Rebecca Galligan is a ‘natural-born organiser’ who’s been able to turn that passion into a career.
When she went on maternity leave from her marketing job of 14 years with a big toys company in 2018, the 41-year-old took a four-year career break.
She started ‘Rebecca’s home sort’ as a passion project in November 2021, and now she helped people all over the nation ‘sort their lives out’.
The mum-of-two, from Woodstock, Oxfordshire, said: ‘Sorting out homes is my passion. I love the fact I’m helping others fall in love with their homes again.
‘I come home after an eight-hour decluttering session and I’m bouncing off the walls – I love it so much.
‘The longer I was off on maternity leave, the more I was keen to carry on my side hustle full-time.
‘I’m an organised person in every aspect so I decided to make home organising and decluttering my focus.
‘I declutter, organise and style homes for clients in-person and remotely.’
Rebecca charges her customers an hourly rate that can vary between £30 and £60 an hour depending on the job at hand.
Her top tips for making an organised, happy home include starting with decluttering and not trying to do everything at once.
She explained: ‘You cannot start organising without clearing out items you don’t need and use.
‘For goodness’ sake don’t try to do everything at once.’
Rebecca also recommends breaking the decluttering down into bite-sized chunks, so you don’t feel like you’re faced with a mammoth task.
She added ‘You must break everything into three piles. Pile one – recycle and rubbish. Pile two – donate. And pile three – sell.
‘I try to recycle, repurpose and sell as much as possible but don’t underestimate the third pile – sell.
‘There is money to be made on Vinted, Facebook marketplace and eBay.’
There are also three simple questions you need to ask when you start getting rid of things: ‘Do you use it? Do you need it? Do you love it?’
If the answers to these are yes, then you know it’s something you should keep. But if it’s a no, it’s time for the item to go.
Rebecca’s simple hacks to keep a tidy home –
- Keep a donation bag in the bottom of a wardrobe
‘Keeping a donation bag in your wardrobe helps you to stop things building up, even if you have just done a clear out.’
- Keep two baskets – an upstairs-downstairs basket and one in the kitchen
‘I keep a basket at the bottom of my stairs to throw things into that get left in the wrong place that I can carry up at the end of the day.
‘I have a belly basket for my kitchen to keep things in that I don’t want out on the surface.’
- Keep things in a logical place
‘In the kitchen, you should have your heavy pots and pans next to your oven and can locate your less-used items further away – it’s all about the flow.’
- Strive for progress not perfection
‘It’s all very well striving for picture-perfect cupboards or drawers, but it’s about finding a system or solution that works for you and your home.
‘When you declutter and organise it’s going to get worse before it gets better but trust me- there’s method in the madness.’
Storage solutions are also hugely important.
Rebecca said: ‘The solution may be under your nose, as you declutter you might find old boxes and Kilner jars to repurpose elsewhere in your home.’
If you’re in the market for some more storage, Rebecca recommends boxes from companies like iDesign or Not a Boring Box, and she swears by Home Bargains and Dunelm making great products without a big price tag.
She added: ‘Charity shops are absolutely brilliant places for storage – you can find wooden crates, wicker baskets and leather trunks.
‘Once you have decluttered you can find a home for the things you truly love and organise.’
Rebecca says this all a big job, so don’t be shy about asking for help from friends, family, or professionals like her.
Rebecca’s tips and tricks for an organised home:
- Start with decluttering
- Don’t do everything at once
- The Rule of Three – have three piles and ask yourself three questions
The three piles are 1. Recycle and rubbish 2. Donate 3. Sell
The three questions you must ask are – 1. Do you use it? Do you need it? Do you love it? - Find storage solutions
- Organise what is left
- Ask for help
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