Druffner Professional Organizing helps clients take inventory and organize their spaces

Kathy Druffner started Druffner Professional Organizing in 2009 and, through the years, has offered many services as market needs have changed. Today, she provides home organizing and move management services alongside a service that is back after a long pause due to COVID-19—home collection inventories.

“A home inventory is a visual record of every aspect of your home, both inside and out as well as all the possessions you own. What we do is we come in and we photograph both the exterior and the interior and then [take] general photos of what you have. And then we can do closeups of special items, whether they’re sentimental items or higher value items,” she says. “We can put all that documentation together for you, both digitally and on paper, so that you have it to reference when needed.”

She says that many people benefit from this service, but especially people who have large, valuable collections; those in the midst of estate planning; and individuals who have considerable assets.

For those who have large collections or considerable assets, having a home inventory is helpful for insurance reasons.

“If you have a fire, theft, any type of loss or storm damage, if you try to make an insurance claim, they want proof that you had what you say is gone and what the condition was beforehand. And often you just don’t have it,” Druffner says.

“It also helps insurance agents make sure you’re insured properly,” she adds. She says that many people underinsure their homes. Having a home inventory is way to ensure your insurance accurately reflects the value of your assets.

While a home inventory is not a legally binding form of estate planning, it can help you see what assets you do own as you make plans. “Your estate planner has a better visual idea of what your assets really are,” she says. “Estate planners can look at it and you can note down what the stories are. You can even note who you would like it to go to.”

While this may seem like a time-consuming task, Druffner says it only takes a day or two of the homeowner’s time. During that time, Druffner photographs the rooms and any items of which the homeowner wants closeups. She then assembles a book of your home’s inventory that includes pictures and notes about the objects. She says most people have their home inventory within two weeks.

Clients can receive their inventory books in any form they choose—from a digital pdf to a printed book. Those who enjoy having digital records can choose to have their inventory done through the app Pinventory.

“It’s a secure web-based vault that all of your items can be uploaded to. We can print out a catalog so that you have a paper catalog,” Druffner says. “It also has a subscription app with it so that I take pictures and it automatically uploads. It’s not saved on a phone, it goes straight into the vault.”

While Druffner can update anyone’s home inventory, Pinventory is easy to update for both Druffner and the homeowner, as anyone can use the app.

“You can go in on the computer and put in any details you want, delete them, change them, move them at any given time, and then we can do a follow-up every year or so for anything new added, anything changed. Did you paint the room? Let’s take new pictures of it and we can plug it in and pull it out much more easily than if you just went around and took a video,” she says.

Spring Organizing Tips

Are you looking to add organizing your home to your spring-cleaning list this year? Kathy Druffner, owner of Druffner Professional Organizing, has some tips for those looking to bring order to their homes.

– Reconsider the purpose of your spaces. “The first step in that is looking at each room. How are you using it now? What’s working? What’s not working? What kind of zones, if you will, do you need somewhere in the house? What would be the better place if your home office needs privacy, but you also need to keep an eye on the six-year-old?” she says. You may find that you need to shift the toy room to another space, or maybe move the office.

– Determine what items you’re actually using. “Have you outgrown them? Are they falling apart? Can you get rid of those things, whether it’s donating or selling online, or if it’s something that can be recycled or trashed?” she says. It’s not helpful to organize an item for which you have no use.

– Include your family members, including your children, in the process. “If you’re doing a space for an entire family, it’s great to get the whole family involved. Especially, [it’s important for] older kids to have a say in how their room is organized. [It] helps incorporate their sense of responsibility for taking care of it so you don’t have to,” Druffner says.

– Know when it’s time to bring in a professional. “Honestly, it’s when you don’t want to deal with it,” she says. While homeowners are still a part of the process, professionals like Druffner can make the process go smoother and help you get organized in a timely manner. To learn more, you can call Druffner at 937-271-4154 or visit dporganizing.com.