Hi,

I'm the 24 year old son of a mother who's a pack rat. I'm living at
home right now partially in an attempt to clean the house/basement up
and partially because I want to save for a new home of my own. My
problem is this. I've failed.

I have so far gotten to the point where I'm unable to further work
with and motivate my mother to clean the house/basement. I've tossed
what I can toss. I have gotten in trouble for trying to furhter
motivate to toss (not organize, toss) more stuff out.

I'm looking for help on an intervention. I don't so much want Clean
Sweep the show, but I do want someone who does this as a profession
(or rather someone who's had experience at it). I'm not looking for a
free ride or an PackRat's Anonoymous, but someone I can pay to help me
toss the house here in denver.

Help 
:(
Rich

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Request for Question Clarification by kriswrite-ga on 09 Oct 2004 14:38 PDT

Where do you live in the world?

Kriswrite

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Clarification of Question by rjeong-ga on 09 Oct 2004 15:21 PDT

"I'm not looking for a free ride or an PackRat's Anonoymous, but
someone I can pay to help me toss the house here in denver."

Sorry I should have put it at the top.  Denver, Colorado

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 09 Oct 2004 16:24 PDT

Would a home organizing service like the one described here be useful?

http://www.jsonline.com/entree/decorating/aug04/253561.asp

If this is the kind of thing you're looking for, I'll be glad to see
whether I can find other, similar services in Denver, and post my
findings as an answer. If this isn't suitable, it would be very
helpful if you could give a few more details about what you need.

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Clarification of Question by rjeong-ga on 09 Oct 2004 17:38 PDT

I think...

Reading that article gives me the correct impression of what they do,
but I'm not out to redesign the house, I'm out to help deal with the
junk and attack the psychology of the problem.  I found the end of the
article very pertinant to the long term solution I'm facing, however I
need short term manpower and objectivity before I can face that
solution.

I think the answer is yes.  If you can help me find 5-15 companies I'd
be in heaven.  I love to shop prices :)

Thank you very much.

I certainly sympathize with what you're going through. Several years
ago, my father moved in with me, and the prospect of de-clutterizing
his old house was a nightmare. It seems that some people never throw
ANYTHING away. I wish I had thought of hiring a professional to help!

I have found some good info for you, and near the bottom of my answer
I've posted a personal recommendation from a trustworthy friend who
lives in the Denver area.

The major professional organization for home and office organizers is
NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). There's a
regional organization called CoPO (Colorado Professional Organizers).
By visiting the websites of these organizations you should be able to
get some excellent leads.

Here you'll find a list of CoPO members in your region. This list
includes various types of organizing consultants, so not all of these
will be suitable. The ones who display 'Re' as part of their
description do residential organizing and clutter control:

Colorado Professional Organizers: Find An Organizer
http://www.copo.org/organize.htm

I am particularly amazed by "Organize to Energize," whose owner says
that she "believes clearing clutter is transformational and
liberating." Now, this is a person who should come visit my house for
a few days. By the time she was done, she'd be so transformed that no
one would even recognize her. ;-)

Your best bet may be to use the NAPO "Automated Referral System,"
which lets you enter your ZIP code and then indicate your precise
needs from a menu of specialized services. As a test, I used the ZIP
code 80001, and chose the menu items "Chronic Disorganized" and
"Garages/Attics/Bsmts." The search brought up the names of 22
organizers within a 50 mile radius, with links to contact info for
each. I am certain that this will enable you to select the most
suitable organizing consultant for your situation.

NAPO Automated Referral System
http://www.association-office.com/napo/referral/index.htm

I can offer one second-hand personal recommendation. A friend is very
enthustiastic about Brigitte Reid, of "Clutter Busters." Brigitte is a
member of NAPO:

The BluFish: Clutter Busters
http://www.theblufish.com/vendors/clutterbusters/

I hope this is useful! If anything I've said is unclear or incomplete,
or if a link doesn't work for you, please request clarification; I'll
be glad to offer further assistance before you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

Great work.  napo was exactly what I needed.

Thanks

At least you're not alone...
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=e9744d33e932f0de0ec1d35d23523a44&threadid=830487&perpage=40&pagenumber=1

Actually, I don't think you are being terribly fair on your mother.
It's her house and she should be able to live as she likes in it. If
you don't like that, then you should find a place of your own, instead
of trying to control her life.
Amber
(a mother, occasioally nagged by her offspring.)

Amber,

You are right to a degree, however part of the reason I'm here is to
help her clean the junk up and out.  I had the option to get an
apartment while waiting for a house, but was encouraged to stay home
for this reason.

She can certianly live in it as she likes, however she's not the only
one in it.  Even if I wasn't here my father would be pursuing a
similar if more passive role.

I find it strange that you assume I'm trying to control her life. 
She's actually the one who came to me for help on cleaning the
basement.  She started this endevor on her own and She's maded valiant
strides in cleaning up her accumlation.  I'm just a cheerleader,
manpower, and motivator (however as I've said, I'm unable to contiue
my cheerleading).

Rich
(A loving son, nagged by his mother)