North Metro Woman recently sat down for a conversation with professional home organizer and real estate stager Amy Kear of House In Order by Amy as she was putting the final touches on a newly staged listing in Westminster, seen in the accompanying photos.
How long have you had your business?
I’ve been doing this about six and a half years in Colorado. It took me a couple of years to get it well established and get to know people, but now I’m word of mouth, so I’m really proud of that.
Where do you live in North Metro Denver?
I live on the cusp of Lafayette and Louisville. I love living there.
How did you get started doing this work?
I think that we have an organizing gene in our family, and when I decided I was going step away from social work, I was just getting divorced, and I decided I needed to do something to survive in Colorado. So, I thought I’ll work with an organizer for a month as a volunteer to see how it goes. And after that job, she was fired, I was hired and after that I said this is probably my calling. I started just with the organizing and decluttering component, and that led into development of relationships with real estate agents.
Are you busy these days?
Something interesting about this industry is there are times where you think that it’s going to come to a full halt, like in the winter. But for the most part, what I’ve found over the years is if you just stick in it, the work will always come back in the spring and summer. During Covid was the craziest time I had. I didn’t take a vacation for two and a half years.
How does staging help sell a home?
The staging paints the picture of how they can put their furniture in a house. Most people are not creative enough to figure that out without the staging and it helps gives them an emotional draw to the house.
What’s your favorite thing about this kind of work?
I love the design aspect and when I’m trusted to do it with my own creative freedom. That’s where I shine the most. I also enjoy working with people who are experiencing mental health issue and I can use my social work skills to help they figure out why they’re holding onto things. Getting them unblocked and feeling better in their house so that clutter in their mind is not manifesting in their home.
What organization and staging advice can you share with our readers?
Typically, when I get to a house to organize, I notice that clients don’t need to buy a lot of new storage containers–they need less stuff. So, the best tip for me is always to have less stuff. It’s far easier to organize when you’ve minimized down to what you use all the time, and everything has a specific place so that you can easily get it organized back again quickly.
With selling your house, common mistakes I see would be having too many of your own personal items out. Buyers need to be able to see the bones of the house without too much distraction, so just keep it minimal with neutral colors on the walls so that it’s move-in ready.
How can your professional skills help other women?
I’m able to help you organize, declutter and stage a home. I’m happy to do a design consult at your home to make it look its best! Maybe you need new art, furniture, etc., and I can help you put your House In Order!
Finally, what’s the best part about life in North Metro Denver?
It has a good vibe. I enjoy the people and it’s an artsy town. We have some cool hangouts in Louisville and downtown Lafayette with great food and craft beer too! It also feels less hectic here to me than Denver. We can get on a hike easily, which I love!
Before and after: When she completed a monumental home organization project that lasted from January to June, Amy developed a lifelong friendship with a couple whose home needed decluttering, organization, and staging before they moved to an assisted living facility. “It was many hours of blood, sweat, and tears, but it was satisfying to my soul to help this amazing couple in their 80s go through 40 years of accumulated stuff,” Amy said.
Check out more about Amy at House In Order by Amy!
