiality.
- We maintain the National Association of Productivity and Organizing (NAPO) Professionals code of ethics.
What Seattle and Eastside areas do you provide service to?
Our service area boundaries are Everett to the north, Seattle to the west, North Bend to the east, and Renton to the south.
Do you organize on weekends, too? How about evenings?
Yes, we work Saturdays and early evenings. We are closed on Sundays.
How do you train your organizers?
Our onboarding process for organizers is very thorough.
New organizers join our team after a rigorous assessment process. We then have a multi-day classroom training program with required readings and three months of job shadowing. We then have the Organizing Assistant take industry classes in safety, ethics, and professional practices. All team members get opportunities to work with each team member individually to learn some of the unique brilliance that they bring to Simplify Experts.
We were founded in 2007 by Denise Allan. She has specialist credentials in Chronic Disorganization and Attention Deficit Disorder, as well as ten additional certificates of study through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD). She also is the only certified Chronic Disorganization Specialist (CPOCD) in the Pacific Northwest. Denise is one of 25 Master Trainers in Chronic Disorganization worldwide. She has appeared on several news and television programs, including three episodes of A&E’s series “Hoarders,” and regularly contributes articles and presentations on the subject of organization.