“Having an organized home ultimately helps create an organized life.” – Delia Vandevelde
Well, let’s face it, having an organized home is hard. It goes hand in hand with having an organized home. I fail at that completely.
For Delia Vandevelde, a senior Hospitality Management major at the University of Mississippi from Birmingham, Alabama…it’s the complete opposite. She has a thumb for being tidy. Recently, due to the coronavirus pandemic, she decided to start her own business. As it started out, organizing for just her close family and friends. It is now a full-time business called D-Clutter by Delia.
D-Clutter by Delia is an organizing company that offers a multitude of organizational services – as small as closets, pantries, and Tupperware cabinets, to whole rooms, basements, and offices. Anything you’re heart may desire and D-Clutter has your back.
Vandevelde’s love for organizing began at an early age.
“I’ve always been very organized, and clean,” she told me. “Even as a kid, my room was always in tip-top shape.”
Her passion for organizing only became more clear when she moved into her dorm freshman year of college. Her friends noticed that and even asked her to organize their spaces as well. “After helping out friends in college,” Vandevelde explained, “I began to help out friends and family at home. They told me over quarantine to start a business, and make a name for myself.”
“I really wanted to start D-Clutter because I am definitely somebody who is a go-getter,” she said.
Fast forward to May 25th, 2020 when Delia launched her business into the public. “This was something for me that was different, and creative, and is a way for me to express myself and use my talents…that other people probably don’t think about,” Vandevelde said.
One thing that really inspired Delia to do this; was the new Netflix show called “Get Organized with The Home Edit” a show on expert home organizers Clea and Joanna who help clients contain their clutter and create stunning spaces. “I followed them for years, on Instagram, and YouTube,” Vandevelde said, “when they released their show, I was like..okay…I definitely want to do this now that people have seen it on a larger scale.”
After seeing that organizing is something she could make a living doing, she hopes that even after graduation she could take her business anywhere and keep doing it.
Delia said she was fortunate enough to be approved for both an Amazon and Container Store affiliate program. “On my website link Amazon and Container Store organizing products, and you can go to my website and check out all the products,” Vandevelde said. She said she makes a small commission off of that, with no extra cost to the buyers. “I am able to link items there that I have personally tried out, or I order for clients,” she explained, “That is a great way for someone who might know how to organize, but doesn’t know what to get to get started.”
Vandevelde has big hopes for the future of D-Clutter.
“I definitely have a lot of growing to do, I would love to see D-Clutter branch out on a larger scale and hopefully have people that I can hire under me,” Delia said, “It would be great if I could start a team eventually and we could be booking up all over the place.” She also is looking to get into more staging homes for people moving and real estate agents.
Currently, D-Clutter offers a wide-range variety of services, with the three main services being “Home Organizing,” “Moving Out,” and “Welcome Home.” Included in the Home Organizing Package, Delia will declutter any area in your home. In the Moving Out Package, she will help you get rid of things before you leave, as well as leave you with a detailed packing list, that groups things by similarity, and overall help your move go as planned. With the Welcome Home Package, it is a great way to get settled into a new home, where you might not know where everything should go.
Due to her new range of clients being mostly college students. Alongside the main three packages, Vandevelde offers two smaller, low-cost packages. The “Mini Maintenence” and “College Clean-up,” are both affordable, and cover smaller areas such as student housing, or apartments.
To view the costs of these packages visit her website at D-clutterbydelia.com.
Depending on the space Delia is organizing; the time of organization varies. “I do like to pride myself because I’m a fast organizer,” Vandevelde said, “I do charge by the hour so, I don’t waste any time when I’m organizing.”
An average closet space would take Delia around an hour. If it’s a full attic or living space, it will take a lot longer. “The longest I’ve spent organizing was a full area of someone’s house. Including the pantry, storage closets, closets, bathroom, and the attic,” she said, “I think in total it took me around 81/2 to 9hrs.” That was Vandevelde’s biggest project, but she said most people average around an hour.
Essentially Delia’s process for organizing one’s home would look like this: Start with a consultation, usually a week before, assess the situation, measure, take some before photos, and plan out how she will start.
Through and through the process is time-consuming, and tough, but there is no better company to take initiative than D-Clutter by Delia.
Some of Delia’s favorite tips and tricks to kick-start an organized home and space include:
- Use storage bins to keep items tidy
- Use cutlery trays for areas that tend to be disorganized in the kitchen
- Use the same type of hangers in a closet for a clean and orderly look
For Delia, organizing is a hobby but also a talent. Throughout her time at Ole Miss, she has become extremely versed in how to organize and live orderly as a college student.
Delia says that making your bed every morning, or using a planner every day (and putting everything in it) will automatically help you live a better life, with less stress from what the day brings.
“There is a power of having an organized life, it will enhance your overall mood, and make you less stressed,” Vandevelde said.
With the stuff that has already exceeded her expectations, she is only just even more excited about the future of D-Clutter by Delia.
To learn more about D-Clutter by Delia and to book an organizational service, visit her website at D-clutterbydelia.com
Or follow her on Instagram @D-clutterbydelia. Stay organized my friends.
Madeleine Lowe 