Whether you are nearlyweds, are newlyweds, or need a fresh start, Stephanie Robinson of Bee Organized is here to help save you some sanity when building a home with your significant other. As someone who declutters for a living, Stephanie shares her wisdom on the best ways to merge two lives together. Whether you’ve lived together for a while or are just moving in, these tips will help you both to create breathing room in your spaces and in your relationship! So grab your favorite drink and a notebook because this episode is just for you!
Meet Stephanie.
I’m Stephanie Robinson – the owner/Queen Bee of Bee Organized. We do home organization, transitions, which means unpacking and packing for moves and concierge services. Concierge services are anything from taking your purged items to donation to possibly helping you coordinate estate sales, realtors, and junk haulers. Really anything that goes along with moving in or out of your home.
Tell us a little bit more about those services.
Sure! Home organization is kind of what you think of when you think of a home organizer. It’s when we come into your home, we assess your space. We want to know all of the ways you’d like to be more organized in your life. Maybe it’s because you have kids, or in the case of a kitchen – maybe you want to re-arrange and focus where you can easily reach. Whatever it is, we do an assessment and take these factors into consideration. Then, when we come back to do the job, we take everything out of the space and help you purge. We re-organize everything into the space so it’s picture perfect and functional. We want to help you feel freer and allow you to breathe when you get home and relax, instead of feeling like you’re out of control when you walk through the door.
We also do transition services, which is packing and unpacking for moves. We work a lot with realtors, and senior Transition Specialists at senior living communities to really take the stress out of your move. We pack all of your items and we can help hook you up with a mover or we can coordinate with junk haulers. We’ll help you take care of any services you need to clear your home and move. And, because of franchises nationwide, we can even help with a cross country move.
So, people who aren’t in Rhode Island can use your services?
Yes! We have 17 territories nationwide and it is growing like wildfire, too.
Amazing. Tell me about the concierge services.
Concierge services are really a way to get help with anything you might need. If you can dream it, we can do it. I think the biggest thing really winds up being taking items for donation so that you won’t have them sitting there after we organize. We want to leave you ready to go!
I love it. And it’s funny for the listeners will tell them how we met.
Well, we met because Sara did a brand photoshoot for me. It was the first time I’d ever done anything like that. And you were amazing. I was so nervous to get the pictures, but they were beautiful.
I’m so happy. During that shoot, I thought about how you could serve our listeners! A lot of couples are transitioning around their wedding – buying homes, moving in together and there’s a lot of change happening. Plus, who doesn’t want to be more organized?!
I’m telling you: not everyone can do it. You know, a lot of people look at what we do and wonder why someone would need our services. Those are the people that don’t need our services, they know how to organize. But a lot of people walk into their homes and feel overwhelmed by it. And that’s where we come in.
Let’s get into it then! What would you recommend for somebody who is wanting to power purge before a move or to clean up a space?
We have a specific process that we go through. When we organize, we have a space for sorting, which we refer to as “S” in our process. That’s where everything goes when we pull it out of the space. You start by pulling everything out of that space. Just get it out – set it aside and then you can go through it. Something like a pantry is easy – you throw out the expired food. Move on. But a closet where someone has 10 black sweaters that were all preciously in different spaces is a bit more difficult. Once you pull everything out, you can really see what you’ve got.
During the purging process (“P” in our process), we have questions that we ask clients – and you could ask yourself, too. Look at your items and ask: Does that item make you happy? Is that item useful now – or in the near future? The final questions is whether or a not an item is value or irreplaceable. If something doesn’t make you happy, isn’t useful or irreplicable, then maybe it’s something you can get rid of or consider selling as part of the process. Go through each item and ask those through questions. If the answer is “yes” to any of them, then put it in a pile to keep. If it’s “no”, decide to donate, sell or fix, whatever makes the most sense.
Those are great questions. I feel like the purging process can get really overwhelming so breaking it down to those questions is probably really helpful.
It sounds very time consuming to ask yourself these three questions. But what we notice is, as we go through the space, they just kind of automatically happen in the client’s brain instead of having a conversation every time. So, then it just becomes a matter of them saying keep it, get rid of it, fix it, whatever they want to do.
Like you said, they can either have you come in and do the power purge, or if they are moving or combining their homes, then they could do it on their own.
Absolutely. Especially if you’re combining homes, you don’t want to bring in multiples of each item that you could easily condense down.
So, what happens now, after you do a power purge?
After the power purge, we’re going to move on to the “A” in work which stands for assess and assign. This is when we’re going to look at your empty space and decide where to put things. Think about what you use most often and what you use less often. If you’re using an item often, make it accessible.
For example, if you’d like to cook, we want to make sure your spices and your wooden spoons are right there next to the stove, so you don’t have to go searching for them every time. So, this is the time to decide where to put everything. We also begin to focus on “C”, which is for consolidate and contain. This is where we implement our bins, risers, or whatever will keep your items organized after we leave the area. We end with “E”, which is embellish and educate. Now is the time for labels on your items! Personally, I’m not a labeler – I like knowing I have options in the future, which probably makes me unique in the organizing world. But if you like labels, now’s the time to use them.
I love this thought process. Can you say the phrase again?
We use “SPACE”: S is for space, P is for power purge, A is for assess and assign, C is for consolidate and contain, and E is for embellish and educate.
That’s awesome. So those are little nuggets for people who want to do this on your own. So, what do you do after the purge? You have piles of things to get rid of or keep. What do you do with them, especially those sentimental items?
In my experience with my memorabilia, I have found that as the years go by, the box I keep naturally empties itself out. Every time I go through it, I’m willing to get rid of more and more things. So, my advice to keep memorabilia is trying not to keep something if it’s not something you’re willing to put out on your wall and honor. Otherwise, aim for one large plastic bin and keep yourself restricted to that so it doesn’t get out of control.
It’s funny, I’m sitting here listening to you and patting myself on the back. I had all of the stuff from my own wedding – even down to the ribbons from my rehearsal bouquet, but the truth was that it was just sitting in my basement. What was I going to do with it? Same with all the artwork from my mom that I’d drawn. So, we have a few things now that we’ve displayed in what we call our “homegrown garden”. Now we’re starting to add our kids’ artwork. But the rest became trash.
I love that so much. Because we do talk a lot about honoring the items that mean a lot to you that just sit in a box. You’re not really doing them a favor – or yourself a favor – by keeping them hidden away. Something else we like to tell people is that the memory is in your brain, not the item. You’re not going to lose the memory if you get rid of the item.
I would think too, when you’re combining two households, there’s also just the issue of space. How do you navigate going through things like this for couples?
I don’t ever suggest storage, because that is stuff that’s just going to be locked away and you’ll never look at it again. Storage is really for those heirloom items that you want to pass on but don’t have room for in this moment. We’re lucky enough to have basements for that stuff, but not everyone does.
My first piece of advice is to go through your personal memorabilia individually, because you really don’t want to accidentally scoff at something that your partner cherishes. People accidentally do that all the time and it can hurt their feelings. Then, when you do come together with these things, have th conversation about the fact that these are special items for each of you. It can be fun – grab a glass of wine, and learn a bit more about your partner and why something is special to them.
So, what else can couples do now that they’ve done a power purge and gone through their special memorabilia?
This is more for your utilitarian items – things that aren’t attached to memories, but are being used. Take inventory of what you have, like pots and pans. If you have an overabundance, consider getting rid of a set. Or, if you have something that’s been well-used, maybe it’s just time to toss it and put a new set on your registry.
Oh, that’s a good idea! You start to look to see what you have first and if both sets are bad, put the new items on your registry.
And you know, then it opens you up to buying something of higher quality that you will use for the rest of your life versus that cheaper item. So, once you’ve reviewed what you have and decide what to do with it, look for gaps in what you don’t own. For example, maybe one of you has a nice grill but doesn’t have the right tools. They’ve just bene using whatever’s on hand. Now is a great time ot add those fancier BBQ tools to your registry. Looking for the gaps in what you have is going to save you from buying things that you don’t need.
Okay, let’s talk about closets. So many people don’t have enough space. What would you tell couples about closet cleaning and organization?
So first of all, I always like to say give yourself grace. And in this situation, give your future spouse grace, too. People have attachments to clothing. But wherever you’re going, there will be a limit on that space. You have to share that closet space.
You want to purge not just your clothes, but your shoes and anything that doesn’t fit anymore. That’s something that we really like to drive home with people. Live for the person that you are in that moment, don’t live for the future. If you walk into your closet and see 5 pairs of jeans in a size you’re not in anymore, that’s hard. Don’t do that to yourself. Get rid of them. I did that. It changed the way I looked at my clothes.
Oh, I like that. Why am I looking at clothes that don’t fit me anymore?
Exactly. You don’t need to – somebody else can be using that item.
So, what happens when someone does their power purge for their closet?
Once you have the power purge and organization done in your closet, move on. It’s now about maintaining that space. One of the things that I like to do to keep an inventory on what I’m wearing is turning all of my hangers the wrong way out. Set a date in a few months. As you wear and wash something, hang it back up and turn the hanger the right way when you do. So, when you come back on that date and check your closet, you can clearly see what you didn’t wear. The items that were never turned back around haven’t been worn since the last time you went through your clothes.
Such an amazing tip.
Yeah, and it reminds you to wear things that you really do like but also shows you what you never put on again. I do that all the time – I put something on and go to dinner, and hate how I felt. It never goes on again, but instead just sits there. Now, there is an 80-20 rule for clothing: you wear 20% of your clothing 80% of the time. So, that’s something else to keep in mind when you’re organizing your closet. If you know there are certain items that you wear all the time, group them together. You’re going to save your space and time in the morning by immediately knowing you can go to this one certain spot in your closet and know that you’re probably going to wear one of those items.
One of the last nuggets that I have for you about keeping your closet organized: one in, two out. This is really helpful for people who tend to buy a lot of things. Anytime you bring in something new, you have to get rid of two similar items. Eventually, this isn’t sustainable because you need clothes, but it’s helpful if there’s a lot they just can’t part with right away.
Oh, I love that!
Oh, the last thing I have is that you can make your closet seem more streamlined and aesthetically pleasing by using matching hangers. This is great for couples – either choose one color to use or just buy new ones.
Those are some nice little tips. It’s going to be tough, but it’s worth it.
Very, very tough. Clothing and shoes, I think, are probably one of the hardest things for people to get rid of besides memorabilia.
These are great tips for people who want to do this themselves. But if it feels overwhelming, they can work with you.
That’s right. We are not gatekeepers. We give away a lot of information. Our services are for the people that need us and can’t do it on their own or don’t have the time to do it on their own.
Once people go through their stuff and purge, what happens to all of that stuff they’re getting rid of? What do you recommend people do?
Yes, as soon as you’re done, don’t wait to put it in your car. Because if it’s sitting in your car, you’re going to be reminded every time you go to your car to take it to the donation center. My favorite donation center right now is Big Brothers Big Sisters, because they offer textile recycling. Any kind of clothing, curtains, sheets, towels, anything that’s made of textiles, they’ll recycle. Another thing that I utilize personally is my local Buy Nothing page.
Habitat for Humanity also has something called the Restore Cell. Anything pulled out of a home that can be reused like old cabinets, doors, doorknobs, they’ll take. They are a great resource if you’re trying to get rid of furniture and some larger items like that.
What is the pricing like if someone wants you to come help them out?
Again, we have locations nationwide. Because they’re in different parts of the country, the rates are different. But typically, it’s around $55/hour. I have the same rates for organizing and transition services. The main thing to keep in mind is that we do an onsite assessment in order to figure out what it will cost you. It all depends on the space, how much you have, and how long you’re available for, too. We’re not going to purge without you. That’s something that is very near and dear to my heart. We don’t get rid of things without our client present.
I like to say organizing is kind of a gift to your future self. You’re not going to benefit from it right in that moment. But as you utilize your organized spaces, you’re going to gain a lot of time. So, if you think about it that way, your future self is worth it.
It can be hard – and we all want to do it. But the bottom line is that doing it will help us out.
It’s something to check off your list to be done. But it gives you time. It gives your family the chance to have space. Or if you’re moving in together, it’s a chance to build a space of comfort where you’ll fee secure and clean.
Before we get into the wrap up question, what are some tips that you can give couples if one person is very organized, and the other one’s not?
Oh, this happens a lot – especially once kids are involved. But, if you get systems in place, it’s so much easier to know where to put things. With that being said, it doesn’t always magically happen that people put things where they go.
Wrap-Up Question
What are some key points that couples should be asking organizing companies, when they’re inquiring to make sure that they are working with a professional company?
Watch how they handle themselves. Find someone who focuses on kindness and compassion, because you’re inviting this person into your home. You have to be able to trust them.
Find out if their assessment is free, and if it’s in-person or virtual. We can do both. But, it’s a chance to get to know your organizer before you invite them into your home.
See if you’re gelling before you sign the contract.
What We Discussed
The purging process (12:51)
How to get rid of memorabilia (19:05)
Give yourself grace (21:57)
Hourly rates for organizing (37:54)
Links Mentioned in the Episode
Website | Facebook | Instagram
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