Help Clients Demand Fair and Accurate Estimates
Prospective clients ask me what information I need to develop fair and accurate estimates for a professional organizing project. I explain the process to them and then I send the following explanation. Writing down exactly what I need to give them a fair and accurate estimate saves everyone so much time and avoids many misunderstandings.
Dear Future Client,
Thank you for the opportunity to help you fulfill your vision for your home. As a professional organizer I pride myself on working efficiently. You can have a very important impact on the results. Here are the things I need from you to develop a fair and accurate estimate:
- Photograph all of the spaces you would like organized.
- Please include everything. Open the closets, cupboards, and wardrobe doors to photograph all the nooks and crannies. If you have bins or boxes under the bed or behind the sofa, please include these.
- Include photographs of everything that is in scope, if the garage and the basement are in your plan, then please include them. Any missing space will also be excluded from my overall estimate.
- Provide a brief description of what you’d like to accomplish in each space. If you want an office transformed into a bedroom or the garage completely emptied of boxes or wall-to-wall shelving installed, then let me know.
- If you already have a supply of boxes and bins or storage solutions, then please list those. It will help me plan the overall effort.
- Tell me when you’ll be available to make decisions. If you can only spare a few hours after work or if you plan to work side by side throughout the day, this information will help me outline a plan.
There are some things that you can do to make the organizing estimate process as efficient and low-cost as possible. If you’d like to start before I arrive, then begin by eliminating any obvious garbage and debris. Magazines, newspapers, boxes, and unwanted personal items can all be disposed of beforehand. You can begin to sort clothes into keep, donate, and dispose piles. We can make these decisions together, so don’t put any pressure on yourself to finalize the dispose pile, but this is a very effective way to begin detaching from those personal belongings that you really don’t love. Just eliminating clothes that won’t be handed down or no longer fit anyone can reduce the piles considerably. More importantly, some effort at this stage will make you much more comfortable with detaching from those personal items that no longer fit in your life.
If I have any questions after reviewing your photographs and descriptions I will call or email you for clarification. I’ll get back to you within 24-hours with a firm written estimate after we finalize our discussions and questions about your goals and objectives.
Please raise any questions or concerns at any time before or during the organizing process. I’m here to make your life more efficient and enjoyable as well as providing you with fair and accurate estimates. I need your feedback to make sure we have a shared vision for your beautiful home.
