Professional Organizer vs. Custom Closet Designer: How the Pros Measure Up

When you can’t open your closet door without a pile of sweaters falling on your head, it’s time to call in the organization professionals.

When your entire bedroom floor is covered in a two-foot-deep pile of clothes, or you can’t open your closet door without a pile of sweaters falling on your head, it’s time to call in the organization professionals. But who should you call for help, a professional closet organizer or a custom closet designer?

Both of these closet professionals can help you get your messy clothes in order, but there are a number of pros and cons to consider before you make your final decision. Factors like total cost, short-term benefits, and long-term benefits differ significantly between professional organizers and custom closet designers. When you think about all of these factors in advance, you’ll come up with a long-term solution to all of your organization woes. With help from the right professional, you can say goodbye to overstuffed closets and sweater avalanches forever.

Professional Organizer vs. Custom Closet Designer: What’s the Difference?

Although a professional organizer and a custom closet designer both solve common organization problems in your home, they are actually very different professions.

A professional organizer is someone who helps you identify specific lifestyle goals and manages all of the items that you own. It’s like hiring a lifestyle coach for your things—the organizer will help you declutter your space, getting rid of items that no longer suit your needs and finding better places to store the items that you still use. Some professional organizers are trained and certified by the National Association of Professional Organizers, whereas others have no certification or special training at all.

By contrast, a custom closet designer is someone who helps you find new storage solutions for the items that you already own. A closet designer’s goal isn’t to purge your closet of extra shoes; the designer won’t ask you whether you really need the same cashmere sweater in three different colors. Instead, the designer works with what you already have and finds a way to make your space more functional and appear more inviting. Custom closet designers often have previous experience or training in closet or interior design and will understand how to make the most out of even the smallest space.

So, which professional should you hire to tackle your own messy bedroom? It depends on your short-term and long-term goals as well as your overall budget.

The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Professional Organizer

You might feel like you have more items than you really need, or perhaps you want to switch to a more minimalist lifestyle. If this sounds like you, then hiring a professional organizer to go through your items one by one could help. However, a professional organizer isn’t the right choice for everyone. You should consider the following list of pros and cons before you make your decision:

The Pros:

• A professional organizer identifies the root of your organization problem and shows you how to solve it.

• A professional organizer gets rid of items that you no longer use.

• A professional organizer encourages you to think carefully before you buy new items.

• A professional organizer offers an objective opinion about which items are worth keeping and which you’re better off donating or selling.

The Cons:

• You need to schedule a huge chunk of time to work with your organizer.

• You have to pay for additional storage solutions like shelving and storage containers.

• You may end up buying more items after you’ve purged everything.

• There’s often an emphasis on minimalism, which may not work for every lifestyle.

• You’ll have to repeat the process all over again if your home becomes cluttered.

While a professional organizer can help some homeowners gain control over their messy rooms, this process can be expensive, inconvenient and it may not be beneficial long-term. Even if you pay a professional organizer to sort through every item you own, and you take a day off from work to organize your entire home from the floor to the ceiling, there’s nothing stopping you from buying more clothes the next day. Instead, you need a solution that takes your lifestyle and needs into consideration, and that has long-lasting benefits.

The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Custom Closet Designer

The people that benefit most from hiring a custom closet designer are those who don’t mind having hundreds of pairs of shoes or an extensive collection of jewelry. They’re not looking to become minimalists, they simply want a space where they can store their items efficiently and keep clutter to a minimum. However, like a professional organizer, hiring a custom closet designer might not be the best choice for every homeowner. Here are some of the pros and cons of hiring a custom closet designer:

The Pros:

• A custom closet designer won’t get rid of any of your items.

• You won’t have to take significant time off work or take a break from your errands to get a custom closet installed.

• Custom storage options keep items organized, even if you add new items to your collection.

• You can design a closet for multiple spaces in your home.

• The cost and installation of your storage solutions are already included.

The Cons:

• Your new closet may become unorganized over time.

• A custom closet designer may not be able to tell you what to do with any of your items.

Overall, a custom closet designer can help you find the perfect space to store the items you already own, and this option may be more convenient for those who don’t want to spend hours sorting through every single item in their home. However, there are also a few potential downsides that you’ll have to consider before you hire a custom closet designer to help you with your organization.

Professional Organizer or Custom Closet Designer: What’s the Best Option?

Whether you hire a professional closet organizer or a custom closet designer depends on what your goals ultimately are, as well as your budget.

First, consider the total cost of the organization process. Most professional organizers charge between $30 and $80 per hour, yet these costs add up significantly over time. If you work with your organizer for five hours per day over the course of five days, then the entire process will cost as much as $2,000. And these expenses will continue to rise if you have to repeat the process again months or years later.

Meanwhile, the cost of a custom closet design can actually be less than that of a professional organizer, even though it appears to cost more up-front. A custom closet costs about $1,000 to $2,500 on average, depending on the features that you want to install. However, this is a one-time installation that will potentially last you for decades. It’s a long-term solution to a lifelong organization problem.

Generally, if you love every item of clothing in your closet or you know that you have a passion for collecting shoes or silk ties, then a custom closet designer will help you keep these items neat and tidy without judgment. If, on the other hand, you want to scale back and seriously assess the things you own, then a professional organizer may be a better choice for you. Regardless of which option you choose, hiring a professional is the first step to finally getting your bedroom clutter under control.

Sign up for a free consultation with Closet America today to find out more about our organization options. We’ll offer you suggestions on the best closet storage solutions for your lifestyle and needs, allowing you to design a space that you’ll look forward to using every single day.