Are you thinking about selling your home, but your cluttered closets, disorganized drawers, and overwhelming amount of stuff (none of which seem to have a place!) are preventing you from putting it on the market? If so, you might want to hire a professional home organizer.

But if you’ve never worked with a home organizer, you might have questions about exactly what they do, and how they can help you get your home ready to list.

A recent article from realtor.com outlined common questions people have about hiring a professional home organizer, including:

• What does a home organizer do? As the name implies, home organizers are professionals that help people get their homes tidy and in order. This includes cataloging existing items—deciding what items to keep, sell, and donate—and then reorganizing the remaining items in a way that’s both functional and keeps the home looking streamlined and decluttered, which is always important, but especially if you’re planning to sell.
• How much does a home organizer charge? The cost for hiring a home organizer will depend on a variety of factors, including the area where you live and the experience level of the organizer. But according to data in the article, home organizers generally charge between $80 and $140, with most home organization jobs taking anywhere between 2 and 10 hours.
• What should you ask a home organizer before deciding to hire them? If you’re going to hire a home organizer to help you get things in order before you sell, you want to make sure it’s the right decision, and that means asking the right questions. Before you move forward with any home organization projects, make sure to ask the organizer a few key questions to ensure it’s the right fit—including whether they’re insured, whether they work alone or with a team, and whether they have any areas of specialities (which, ideally, would align with your project needs).

Bottom Line:  If you're thinking about selling your home but the cleaning, decluttering and organization has you overwhelmed, think about hiring a professional organizer. The money you spend to prep your home will most likely be far less than the money you'll gain when your home sells because of its overall appeal, look and feel. 

Another tip: Start small! Focus on one closet at a time, one room at a time. Make a checklist and tackle it! Enlist friends and family for help, your home will be ready in no time!