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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some of the most common questions we are asked. If you have a question that is not answered here, please do get in touch to see if we can help.
HOW DOES A DECLUTTERING SESSION WORK?
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When you book a decluttering or organising session with us, you are booking four hours of our time, with both of us. In effect that is 8 man hours (or should we say woman hours?) of time. Experience tells is that this is most effective way for us to work.
The first thing we will do is ask you to show us around, tell us what you are hoping to achieve and where the main problem areas are.
We will then work with you to declutter, sort and organise as much as we can during the session, always aiming to leave it tidy.
HOW LONG DOES DECLUTTERING TAKE?
The time it takes to declutter a room will vary depending on how big the room is and how cluttered it is.
Generally speaking, one four hour session is enough to declutter and organise one standard sized room such as a kitchen or bedroom. Very often we can achieve more than this in a session, sometimes it does take longer if the room is very cluttered or very large.
If you are aiming to declutter and organise multiple rooms, we suggest we visit first or have a zoom call so that we can give you an idea of how long it might take.
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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
For decluttering and organising, we charge £250 for a minimum of four hours, with both of us onsite. In other words, 8 "woman hours" of time.
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f you would like an estimate of how long it might take to declutter your house, photos are useful and/or we can arrange a zoom or facetime call.
For anything more complex, we offer the option of a free online consultation via Zoom/WhatsApp/Facetime so that we can give you a more accurate quotation.
If you would prefer us to visit in person the cost of this is £25 which is refundable against any future booking.
If you'd like a quotation for home staging, the best thing to do is get in touch to organise a consultation, following which we can provide you with a quote.
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WHAT AREAS DOÂ YOU COVER?
We both live in or near Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds and are happy to travel up to 20 miles in any direction at no additional cost to you. Further afield, a mileage charge will be made.
We cover Bourton on the Water, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Northleach, Stow on the Wold, Moreton in Marsh, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Chipping Norton, Cirencester, Burford, Witney, Carterton, Fairford, Lechlade, and all surrounding villages.
WHAT ARE YOUR WORKING HOURS?
A session is normally a minimum of four hours. We find that four hours is enough time for us to be able to really make a difference while being manageable both for us and for our clients.
A typical working day for us would mean starting at 10.00 (allowing time for us to travel to your home) and completion by 2.00. However we can be flexible with our start and finish times.
We don't generally stop for lunch although we might take a short break for some fresh air and we do appreciate the odd cup of tea! We understand that you may need to take regular breaks during this time.
For house moves and unpacking we are happy to work a longer day if you require.
WILL YOU MAKE ME THROW EVERYTHING AWAY?
No, we understand that your belongings are precious to you and will always respect this. The final decision on what to keep and what to sell or dispose of will always be yours.
However as part of the process of decluttering we will work with you to identify items which you might be able to give away, sell, or repurpose, and we can also offer advice and support on how to do this.
DO YOU PROVIDE A CLEANING SERVICE?
We find that a lot of cleaning can be accomplished as we declutter - for example we are happy to wipe a shelf down before replacing items on it. And of course decluttering a room makes cleaning it afterwards a great deal easier to do.
However we believe that we offer something different to a straightforward cleaning company. If you simply want someone to come in do a deep clean of a property we can recommend other companies to help you with this.
WHAT EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE?
Since setting up New Leaves in 2015 we have worked with clients on a variety of decluttering, organising, and home styling assignments.
Prior to this we both gained considerable experience of working in professional roles in major organisations, setting up and running our own businesses, managing our own households and busy lives, moving home (Claire moved house ten times in as many years!) and buying and selling property.
We also bring skills and experience which help us with the more personal side of the business - Claire is a qualified hypnotherapist and Sue has experience in coaching. This helps us work sympathetically with our clients during what can sometimes be a stressful process.
DO I NEED TO BE HERE WHEN YOU COME?
Yes, we think it is vitally important that our clients are part of the decluttering and organising process. Our goal is to work closely alongside you and help you to make decisions about what to keep, what to remove, and how the decluttered space will look. Therefore your involvement is essential to ensure the final result meets your needs. Some clients prefer to just let us get on with the decluttering while they remain close by - for example if they are working from home.
DO I NEED TO TIDY UP BEFORE YOU COME?
Not at all - we would like to see your home "as it is" and understand exactly how you use the space and how you would like to improve it. No matter how messy or cluttered it is, we really don't care and will never be judgemental.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU LEAVE?
We understand that decluttering and organising a space is just the start of a process and that keeping on top of things afterwards can sometimes be a challenge. We are always happy to come back and help you make any changes necessary to make things work better for you, and to keep in touch with you by phone and email if you wish to see how things are going and make suggestions for next steps.
WILL YOU TAKE MY RUBBISH AWAY FOR ME?
Unfortunately we do not have the facilities to deal with a large amount of rubbish although we can help you sort and organise it and can suggest different ways for you to dispose of it from charities who will collect it to council tips. We are happy to take up to a carload to a charity shop for you.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FIND SOMETHING VALUABLE?
If we find something which we believe to be valuable we will let you know straightaway. However we are not professional valuers. If you wish we can assist you with the process of having items valued by an appropriate expert and this may help you decide what you would like to do. If you decide to sell a valuable item we can also provide advice about how to do this.
Clients often ask us if we would like items they do not want, and while we appreciate the gesture we can't accept gifts of your unwanted items, no matter how small.
ARE YOU A HOUSE CLEARANCE COMPANY?
We believe that we offer something a little different to many house clearance companies. If you have recently been bereaved we can help you sort out your loved ones personal belongings and decide what to do with them all. We promise to do this respectfully and sensitively. We have worked with many bereaved clients and we understand this can be a distressing time, but with our help the process can be made quicker and simpler.
We do not personally remove furniture or belongings for you but we can help you arrange for anything that you don't wish to keep to be donated, recycled or sold.
We will take suitable items to the charity shop for you as part of our service but unfortunately we are unable to offer to do tip/recycling trips for you.
CAN YOU BUY OR SELL MY UNWANTED ITEMS FOR ME?
We can certainly advise on the best ways to dispose of your unwanted items including how to donate or sell them but we won't buy them from you ourselves. We don't offer a selling service but we may be able to put you in touch with other people who offer this, for example dress agencies.
WHAT ABOUT MY DOG/CAT/OTHER ANIMALS?
Pets can sometimes find the process of decluttering and re-organising stressful and can also be a distraction. For that reason we suggest they are taken care of if possible, for example a dog could be looked after by a friend or a cat could be contained to one room.
I WANT YOU TO DECLUTTER MY MUMS/BOYFRIENDS/FRIENDS HOUSE, CAN YOU HELP?
We certainly can but only if they want us to! Decluttering and organising is always done with the full co-operation and consent of the client. If someone has concerns about the process we are of course very happy to talk to them but the final decision must always be theirs.
WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL?
If you need to cancel or rearrange a session we do ask for a minimum of 48 hours notice please. For cancellations made without 48 hours notice we reserve the right to make a charge. If you are ill or there is some other urgent reason why you need to cancel then please let us know.
I STILL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS...
No problem at all...just complete the enquiry form below and we will do our best to answer any questions you may have.