The best thing I have done for myself lately n years! Kathleen came to my house, which I recently moved into, had me relax while she unpacked and organized my kitchen top to bottom She did a beautiful job and helped me realize I wouldn't need many of the items I still had after "downsizing " 32 years ago when I last moved, I had my husband's help. I'm settled in pretty well now and think I'll be happy in my decision to hire Practical Solutions ! Wish I would've hired them to pack my house before the move. read more

So here is my updated review. As far as staff, everybody was very cordial, polite, and showed up on time. Denise specifically had a great vision for what she wanted to do. That was appreciated. We were having our pantry and kitchen reorganized because we just have so much stuff and it made it very difficult to have any somewhat of organization. Denise, another staff member showed up at 9 AM to get started. Forgive me my mind is fried I forgot her name. Things started slow, which is understandable because there needs to be some two-way communication on how things are going to be and how we wanted it to go. Once things got going, we took a step back and let them do their thing. There was a bit of miscommunication on how things were specifically being charged per hour. We had an understanding in our estimate that 10 hours at $100 an hour was what we were budgeting for. $1000. As things progressed, I asked a question regarding how late they were staying since things seem like they were moving a little slow. I was told they were working from 9 AM to 2 PM which is five hours. So the miscommunication was that I was being quoted 10 hours With five hours for each person coming. That's where there was a miscommunication. I do not believe it was on purpose. I think it was just one of those things that wasn't clearly discussed. I can take partial blame for not asking the question, but I made an assumption. The girls stayed an extra two hours to try to finish the pantry. So the kitchen portion was not even addressed. And reach out to the boss Cathy, I explained where there was some confusion. Once it was explained that we were essentially paying $200 an hour for two people to be here we quickly hit our budget limit, which did not allow for a secondary follow up for the kitchen. The girls did their best to get the pantry finished as possible. There were many items that were still left out that we were told we could now figure out where those could go. The pantry is re-organized much better than it was before absolutely. Was it a $12-$1300 worth job? No based on many other estimates we had received this was the highest we had had. But based on recommendations we wanted to go with a group that had a background that seemed to have a strong foundation in this area. This is not personal, Cathy, Denise, and everyone else were spectacular people and I do not believe that there was the slightest intent for the miscommunication on cost. Again, the pantry looks much better than it did before, but there was also a bit of unutilized space considering so many things were left out. That seemed to come from the fact that Denise needed to rework things that the second staff member had done prior. As stated before, Denise seem to have a better vision and honestly may have done a better job on her own. Communication with Cathy is fine. She did try to address the issue by giving us a slight break on how we were paying, but I did make it clear. We definitely could not afford a follow up at what was being charged. My recommendation is this. If you're looking for someone to do a house move or to deal with a hoarding situation or an overloaded garage where you just need a ton of things moved out, boxed up and gotten rid of. They are the perfect solution. If you're looking for someone to re-organize kitchen cabinets, drawers pantry space , this might not be the best choice due to cost alone. They appear to be a fantastic company that does show empathy and care but I think due to the cost loan we would not be able to utilize them again. If you're on a budget, you may have to look elsewhere. Again, if you were doing a major move or you need to clean out the top overloaded area to get things moved out and gotten rid of. They are definitely the ones you want to call. For future in-house re-organization we would have to go with a different option that's more affordable within a budget. $100 an hour per person is just a bit much for the average homeowner. I do think Cathy for her communication and attempts to make things right. Most businesses won't even bother with that. She showed integrity. Again I believe there was just a unclear miscommunication regarding the cost. Having multiple staff on site at the same time. Question apparently I should have asked, but just did not think too. I'm giving them four stars based on the fact that I think they definitely meant well and Denise really did do exceptional work in the time she had especially considered. She was reworking things that had been done prior. read more

I recently had the assistance of getting some help from Practical Solutions and am so happy! It took a while to finally admit I needed help but both Cathy and Carolyn were so nice and I never felt uncomfortable about my messy (!) house! My house is less cluttered and I was able to get rid of a lot of stuff I no longer needed! I can walk into my home and feel happy and have a clear mind! Thank you Cathy and Carolyn! read more

Our family suffers from clutter. Patty and Laura were phenomenal at helping us edit out stuff in a painless way. I wasn't forced to get rid of anything but their approach at getting me to realize I didn't need multiples of an item or need to live with clutter so I wanted to get rid of stuff on my own. I really went into this appointment with some anxiety but within the first hour, I was happy, I was editing some areas without help. Some people have the gift to edit. I do not. I'm sure happy Patty and Laura do! The nicest and most motivating thing I heard from them was that I was pretty organized, I just had too much stuff. I feel like I can improve now without help. They will help you edit, pack, unpack, downsize and stage your home. I highly recommend! read more

I've been making quilts and pillowcases for 24 years and have amassed a large amount of fabric, including yardage and smaller pieces - some scraps and some I bought but never used (and probably never will). However, I'm not very good at organization and the mess has been frustrating me. I would trip over piles of fabric and bins trying to find what I'm looking for. I decided I had to get it organized so I went on Angie to find a professional. I'm glad I got hooked up with Practical Solutions! Cathy sent me Patti. Patti is also a quilter so she knew about my love of fabric and how best to organize it all. She was so much fun to work with, and even though I wasn't sure if I would be able to part with any of my fabric, I ended up coming up with 4 boxes of fabric that I'm going to donate! She didn't pressure me to get rid of anything, just let me decide for myself. I can't thank her enough for helping me, and being patient with me through the process. I'm including some before and after photos, along with a photo of my donation boxes. Thank you Patti! read more

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Since becoming a first time mom, I haven't been able to keep up with the house and I felt overwhelmed with clutter. I figured the best place to start would be our garage so that items in the house could be stored there. I messaged Cathy via Yelp and she promptly responded. I had a phone conversation with her and she determined that two people would be best for the project. It was seamless to schedule and Cathy is very prompt in her communication. On the day of I met with Wendy and Patty. Both were very kind and helpful and got straight to it. They pulled mostly everything out of our garage and we determined what was to be thrown away, donated and stored. They also took all the donated items and dropped them off. I was pleased with the outcome and would definitely hire again in the future for other organizational needs. I highly recommend them. Thanks ladies! read more

Don't hesitate; get help from Practical Solutions! Free yourself from the mental constraints of possession attachment by enlisting Cathy and her team of professional organizers. I nicknamed my helper Wonder Wendy because she took two storage units down to one, with walking room and space to add! And as a Redlands Chamber of Commerce member, you'll enjoy their member discount offer like I did. What I thought would take days took only a few hours by enlisting their services. Thank you, Cathy and Wendy! read more

I would highly recommend this company. We had a garage filled with stuff from past years. We are also in the process of moving my parents to the downstairs area of our home and myself and son moving upstairs. Janelle and Cathy came out and were awesome. The whole process of cleaning out garage was so overwhelming. They came in and made myself and my parents feel so at ease. They also arranged for Steve to come out with his dumpster and help us donate and trash what we didn't need anymore. Prices are fair and it is so worth it. read more

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As a Realtor, I recently had the pleasure of working Practical Solutions during a home sale. Prior to making the decision to move out of state, my client had been working with them for some time to maintain organization in her home. When she decided to sell her home, the transition from getting organized to later preparing for a move was seamless!! They did an absolutely amazing job organizing and packing in a way that will allow my client to move into her new home with ease, while leaving behind items that she really doesn't need to take with her, but others might benefit from. The team that assisted my client, Janelle, Debbie, and Mary Jo, were knowledgeable, professional, kind, and patient. I highly recommend Practical Solutions to anyone who needs assistance with getting and staying organized, or getting ready for a move! read more

If all businesses conducted themselves like practical salutations there would be no need to look up a review before purchasing. This company is on the ball pricing, customer service, product distribution. Prompt shipping at a low rate. There gun smith work is also of the highest quality from past experience. I could go on and on . Bottom line they are an outstanding example of how a company should operate. read more

Great service. Really helped me organize my garage in an expedient manner. Kathleen was very professional and friendly. Overall great experience. read more

We have used practical solutions for many projects. Packing, organizing through the years. Our latest project was a packed unorganized garage! Practical solutions are very professional and assist with clean outs . We got this job done in one 12 hour day with one additional day for hauling. We appreciate cathy and team for all their assistance and we are officially clutter free!! I strongly recommend practical solutions if you want the job done the right way !! read more

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This company helped my mom pack her home a couple months back. She's been disabled and is still working on unpacking boxes in her new home. There's been at least $1000 in damaged items or things missing that she KNOWS should be here. The move is definitely not why things were broken. The way they were packed was insufficient for the materials (i.e. many glass things were cracked/shattered and now unusable). When we tried to get in touch with Cathy, we were told that she no longer lives in California and we could not talk to her. Definitely not recommended. read more

Wonderful people who are fast and efficient. This was important to me because I am recuperating from surgeries. They were hard workers who took their job seriously. I highly recommend Cathy's services. Five Stars!! read more

Practical solutions was a great help. Their website is easy to use and after filling out a form, Cathy Bates called me within 24 hours and was willing to work with me very quickly! Genevieve showed the utmost professionalism and kindness when she helped me organize. I had been a bit uneasy at first, however, Genevieve was so personable and such a diligent worker I became excited to get organized. The customer service through the entire process was phenomenal. At the end I had put aside some things I wanted to donate and Genevieve kindly took them to a charity of my choosing. I have recommended this team to a few people already. If I ever decide to reorganize any other area, I will surely use the practical solutions team! read more

I sent in a request for a quote and called them to follow up and spoke to Cathy Bates. I specified my need for help and that it was disability and hoarding related and thought since their website specifies they are sensitive and understanding of special needs I'd at least get some helpful advice or a reference to someone who could help since I thought I might be too far away. Instead I was told they don't help in my area and have no suggestions besides just to just ask a friend or try craigslist. 1) If just asking friends for help would cut it why would I need get expensive help from professionals? 2) Telling a disabled person to try craigslist for a personal organizer who comes to your home and goes through your stuff is at the very least irrresponsible and possibly dangerous and I can't believe a professional would ever suggest such a thing. I can't recommend this company because they obviously aren't caring or responsible to suggest such an option to someone who told them they had serious need. What a joke. read more

I was so overwhelmed with my recent move. Reached out for help from this amazing company and they saved my sanity. They were very professional. No judgment at all. They helped me organize all my stuff. When I purged some of it they took it away for me and collected the tax receipts and brought them back for me too. They even helped me break down boxes and recycled them. The wonderful ladies that were in my home were so sweet to me. They are very fast and efficient. I highly recommend them. read more

This is an exceptional service. I called them as I have under gone two major surgeries in 3 years and caring for a disabled adult. In the 3 year my home became unmanageable and living conditions were in a hoarder condition. I called and immediately they offered no judgements and were ready to solve my issue. After just 2 visits the caretakers were very impressed with the job done. If ever you need organizing and cleaning this is the company read more

Cathy Bates and her team are incredible! They totally emptied my sister and brother-in-law's house and garage in three days when they had to go live in a board and care facility due to their poor health. I could not recommend them more highly! They were caring and professional! I would hire them again if needed with no qualms whatsoever! read more

The organizer that came was great help she just stayed right on Focus the whole time and kept me on focus as well so I was able to get a lot done in a short amount of time highly recommended little pricey but still highly recommended read more

Outstanding Service! I cannot say enough about the help these ladies provided upon my move to the Beaumont area. Cathy consulted with me before my move with downsizing and packing tips. Her coordination during moving day was impeccable. After my movers dropped off the boxes and furniture the Practical Solutions staff arrived and unpacked and organized me in ONE DAY. Yes, ONE DAY! I had downsized quite a bit but their expertise was incredible! To top it off I couldn't believe how kind, caring and fun their personalities were. (Thanks Mary Jo, Glenda, Allie and Jodie) Since my move 4 months ago I have continued to stay organized and clutter free. The way they unpacked and organized made so much sense for my daily life. THANK YOU PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS! read more

I am a realtor and I recommend Practical Solutions to my clients all the time. Cathy Bates and her wonderful team are the Gold Standard in home organization. They are professional and always provide my clients with excellent service! I highly recommend Practical Solutions!! read more

Practical Solutions is equivalent to Barbara Eden on Bewitched!!! This company literally wiggles its nose and boom.....DONE~ All the worry, anxiety, fretting, fear, and torture of separating from 62 years of collecting stuff disappears into thin air. There is a method, a science, an organized system to de-cluttering and de-junking, and SIMPLIFYING YOUR LIFE~ Yesterday in a few short hours we sorted and cleaned out 50 years of CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS that were in unopened in boxes for years up in the top of the garage~ Call Cathy Bates at Practical Solutions for a free consult to talk about your goals and aspirations~ Practical Solutions is helping me RE-INVENT MYSELF. Practical Solutions is helping me transform my life as a career/working woman to that of a free lance, adventure seeking, easy living retired person. I cannot say enough good things about this company. The hardest part of making radical changes in your life to help yourself is PICKING UP THE TELEPHONE and calling Practical Solutions~.... read more

Cathy Bates organized the packers and movers for our transition from California to Arizona. We loved how the whole crew arrived with their PPE on according CA State safety measures due to COVID19. They packed and labeled according to which room and contents of each box. Mary Jo oversaw the whole job very well all week that I felt comfortable running errands and making it to my appts. The whole staff was courteous and kind. We're impressed with their efficiency and plan to have hire them again to unpack and organize when we're settled in our new home. Thank you, Practical Solutions,for making this stressful situation a breeze. read more

Thank you Practical Solutions for giving us a hand with the packing. Everytime we work together everything is less stressful thanks to your amazing team. read more

I've used Cathy several times, to help clean up a hoarder house, and senior downsizing. What strikes me is the level of organization, the compassion towards people that are clearly needing guidance. These services are not cheap, they are reasonable and in reality - she saved us money by donating items, she had a hauler take things away, and everyone was very proficient. I highly endorse Cathy and Practical Solutions. read more

I can't say enough about this company. I called the owner of the company Cathy and inquired about organizational services for my parents new home. They moved a few months ago and it seemed as though although the boxes were all unpacked that there were items that still needed to be organized and put in place. Cathy was so friendly and professional and explained that she would be sending over "one of her best" to help my parents and her name is Wendy. I spoke to We day before her job with my parents and explained what services I felt they needed. Well.....She exceeded my parents expectations. She stayed 4 hours and organized their home, went over ideas they could use to stay organize, had them shred unnecessary paperwork (she told them to go through everything and see what it was they needed) Yay!! Lol. And most importantly when she was done and they were alone in the house they both told me they felt so much better because things were organized and they reduced their clutter. Thank you Wendy!! It's worth the money!!! read more

Anyone can pack a box and move from point A to point B. The true test of service is the added investment of care and commitment. My mom just relocated from Altamira Independent Living to Memory Care, so based on many testimonials from staff and residents, we hired Cathy Bates and Practical Solutions. Best decision ever:Cathy drew up a detailed plan based on MC floor plans;then Mary Jo and Ali arrived the designated day and lovingly prepared everything for the move AND calmed my fried nerves. The movers followed the new floor plan cheerfully. Any last minute changes or road bumps were handled without a blink. These people are a wonder and wonderful! They became our family from the get go and every item was treated with the care required when dealing with the elderly and their family! Patt Sklar read more

Cathy Bates could not have been more helpful to us, even though we ultimately did not need to hire her for packing and downsizing. Very friendly, professional and knowledgeable, we approached her in confusion and worry about an impending out-of-state move, after 35 years in the same house. It turned out that we were more capable than we thought; with her encouragement and recommendations for things like piano selling, estate sales, auctions, etc., we had a good handle on all the stuff we needed to shed. Not only that, she recommended two first rate moving companies to us - just to follow the advice we'd read, we got a third estimate, and it did not compare at all. How often does one get to choose between two excellent companies? Giving her this rave review is the least we can do after all she did to help us! Thank you Cathy! read more

Practical Solutions were an amazing help 5 years ago after I had cancer. Understandably my daughter let everything fall apart after I went through another 6 months of chemo. I have had another 6 months of chemo. Now I need rest. read more

We asked a person we trust explicitly to refer us to someone who could move my wife's 99 year old Mom from one senior facility to another due to her needs for more care.... She had a two bedroom cottage and was downsizing a bit and we needed to complete the moving process on short notice..... Cathy and her team performed one miracle after another by carefully wrapping and boxing everything that had to be moved, and by labeling every item clearly..... Her team made suggestions that made the whole process flow, and they did this with non stop precision from start to finish.... It is important to note that with all that was going on they treated every item as it was their own precious family heirloom, and they treated "Mom" with respect and reassuring updates as they were working away.... Nothing was damaged and their drawings and location details were incredible.... We wish we could give 10 stars.... They were that good.... read more

I wish I could give 10 stars! Cathy and her team did an extraordinary job of packing and organizing the move to our new home. Every box was perfectly labeled. Not a chip or scratch on anything including artwork and framed photos. Every lamp, bulb and shade matched up perfectly! Every item came out of the box in the same condition as it went in. I was amazed at our fast they worked. I could not have mentally or physically survived this move without Cathy and her team. Thank you doesn't even come close to how grateful I am for all their hard work and effort on our behalf! read more

Cathy and her team helped us move our mother to assisted living. Every care was taken to make the move smooth, successful, efficient and compassionate. Patti, Mary Jo and Sarah worked very quickly. Their help made the change for our mother less frightening and stressful. They very gently and graciously helped her part with the place that had been her home for a very long time. Thank you, thank you, thank you. read more

Practical Solutions has been my lifesaver on multiple occasions. I have been faced with managing two downsizing mover for my 90+ year old mother in the past two years, and each time their planning, guidance, and hands on labor almost made it a stress free experience for me. Without their help I would have been completely overwhelmed and never could have done what they did in a short time. Cathy has always been a supportive, kind and caring professional who has been there every step of the way. Her staff is equally wonderful. Most recently we moved my mom from a senior apartment to a board and care home where the whole move had to be done in one day, including packing. Everything that could not go to her new residence went in my garage. A few weeks ago, Patti came and helped us tackle and the boxes and furniture in our garage and in just a four session we can again park two cars in the garage. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say I am so grateful for Practical Solutions and highly recommend them. I have also had their help more than once with my own organizing projects. They are the best! read more

I want to commend Cathy Bates and Practical Solutions for the job they did - as well as those they referred to me and to a friend. The team of three ladies that Cathy provided to pack were professional, quick, efficient and friendly (I'm so sorry that I cannot recall their names). The "Cowboy Movers" were outstanding both loading and unloading the PODS unit, even with my requests to pack my master bedroom things last so I could get to them first when the MB was done (the contractor completed my MB first so that it became my "apartment" during construction - so I wanted/needed easy access to those things). They did a great job at my friend's, too. Again, efficient, practiced and fast, while remaining friendly and business-like. I can't recall if Cathy recommended the "PODS" team, but they delivered the container quickly and removed it quickly with no issues. My friend also had a team of two guys who hauled away her extra items and the remains of the move (boxes, packing stuff, old garage items, etc) and they did a great job (in 102 degree heat nonetheless!). I may use them in the future - when I actually clean out my garage (not!). Overall, everyone who originated with Cathy that was involved - packers, movers, storage team, haulers - were clearly "experts" in their respective fields. They not only were dependable, efficient and effective, but they inspired confidence and made the overall experience less stressful. I would recommend them in a heartbeat (feel free to give them my name and number if they - or you - need a reference at any time). Paula M. read more

Excellent company! I highly recommend them. Courteous, professional, and caring. They handle everything from start to finish and made the experience so easy. I would only go here if you need any organization. read more

I've been successfully using the services of Practical Solutions for many years to organize the home of my elderly parents, which had become a huge problem in a house that had accumulated more than 40 years of clutter. Before starting the organizing, I was very stressed and depressed about the size of the job and the amount of work that would be involved, since I knew that there was no easy or quick solution because my parents didn't want to simply get rid of everything. To say that the task was daunting would be a massive understatement, since it involved going through rooms filled with thousands of items that needed to be sorted out individually. It was also too big of a job to do all at once for my parents, since making decisions about what stays or goes was always a problem for them, so I arranged a regular weekly organizing visit so that the process didn't become overwhelming. Although this isn't the fastest method to organize, it's what I knew was necessary to eventually get the process done right without excessive stress. Cathy and Patti were able to work within my requirements and they did a great job. They were reliable, showed up on time as scheduled, and worked quickly and efficiently to complete the job. It was a huge relief for me to get this major problem solved. This literally proved to be a lifesaving venture when my mother experience a stroke later on, since it allowed me to care for her at home instead of using a long-term nursing home. It would have been impossible to care for her amidst the clutter that previously existed. Organizing the home has also prevented them from receiving injuries due to tripping over stuff, which regularly happened before this was done. Hiring Practical Solutions was one of the best decisions I made to prepare for the long-term care of my family and I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't done this. read more

Cathy and her team are awesome! They helped with all the big and small details of downsizing and moving my mom. We couldn't have done it without them! read more

Practical Solutions - Cathy Bates and her amazing team came to the rescue this past August/September! After we discovered a family member was in desperate need of our help, my wife and I went into full "research mode" to find out how to even begin. We found Cathy and her company Practical Solutions after calling numerous organizations and cleaning services specializing in hoarding. Due to COVID and all the closures, restrictions, and limited resources, Cathy actually returned my call. I explained our situation and she sent Patty, one of her team members, right over to access the rental property that was a complete disaster. Even though her team could not take on the job, she offered us hope, assistance and the peace of mind that this can be done. She offered us her knowledge, contacts and referrals in the local area. Once I began calling her contacts and mentioned Cathy's name and her company; everyone jumped into action to assist us in any way they could. We were able to schedule Salvation Army for donations, Junk Pick-up & Removal, Cat Rescue organizations, Cleaning Crew, Handymen & more. We were successful in returning the rental property over to the owner quickly and in great condition. Cathy is a very special person and we will always be incredibly grateful for what she has done for us and our family. She entered our lives at the precise time we desperately need some hope and guidance. She help us better understand this disorder and the cause and effects it has on families. Cathy Bates and her team are FANTASTIC! read more

I was introduced to Cathy, the owner of Practical Solutions through my work, almost 3 years ago. She is very friendly and professional with her business. Every client I have referred over to her for their organizing needs, has come back to me raving about how excellent their experiences with her were. I will continue to refer our clients to her should they need her services! Thank you Cathy! read more