How Much Does a Professional Organiser Cost in the UK?

How much does a professional declutterer cost in the UK? Here is how the pricing works, what the hours cover, and exactly what I charge, with zero surprises.

Jo de Serrano OBE DUniv

8 min read

person using laptop computer holding card
person using laptop computer holding card

Last Updated: November 2026

Key Takeaways

  • There isn't one standard price for professional decluttering in the UK. Prices vary depending on the organiser, their experience and where they're based.

  • My in-person sessions cost £45 an hour, with a minimum booking of four hours (£180). A full seven-hour day costs £315.

  • My Monthly Organising Retainer costs £165 for four hours each month, with a minimum six-month commitment.

  • It's always worth checking what's included in the price, particularly travel, additional expenses and cancellation terms.

If you're thinking about getting some help with decluttering, one of the first things you'll probably want to know is how much it's going to cost. Fair enough, really, I don't blame you... There's not much point getting excited about finally sorting out your home if you haven't got a clue what you're going to be paying.

The slightly annoying answer is that there isn't one standard price for professional decluttering in the UK. Different organisers charge in different ways, and the amount of time you need depends on the scope of the work, what you're hoping to get as an end result and the time it takes to make decisions.

So I thought I'd explain how it all works, what I charge and what you're actually getting for your money. No mysterious pricing or having to enquire just to find out whether something is remotely within your budget.

Contents

  1. How Much Does a Professional Declutterer Cost?

  2. What Do You Actually Get for Your Money?

  3. One-Off Session or Regular Organising Support?

  4. Are There Any Additional Costs?

  5. What Should You Look for in a Professional Organiser?

  6. Is Hiring a Professional Declutterer Worth It?

  7. FAQs

How Much Does a Professional Organiser Cost?

If you've already looked at a few professional organisers' websites, you'll probably have noticed that prices can vary quite a bit.

According to APDO, the professional association for declutterers and organisers, there isn't a standard industry rate. Experience, specialist knowledge and location can all affect what someone charges. Some organisers work on an hourly basis, others charge for a set amount of hours, some offer retainer plans and some offer bundled hours.. All of this can make comparing prices a little tricky because you're not necessarily comparing apples with apples.

I'm always upfront and transparent with my pricing - I charge £45 an hour for in-person organising, with a minimum booking of four hours, so the shortest session costs £180. The longest session I offer in a day is seven hours, which costs £315. Where a client is local to me or comes with specific energy issues, such as disability, I may be able to offer shorter sessions, but this is not guaranteed.

You might be wondering why I have a four-hour minimum, particularly if you've only got one cupboard or wardrobe you want help with. Well, decluttering generally takes longer than people expect. We need time to look at what's there, work through what you want to keep, decide what to do with everything else, and then organise the space so it actually works for you. Four hours gives us a decent chance of making meaningful progress without leaving you surrounded by half-sorted piles and wondering why on earth you started.

I also limit sessions to seven hours because decluttering can be surprisingly tiring for everyone involved, both physically and mentally. Making decisions about belongings for hours on end takes energy, even when you've got someone helping you.

What Do You Actually Get for Your Money?

When I come to your home, we work together... I'm not going to disappear into a room, decide you've got too much stuff, and emerge hours later having thrown half of it away. It's always your home, your belongings and your decisions. My job is to help you work through things, ask useful questions when you're stuck, and find practical ways of organising what you decide to keep. That might involve sorting belongings into categories, making better use of the storage you've already got, finding sensible places for things to live or introducing labels where they're actually useful (despite me wanting to put one on everything).

I can also take away up to five standard-sized rubbish bags of donations at the end of a session, which is included in my fee. I can't take items to the refuse and recycling centre, but we'll agree what happens to anything I can't remove before I leave, such as collection by Anglo Doorstep Collections or Redonate, both of which give a percentage of profits, 60% and 80% respectively to charity.

And please don't feel you need to tidy before I arrive... Seeing how you normally use a space helps me understand what's working and what isn't. I do ask that you have strong rubbish bags, bags or boxes for recycling and donations, and some basic cleaning materials available.

One question I'm often asked is how many hours a particular job will take... I wish there were a magic formula to work this out, but a small wardrobe crammed full of clothes can take longer than a much bigger room with relatively little in it. Sometimes the physical sorting is straightforward, but making decisions about certain belongings takes more time. There might be things with sentimental value, paperwork that needs checking, or a box nobody's opened for fifteen years that takes more time than you would expect.

I'll give you the most realistic estimate I can during our initial conversation. If you'd like to tackle a bigger project more quickly, there's also the option of having two organisers working together, which can sometimes save both time and money overall.

One-Off Session or Regular Organising Support?

Not everybody needs ongoing help... If you've got one particular area you want to sort, such as your wardrobe, kitchen or home office, a single session might be exactly what you're looking for.

But sometimes there's more to tackle, or you'd prefer to work through things gradually rather than trying to organise your entire home in one enormous burst. You may also need a regular reset. For that, I can offer my Monthly Organising Retainer, which I call MORe. It costs £165 a month for four hours of organising, with a minimum commitment of six months. That works out at £41.25 an hour rather than my usual £45. Extra hours are charged at the same reduced rate, and you can roll over up to three sessions a year into the following month. Over six months, you'll have 24 hours of organising support for £990. The same number of hours booked individually would cost £1,080, so that's a saving of £90, so basically you get an extra two hours decluttering. The biggest advantage, though, isn't necessarily the saving. It's knowing you've got regular time set aside to keep making progress, particularly if you find it difficult to get started or stay on top of things on your own.

Are There Any Additional Costs?

This is something I'd always recommend checking before booking any Professional Organiser, because nobody wants an unexpected addition to the bill.

For my in-person sessions, travel within the first 10 miles and first hour in rush-hour conditions from my base in Croydon is included. If you're further away, I'll confirm any additional travel costs during our discovery conversation, before you decide whether to go ahead. Parking, tolls, congestion charges and overnight accommodation, where necessary, are all charged separately.

There are also things like if additional time is required for sourcing storage products, doing some shopping, or arranging returns on your behalf, that time is charged at £45 an hour.

Also check the contract before you sign anything as there's usually things like deposits to secure your booking, which are deducted from your final invoice, and cancellation terms to consider.

What Should You Look for in a Professional Organiser?

Whether you book me or somebody else, I'd suggest having a conversation before making a decision... Most offer a free discovery call, to do just that. Ask what's included in the price, whether there are additional travel costs, what happens to donated items, and how cancellations work. It's also worth checking whether the organiser is insured and belongs to a professional association. Many will send you their FAQs or ts and cs, or they will be on their website.

I'm an APDO member and follow its code of ethics. I'm also fully insured and Enhanced DBS cleared. But perhaps the most important thing is whether you feel comfortable with the person... You're inviting someone into your home and potentially asking them to help you make decisions about belongings that have been part of your life for years. Some of those decisions might be straightforward, while others could be much harder. You should feel able to say no, ask questions, and explain what you need without worrying about being judged or pressured.

The whole point is to make your home work better for you, not to create somebody else's idea of what a perfectly organised home should look like.

Is Hiring a Professional Organiser Worth It?

That really depends on your circumstances... If you've got the time, energy and confidence to tackle everything yourself, you might not need a Professional Organiser at all. But if you've been meaning to sort the same space for months, keep getting overwhelmed, or simply don't know where to start, having someone there can make a big difference.

One client put it rather nicely in a Google review: "We achieved more in 4 hours than I would have done in days by myself!"

That's really what I want people to get from working with me... Not just a tidier space on the day, but something that makes everyday life a little easier afterwards.

I also think it's worth remembering that you don't have to wait until things feel completely out of control before asking for help. Sometimes you just want to make better use of a room, get organised before a move or finally tackle something that's been sitting on your list for far too long.

There's nothing wrong with deciding you'd rather spend your time doing something else and getting somebody in to help.

FAQs

How much does a Professional Organiser cost in the UK? There's no standard rate across the industry. My in-person sessions cost £45 an hour, with a four-hour minimum of £180. A seven-hour day costs £315.

Do you charge for the first conversation? No. My initial 15-minute virtual discovery call is free. It gives us a chance to talk about what you need and, if you're comfortable, have a quick look at the space. If you'd prefer a face-to-face discovery consultation, I can explain the cost when you enquire.

Do I have to pay a deposit? Yes. A 50% deposit secures your booking and is deducted from your final invoice. The remaining balance is due when you receive the invoice, post session.

What happens if I want to stop partway through? We can stop whenever you need to, although the fee is based on the time booked rather than the time actually used.

Can I buy a session as a gift? Yes. Gift cards start at £25, can be used towards any of my services, and are valid for 12 months.

You Might Also Find This Useful

→ The Decluttering Timeline: How Long Should It Really Take?

→ What Actually Happens During a Kitchen Decluttering Session (A Real London Client Story)

→ Understanding the Role of a Professional Organiser in London

→ Monthly Organising Retainer

→ Gift Cards

If you'd like to talk through your own space and get an idea of what it might cost, you're welcome to book a free discovery call.

I'm based in Croydon and work across London, the Home Counties and Sussex.