GENERAL FAQ’s
Q. WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE A PEACEFUL HOME?
A. A Peaceful Home is a full-service organizing and home staging company led by Certified Professional Organizer® and Home Staging Expert®, Stephani Lipford. Peaceful Home Professional Organizers give structure and create clarity out of clutter, helping you cull, sort, and edit your belongings. Then, we help you develop better organizing skills and habits to stay organized in the long term by containing, labeling, organizing, and creating systems according to your natural preferences. We transform your space into a well-designed, functional, and aesthetically pleasing one. We’re also productivity experts, helping you gain control over your time, focus on what’s important, and manage to-do lists.
As Home Staging Experts®, our strategic solutions, unique vision, and signature aesthetic sell your home quickly, easily, and for more profit, home staging with A Peaceful Home is the most effective way to stand out in the crowded Tallahassee market.
Q. DO YOU OFFER A FREE CONSULTATION?
A. A Peaceful Home offers a complimentary 15-minute Phone Consultation to help you determine if our services meet your needs. This consultation allows you to ask questions and get answers.
We can schedule an In-Home Assessment or Staging Consultation to meet with you in your space. The In-Home Assessment is a useful tool to clarify and prioritize the organizing project, provide expert solutions to common problems, provide a time estimate for each space, and motivate you to begin organizing. Our Walk + Talk Staging Consultation is an in-depth, on-site meeting with our Home Staging Expert® where we’ll walk through, room by room, and determine effective strategies to place your home above the competition.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?
A. Cancellations must be made by phone 48 hours before the scheduled appointment so we have time to fill the canceled session. As a courtesy to our clients, we send a reminder via text or email several days before appointments. When booking an In-Home Assessment or Organizing Session, we require a credit card to hold your appointment; however, your card is not charged at that time. Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the scheduled appointment will be charged a cancellation fee.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR SERVICE AREA?
A. A Peaceful Home is based in Tallahassee, FL, and serves Leon County, including Killearn, Southwood, Betton Hills, Bradfordville, Midtown, and Buck Lake. Outside Tallahassee, a travel premium will be assessed based on your distance from Tallahassee.
HOME STAGING FAQ’s
Q. CAN YOU HELP ME PREPARE MY HOME FOR SALE?
A. Yes! As a Home Staging Expert® as well as a Professional Organizer, our approach is to efficiently makeover your space, remove clutter, and stage to appeal to a broad range of buyers. We keep your budget in check and focus changes on strategic areas for a return on investment. A typical price reduction occurs after a home is listed for a month, which can be a reduction of thousands of dollars. The homes we stage typically receive an offer within days of being listed — saving you time and money!
Q. WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL HOME STAGING?
A. Professional home staging is an effective and proven marketing technique for preparing a home for sale by combining current design trends, buyer psychology, and visually presenting the property to sell a lifestyle. It maximizes the home’s features, potentially removes any negatives or distractions, and improves flow and value. Professional home stagers know how to optimally and affordably create a market-ready property that stands out in online photos and creates an emotional connection for buyers.
Q. IS HOME STAGING NECESSARY IN A SELLER’S MARKET?
A. Your home may sell more quickly in a seller’s market, but will it sell for top dollar? Professional home staging boosts the selling price, giving buyers a better perception of the appeal of a move-in ready home. Staging drives the price of a home up 6-28% more than an unstaged home (National Association of Realtors). On a $550,000 home, $33,000-$154,000 more in your pocket. On a $275,000 home, professional staging could increase the list price by $16,500-$77,000. Savvy sellers know this secret! “Not staging your home in the current housing market is like leaving money on the table.” - Audra Slinkey
HOME ORGANIZING FAQ’s
Q. WHAT IS THE PEACEFUL HOME ORGANIZING METHOD?
A. Our goal is your goal – long-term solutions, well-designed spaces, and peace of mind. This is the Peaceful Home Method.
Using our step-by-step method, we evaluate your spaces and create a comprehensive plan and custom storage and lifestyle solutions. Then, guide and work together to reduce clutter and make space for what you love and want to live with. We create homes for your belongings, maximize storage spaces, and inject your signature style. You’ll love our guidance, easy-going nature, and attention to detail to transform your space and life completely.
Q. WILL YOU ORGANIZE MY HOME FOR ME?
A. We are open to working with our clients, depending on their working style. We often work side by side with clients, so there’s a transference of skills, and we give occasional homework to help you reach organizing goals. Other clients prefer us to do the work from start to finish, and the client has little to no input on the project. We also offer DIY services for clients who need a little direction or are budget-conscious.
Q. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET ORGANIZED?
A. Organization is a continuous process. Partnering with a Professional Organizer helps you return to an organized state and learn skills and techniques. Our process helps you have greater success and is easier and faster than you think. The time it takes to complete your organization project depends on many factors, such as the project's scope, the amount of clutter, decision-making, commitment to the project, and having the right materials and supplies. We work at your pace and recommend a minimum of weekly sessions to move your project forward. Our projects are typically whole homes that take 10-45 hours and smaller projects in a day or two. After that, there are maintenance strategies and ongoing maintenance support so that you can stay organized; this comes as welcome news to our clients who have battled clutter and disorganization for years.
Q. WHAT HAPPENS WITH DONATIONS?
A. At the end of each organizing session, we collect donations in one place for you to drop off or provide contact info for a local donation pick-up. We have partnered with several local organizations here.
Q. WHAT IS I NEED HELP WITH A SMALL SPACE OR SPECIFIC CATEGORY, LIKE PHOTOS OR PAPERWORK?
A. Our minimum session is 2 hours. We can help with one organizing task, one room, or a whole house. We always begin with an In-Home Assessment to determine the scope of your project. Then, you’ll receive an estimate to complete it, no matter how small. Many times, the In-Home Assessment is just the motivation to get you started!
Q. WHAT SPACES DO YOU ORGANIZE?
A. We design custom solutions and help with everything related to organizing, from consultations and prioritizing efforts to de-cluttering, closet design, creating systems, and implementing organizational products. We maximize your storage space, improve your organizing and time management skills, reduce and remove clutter, and develop systems to keep life running smoothly—filing, paperwork, clothes/closets, kitchens and pantries, kid’s rooms, and more.
Q. DO YOU WORK WITH HORDERS?
We don’t have the training to work in specialized situations with clinically diagnosed hoarders. Many clients believe they are hoarders due to collections, or their children believe their parents are hoarders because they have many more possessions than they do. True hoarders have a compulsion or obsessive behaviors toward belongings, leading to their lives being controlled by the behavior - doors blocked from stacks of debris, inability to use a stove or bathtub due to excessive clutter, spaces may become dangerous, infested, and unsanitary, relationships become strained. Most accumulated items have no definitive purpose, and acquiring unneeded items becomes an emotional focus and attachment.
We don’t work in unsafe, extremely dirty, or level 2+ hoarding homes.
Q. HOW DO YOU TAKE PAYMENTS?
A. A Peaceful Home accepts cash, checks, and major credit cards; full payment is due after each Organizing Session. Pre-paid packages are due at the first Organizing Session and are non-refundable, with hours expiring in 3 months. Depending on the project's scope, a 50% deposit may be required before scheduling. Assessments and Consultations are paid before the appointment. You can find hourly rates and bulk/package pricing here. See Client Agreement for full details.
Q. WHAT DOES A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER DO?
A. “A Professional Organizer supports evaluation, decision-making, and action around objects, space, and data; helping clients achieve desired outcomes regarding function, order, and clarity.” –National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO)
Peaceful Home Professional Organizers give structure and create clarity out of clutter, helping you cull, sort, and edit your belongings. Then, we help you develop better organizing skills and habits to stay organized in the long term by containing, labeling, organizing, and creating systems according to your natural preferences. We transform your space into a well-designed, functional, and aesthetically pleasing one. We’re also productivity experts, helping you gain control over your time, focus on what’s important, and manage to-do lists.
Q. HOW DO I CHOOSE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER?
A. Choosing a Professional Organizer is a very personal choice. Finding an organizer that fits well with your personality and has the skills to help you succeed is key. Download Interview Questions or Watch Video: How to Choose a Professional Organizer
Q. WHAT IS A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER®?
A. To be designated a Certified Professional Organizer®, one must complete and document 1500 hours of hands-on organizing services within the past three years and pass a written exam through The Board of Certification for Professional Organizers®. Working as a Professional Organizer since 2009, Stephani Lipford has more than 10,000 hours of hands-on organizing experience and countless time spent helping family and friends over the past 17 years. Re-certification is required on an ongoing basis, demonstrating industry skills and knowledge, ethics, professionalism, and a commitment to the field.