In Its Place

STUFF: We all have a lot of it, and often, no idea what to do with it. Professional organizers play an important role in helping clients make effective use of their beloved belongings by giving them a purpose, a space, or a new home. Here are some area business owners making the most of paring down and their tips to help you cut through the clutter noise.

• Wardrobe Order: Click here to read more about Jen MacLean helps people “sort through their lives.”
• Meticulous Moves: Read more about how Erin Barbee Keller helps people move with order and efficiency below.
• Sparking Joy: Click here to read about how Lydia Fields helps clients create their own unique spaces. 

For almost ten years now, ERIN BARBEE KELLER has been helping people move with order and efficiency with her Turn Key Lifestyle Expert Organization and Move Management. 

Growing up in a military family, Keller always “had to be prepared to put things in a box and move at some point.” Luckily, she “always kind of loved that,” so much so, that she has made a career doing it for others. 

Keller launched Turn Key while living in Montana and began anew in Wilmington in 2015. 

“We combine the world of organizing and the world of moving and blend it together into one little package,” Keller describes. “We are a one-touch solution for people. 

“It all starts with the initial meeting. I get a sense of the square footage – before and after, set-up timeframes, and the execution dates along the way,” Keller adds. “It takes a lot of collaboration and communication.” 

Keller’s process involves consulting with clients to understand where they and their things will be going. 

“I pack the way they need to be unpacked. It is critical to indicate boxes and how and when they need to be opened. That way they can unpack and put away in a very organized way,” Keller says. 

“Skill transference” is another important aspect of what Keller provides to her clients. 

“Working sessions can be teaching moments, so clients can maintain all the new systems we are putting into place,” Keller says.

Pro Tips:

• Take small steps. Don’t get overwhelmed with the process. Be clear about what your goal is. 
• Make decisions on what you no longer love, use, or need. Ask yourself, if you saw it in a store, would you purchase the item? 
• Legitimize real estate in your house. Find it and use it. Generate efficiency. 

To view more of photographer Madeline Gray’s work, go to madelinegrayphoto.com.

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