What to look for when hiring a professional organizer to clear your home clutter

ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- If your home needs organizing, we may have the answer. Whether it's a lack of time or talent, many people never clear the clutter or come up with a good system.

So why not leave the work to the professionals?

You might think hiring a professional organizer is too expensive, too bougie, or maybe you're afraid you'd have to do too much prep work. But that's not necessarily the case.

The basement was a source of anxiety for one Ardmore, Montgomery County family.

"We're functioning, but of course, if your space is in disarray, I think it causes a lot of stress," said mom Kristen DiMarco.

To ease that stress, she and her husband Brendan Kneafsey hired a professional organizer.

Jennifer Martin of Spruce Organizing Company categorized, contained, and labeled, creating user-friendly zones in their multi-purpose basement.

"I would say that this has been life-changing for us. Just being organized and having that one piece off of my mind. That clutter piece is huge," said DiMarco.

RELATED: Tips from a professional organizer on how to declutter and reorganize your home

Does DiMarco think she can keep it up?

"I do. I think the beauty of having an organizer come in and really create solutions is that we don't have to create the solution. We just need to follow it," she said.

The family has used Martin for other spaces in the past.

"We have no problem paying someone to do our hair, to mow our lawn, to groom our dog, all of these things to clean the house, we have no problem. But we think - and a lot of times it is women - that we think that we have to be like the guru, the goddess of the house that just knows intrinsically how to do this, and actually does it. And there's no reason why you have to. It's nice to have somebody come in and set up those systems for you," Martin said.

And Martin wanted to clear up some misconceptions about professional organizing services.

Number one, she said you do not have to be present when they're working.

Number two, you don't have to go through things first or throw things away in advance.

"We'll do it for you. If it's paper, we can sort the paper for you. We can make those decisions right? And lay it out for you later for you to look at," she said.

It's the same with clothes. A professional organizer will sort it in such a way that you can then come in and more easily see what to keep and what to toss or donate.

Of course, as with anything, make sure you get references and do your homework. That is especially critical since this person will be in your home, possibly when you are not there.

So, make sure you hire someone you know you can trust.

Ask a lot of questions before hiring and be aware that a good organizer should ask you questions about how you live and what your priorities and preferences are.

As far as pricing, there is a wide range of professional organizing services. Some charge per hour, others charge per session or project.

Martin charges $320 for a four-hour half-day session and $480 for a full day.