Frequently Asked Questions

Tidy Haus is a professional digital organizing service that helps people and businesses declutter and organize their files, photos, email, and cloud storage, then build simple systems that stay organized. All work is done remotely over Zoom across Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, and every major cloud platform. If you are new to the idea, see digital organizing and digital decluttering.

Busy professionals, small business owners, consultants, teachers, retirees, and families hire Tidy Haus to stop losing time hunting for files. We also work with companies that want cleaner shared drives, consistent file naming, and workflows and automations across their team.

Tidy Haus is based in Napa, California and works with clients everywhere, entirely remotely. Sessions run over Zoom screen share, so you get the same hands-on help from home or the office without anyone coming to your house.

Home organizers handle physical clutter and IT pros fix technical problems; Tidy Haus does neither in isolation. We are professional organizers for your digital life, designing intuitive, durable systems built around how you actually work, then teaching you to keep them that way.

Tidy Haus has been organizing digital lives for about ten years and has served more than 2,100 clients across 100-plus industries. That experience is why we can finish in a few focused hours what often takes someone weeks alone.

A digital organizing service sorts and structures your digital belongings: files, folders, photos, email, and cloud storage. At Tidy Haus that means building a clear folder system, removing duplicates, renaming files consistently, and setting up automations so things stay organized going forward.

Digital decluttering is removing what you do not need: duplicates, junk, and dead files. Digital organizing is arranging what remains into a system you can navigate. Most Tidy Haus projects do both, decluttering first, then organizing.

Yes. We build a logical folder structure, apply consistent file names, remove duplicates, and put everything where you will actually look for it. The goal is that any file is findable in seconds, on a Mac or a PC.

Yes, photo organizing is one of our most requested services. We consolidate photos from phones, computers, and cloud accounts, remove duplicates and obvious throwaways, and organize them by date or event. See photo organizing.

Yes. We clear backlog, set up labels or folders, build filters that sort mail automatically, and unsubscribe you from the noise. The result is an inbox that mostly maintains itself. See email organizing.

Yes. We map the repetitive steps in your day and automate them, from auto-filing attachments to routing documents between apps. Done well, automation removes busywork and reduces mistakes. See workflows and automations.

It starts with a free discovery call to understand your goals, followed by a simple plan. We then work through secure Zoom sessions, building folders, removing duplicates, and setting up systems together. You keep full control of your computer the whole time.

Only with your permission, and always through Zoom screen sharing so you see every step. We never log in behind your back, and we explain what we are doing as we go so the system makes sense to you afterward.

You share your screen, we guide the work in real time, and you watch your files get organized live. You can take the keyboard at any point, ask questions, and stop whenever you like. Nothing happens that you do not see.

No preparation is required. It helps to know roughly where your files live and what bothers you most, but sorting it all out is exactly our job. Come as you are, mess included.

Yes, and that is the point. We design systems that are simple to keep up, and we teach you how as we build. Many clients also add a short tune-up session later if life gets busy.

Yes. We design the structure around how your brain already groups things, not a rigid template, so filing feels obvious instead of like a chore. Consistent naming rules keep it tidy with almost no effort.

Tidy Haus is billed at $140 per hour with a two-hour minimum ($280). Discounted bulk packages are available: 5 hours at $130/hour ($650) and 10 hours at $120/hour ($1,200). You are billed for actual time used, never rounded up.

Today we bill hourly with the bulk packages above (see pricing). Starting in November 2025 we add four email tiers, and for files and photos we build custom bundles that can include cloud migration, deduplication, tagging, and automation.

Most projects run three to six hours. A single inbox is often 2 to 5 hours; decades of photos or several merged cloud accounts can run 10-plus. After your discovery call we give you a clear estimate for your situation.

No. The discovery call is free. It is where we learn your goals, look at what you are dealing with, and recommend the right approach, with no obligation to book.

No deposit is required. You pay for the time you actually use, and any unused package hours stay available to you for a year.

Photo projects vary with volume and how scattered they are, but most land in the 6 to 12 hour range, billed at the rates above. We give you a firm estimate after seeing your libraries on the discovery call. See how we handle large photo collections.

Tidy Haus supports Mac, Windows PC, iPhone, and iPad, plus iCloud, Google Drive, Gmail, Dropbox, OneDrive, Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, Box, and Carbonite. If you use it to store files, photos, or email, we most likely work in it.

Yes, both, and often at the same time for households or businesses that mix the two. We know the quirks of Finder and File Explorer and organize each the way it works best.

Yes. We routinely work across Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, and OneDrive together, giving you one consistent structure instead of four different messes. See consolidating multiple cloud accounts.

Yes, migrations are a core service. We move and reorganize folders between platforms without losing data, and we deduplicate along the way so you are not just copying clutter from one place to another. See cloud storage solutions.

Deduplication is finding and safely removing extra copies of the same file so you keep one clean version. Yes, we do it for files and photos, which frees up space, lowers storage costs, and ends the confusion of five near-identical copies.

Yes. We help organize photos, files, and email on iPhone and iPad, and connect them cleanly to your computer and cloud so the same system follows you across every device.

We gather every photo into one place, remove duplicates and obvious throwaways, then organize by date and event so memories are easy to browse. We also set up a simple habit so new photos stay sorted instead of piling up again.

Yes. We clear exact duplicates, near-duplicate bursts, and the obviously blurry or accidental shots, always with your review on anything borderline. You end up with the photos worth keeping and a lot more free space.

Yes. Combining photos from several phones, old computers, iCloud, and Google Photos into one organized library is one of our specialties. We sort out the overlaps so nothing is lost and nothing is doubled.

No. We work carefully, confirm before removing anything, and make sure originals are safe before any cleanup. Protecting your memories is the first priority, speed is second.

We clear the backlog, build a small set of folders or labels, set filters that sort incoming mail automatically, and unsubscribe you from the clutter. The inbox goes from a source of stress to something that mostly runs itself.

Yes, and more importantly we help you stay there. We set up a system of filters, folders, and quick routines so reaching zero is realistic and keeping it close to zero takes only minutes a day.

Yes. We work in Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, and other providers, using each one strengths, labels in Gmail, folders and rules in Outlook, to build a tidy, low-maintenance inbox.

Starting in November 2025 we will offer four levels of email organization: Start Fresh, Essentials Plus, Power Inbox, and Enterprise Inbox. Each adds more structure and automation, from a clean reset up to a fully managed team inbox.

We apply the same clear folder structure and naming rules across your cloud the way we would on your computer, then remove duplicates and fix the random folders that pile up over time. See cloud storage solutions.

Yes. If your files are spread across several Google, iCloud, Dropbox, and OneDrive accounts, we can merge them into one organized home, or keep a deliberate split, whichever makes your life simpler.

We start with how you think about your work and life, then design categories and naming rules that match. Good structure is invisible: you should never have to think about where something goes.

Yes. We set up shared drives with clear structure, naming standards, and permissions so the whole team files things the same way and stops emailing each other for documents. This is where less time searching turns into real savings.

Yes. Privacy and security are our top priority. Sessions are encrypted through Zoom, you stay in control of your accounts the entire time, and we never store or keep your files.

No. We do not retain, download, or keep copies of your files or photos. Everything stays in your accounts, under your ownership, during and after the work.

No. Because we work through your screen over Zoom, you log in yourself and keep your passwords private. You can revoke access simply by ending the screen share.

For most people, yes. Research from the McKinsey Global Institute found that employees spend about 1.8 hours a day, roughly 9.3 hours a week, searching for and gathering information. A clear system gives much of that time back, every single week.

You can expect to find any file in seconds, an inbox that stays manageable, photos you can actually enjoy, and noticeably less daily stress. Most clients tell us they only wish they had done it sooner.

Booking is easy: schedule a free discovery call. On that call we discuss your challenges, suggest solutions, and recommend the right package, with no pressure to commit.

We listen to what is driving you crazy, take a quick look at what you are working with, and outline a plan with a time estimate. You leave the call knowing exactly what we would do and what it would cost.

Yes. We teach you to maintain your new system as we build it, and we offer team training for businesses. Tune-up sessions are available any time you want a refresh.

Both. We help individuals and families tame personal digital clutter, and we help businesses with shared drives, naming standards, and automations that save the whole team time.

Absolutely, that is who we love helping most. We move at your pace, explain everything in plain language, and leave you more confident with your devices than when we started.

You can, but most people start strong and stall out under the sheer volume. We bring proven systems and years of practice, so what might take you weeks of frustration we finish in a few focused hours, with a structure that lasts.

If your files, photos, or inbox regularly cost you time and stress, professional help pays for itself. The real expense of clutter is the hours lost and the mental weight of never quite finding what you need.

Yes. We design low-friction, forgiving systems that work with how your attention actually flows, not against it, and we keep sessions calm and judgment-free. See ADHD digital organizing.

Yes. We help accounting and financial services teams organize client files, standardize naming, and tighten document workflows, with a careful eye on security and consistency. Ask on your discovery call about industry-specific work.