Frequently Asked Questions

I will help you take control of your space. I’ll help you let go of the things you no longer use or enjoy. I’ll help you reorganize your belongings and space to make it work better for the way you live your life. I’ll teach you how to maintain learned systems and enjoy a living environment that looks good and functions well for you. I’ll help you choose the belongings that are useful and the most meaningful to you and help you let the others go. All of our services—decluttering and organizing, preparing for a party, downsizing, or unpacking after a move—have the same goals: to organize your space, make it work for you, and make it look beautiful, too.

Anyone who doesn’t know where to start..who has too much to do…who is irritated by their surroundings…who needs an impartial moderator…who wants to reduce stress, increase productivity, save time, save money, declutter their space, and make it look great. My philosophy of organizing isn’t that you have to get rid of everything. It’s really about helping you make decisions about what possessions are worthy of your home, and how to manage those possessions so that they’re a help to you and others in your household, not a hindrance. Once you’re organized and understand how to maintain your space, you will:

• Reclaim time wasted on looking for lost items.
• Save money by finding lost gift cards, checks (and cash!); and by eliminating late fees for unpaid or late bills.
• Stop buying the same things over and over again because you don’t know what you have or where it is.
• Get the kids’ homework and projects turned in on time.
• Do the important things first.
• Spend more time doing the things you love!

I (Jennifer Ross, founder) started organizing as a job in 2011 and have continuously worked at it full time since then, so I’ve had hundreds of clients. That means I have seen just about everything and am confident about what I do.  I do not send out inexperienced subcontractors. The organizers who work with me are my employees, trained by me, and I have complete confidence in their skills, integrity, and work ethic. There is currently no such thing as a license for professional organizers, but I have completed online training and I keep current with industry related online articles, discussions, and other resources. I regularly read books about organizing and time management, and I network with other organizers. A long time ago, I earned a Fine Arts degree in college plus a teaching certificate, and then worked my way up to Director of Development at a software development company in San Antonio. My education, experience raising a family, and past work and management experience, directly contribute to my organizing business today. In addition, I take my business seriously and have business liability insurance, pay my taxes, and follow the rules of law.

Yes! I have business liability insurance.

We provide professional organizing services in the greater San Antonio area and surrounding area, including Scherz, Alamo Heights, Bulverde, Cibolo, Boerne, Bergheim, Marion, New Braunfels, Spring Branch, Pipe Creek, Canyon Lake, Mc Queeney, Rio Medina, Mico, Kendalia, La Vernia, La Coste, Castroville, Fischer, Helotes, Garden Ridge, Converse, and places in between. Some neighborhoods include Hill Country Village, Hollywood Park, Stone Oak, Cielos at Cibolo Canyons, Sendero Ranch, Fossil Creek, Fossil Ridge, Evans Ranch, Winchester Hills, Cavalo Creek, Hidden Oaks Estates, Trophy Oaks, Georg Ranch, Wild Wind, The Enclave of Garden Ridge, Park Mountain, Terra Mont, The Canyons at Scenic Loop, Deer Canyon, The Ridge at Sonoma Verde, Cross Mountain Ranch, Deerfield, Inwood, Edgewater, Woodland Hills, Waterford Heights, Summerglen, Canyon Springs Estates, Timberwood Park, Champions Estates, Champions Ridge, Champions Run, Greystone Estates, Sonterra, The Dominion, Hidden Springs Estates, Forest Crest, Woodland Ranch Estates, Jackson Woods, Village Green, and Fair Oaks Ranch. We travel 30 min each way from our home base, free of charge. We can travel further for an additional fee. If you’re not sure, call or text and ask! 210-972-5111.

Absolutely not! We will teach you organizing techniques that will enable you to decide what can be given away (or sold or thrown away) and what should be kept. Ultimately, all decisions are yours. We offer guidance, support, and hands-on work!

If you could do it yourself right now, it would already be done. Possible reasons might be:

• You never learned organizing skills.
• You’re so busy you can’t do it all yourself.
• It may be emotional for you.
• You associate being organized with inflexibility and lack of spontaneity.
• You may not enjoy organizing.
• You may not know where to start!

It depends on what the work is. To do the best job possible, we need to understand what is important to you, what goals you want to achieve, how you want to spend your time, and what habits and distractions are getting in your way. In addition, you will probably want to learn the skills to stay organized after we leave. This means that the most efficient way to get organized is to work together, at least part of the time. However, some people don’t have the option to work along side us, but they still need some help. We have developed systems to work in this manner. We can discuss your situation and come up with a plan that’s perfect for all of us.

It depends on the person and the situation. Small organizing projects may take as little as 4 hours while larger and more complex ones can take much longer. After our optional Complimentary Needs Assessment appointment when we spend up to an hour with you, seeing your space and discussing your situation, we can give you a rough estimate of how long it will take. Some factors to consider are: how fast you make decisions, degree of disorganization, size of spaces to be organized, desired level of detail, amount of stuff to be organized, availability of storage solutions, etc.

Our hourly rate is super reasonable compared to other professionals in town who have a similar level of experience and who carry insurance (please compare!) We’d love to discuss your project, so call us for a 15 minute discovery call and then if you're ready, set up a complimentary (up to one hour), no obligation Needs Assessment. We can work one-on-one or as a team.

Any materials, photos, or information disclosed to us during our sessions will not be shared with anyone without your written consent. If you have items that you prefer to be unseen, please remove them before we arrive.

Definitely! All of us on The Spruce Goose team enjoy organizing. It feels great to see huge improvements when we’re finished. It feels even better when a client (and often a new friend) tells us how a weight has been lifted for them. And we love hearing from some of our guy clients who were especially happy with our garage and man-cave organizing skills!

We typically work Mon-Fri and some weekends, usually between the hours of 9:00 and 6:00, although we sometimes work outside those hours when needed.  We require a 4-hour minimum for each session.

We require a minimum of four hours because if we work less than that, it’s difficult to see significant results and we never want to leave a mess. If working together, we usually recommend 4-6 hours to start with, because often clients get mentally and/or physically tired out. If we’re working without our client (or clients with stamina!), we’re able to work longer. Every situation is different, and we tailor to each client. (We do adjust our time minimum for the elderly or for clients with illness, so please ask if that applies to you).

Please don’t tidy up! We need to see the area in its current state so that we can see what problems you may be having. We can then work with you to develop systems tailored to your needs. Please remember, there’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. We’re here to help you, not judge you.

Before putting your house on the market, you will need to declutter, organize, clean, arrange and possibly pack up some of your belongings. These are all time-consuming and often overwhelming tasks. We can help! If you don’t have the time and expertise to do it all yourself, it’s a very good investment to hire a professional such as The Spruce Goose organizers to assist you. Besides the benefits of selling your house faster and at a higher price, you will be poised to make a fresh start at your next home since you will have less unwanted stuff to drag along with you, unpack, and put away or store.