Help! My Husband Doesn't Want Me to Hire An Organizer (Part 1) | Ann Arbor Home Organizers

Do you ever wonder what kinds of questions flood the inbox of a professional organizer?

Whether I’m working out of my Ann Arbor, Michigan office or my office in Waco, Texas the questions are very similar.

And one question I hear over and over is this,

“Holly, I am so excited about getting my home organized. But my husband isn’t on board. What can I do?”

First – congratulations on being ready to tackle the organization of your home. What a great decision!

And ouch! It’s so tough to be excited about corralling the clutter and finding organizing solutions … only to discover you might be on a solo mission!

When husbands aren’t on board I find it’s typically one of three scenarios:

Scenario #1: your husband wants an organized home but doesn’t want you to invest in an organizer or organizing course or system. Either he doesn’t want to spend the money, or he thinks you ought to be able to handle this on your own (or with his help).

Scenario #2: your husband wants an organized home and thinks it’s great for you to be organized and have a more beautiful home as a result. However, he has zero interest in getting his stuff managed or helping you get things under control.

Scenario #3: your husband doesn’t care whether or not your home is organized. 

Today I want to focus on the first scenario (we’ll tackle the second and third ones in a future post).

Here are some talking points to use with your guy if he’s resisting the idea of you hiring a professional organizer.


We hire other experts. Why not an organizer?

No one would expect you to know how to change your own oil, file complicated tax returns, make home repairs, sew your own clothing, cut your own hair, perform your own medical procedures … well, you get my drift. 

Professional organizers are experts at uncovering organizational problems, diagnosing systems and routines that aren’t working, creating a clean slate, and then teaching and transferring tips, techniques, and tactics to homeowners and their families so they can maintain their newly organized space. 

And there’s this to consider: a professional organizer can accomplish in six hours what it might take you six months to complete.


It’s super easy to get overwhelmed and distracted. 

When faced with a chore that seems monumental, or an entire house that needs organizing, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It takes three times as long to get tasks completed (if you complete them at all), leaving less time for the stuff that’s really important – you and your family.

A professional organizer holds you accountable, keeps you on track, and shortens the amount of time it takes to accomplish your organizing goals. 


We’ve tried DIY organizing. It isn’t working.

Almost all the women I work with have tried to organize their home on their own – without outside help. If that’s true for you too, perhaps ask one or more of the following questions to help your guy understand the emotional magnitude of the problem. Sometimes women are trying so hard to be superwomen that the men around them often don’t know how frustrated they are. You might ask:

• “How many times have I tried to get our home organized?”
• “When and how will this get done if I don’t get the help I need?”
• “Do you want to continue to live like this?” or “Aren’t you tired of living like this?”

We waste time and emotional energy when our home isn’t organized.

Organizing is a fantastic investment in your marriage. When you feel organized and on top of her household it leaves you more time to invest in your family. Instead of dealing with the mounting frustration of digging for missing tennis shoes, that wrench you can’t seem to put your hand on, or that elusive thumb drive, you’re outside playing in the yard or heading to a friend’s house for a barbeque and a fun afternoon watching the big game.

Having an organized home improves your quality of life, reduces stress, eliminates wasted time, and allows your energy to go where it’s most beneficial – to your husband and family. An organized home usually means a happier spouse, and a happier family (oh – and happier pets too!).

And who doesn’t want a peaceful and happy marriage and a joyful life?

One of my clients in Waco, TX shared this message with me after I helped him and his wife... maybe you find yourself in their situation of needing more peace.

"Since Holly came, we have cleared out our house. We have downsized that one specific room and have sold things quicker. We took different tips from Holly such as different spouses having our own workspaces. Doing things like this has allowed us to not feel like packrats or hoarders anymore, but to have a more peaceful environment which is really a reflection of our marriage as we are maintaining the peace there. Thank you Holly! ​"

​We’ll talk in the future about strategies for the husband who is happy to have you hire an organizer, but just isn’t ready to be part of the process.

​
This post initially appeared on hollysoutherland.com.