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'People pay me to put up their Christmas trees'

Sally-Anne Long Sally-Anne Long, a woman with her hair tied back wearing a grey t-shirt, stands next to a Christmas tree decorated with gold and red ornaments.Sally-Anne Long
Professional organiser Sally-Anne Long branched out her business after seeing a gap in the market

"I used to work as a receptionist and I'd watch these companies come in, charging more than a thousand quid to decorate a 15ft Christmas tree... I thought I could do a better job."

Sally-Anne Long, from Reading, Berkshire, charges families to go into their homes and adorn their Christmas trees with baubles and lights, and said demand for the service was high.

She started the business after finding her work as a professional declutterer slowed down over the festive period.

The 39-year-old said many found decorating for the festive season an "overwhelming" task.

Sally-Anne Long Sally-Anne Long, a woman with her hair tied back wearing a grey t-shirt, looks at a Christmas tree decorated with gold and red ornaments.Sally-Anne Long
Ms Long says she started her decluttering business, Pretty Sorted Life, after struggling to cope as a single mum

Depending on the size of tree, she can make between £90 and £120.

"I recently did a 7ft one that took me three hours because I spent an hour fluffing it up and making it look perfect," she said.

"It was very grand, quite opulent and all the decorations were traditional golds, silvers and reds."

Her services also include arranging Christmas tablescapes in people's dining rooms.

Sally-Anne Long An artificial Christmas tree in the corner of a living room. It is decorated with gold bows, red and cold baubles and red striped candy canes.Sally-Anne Long
She uses her experience as a former shop window dresser to arrange the ornaments

Ms Long said her favourite part of the job was seeing the look on people's faces after she had transformed their living rooms into a winter wonderland.

"I love seeing them happy, if I didn't get that I'd probably just tear it all down and start again," she said.

Several years ago, Ms Long was a visual merchandiser, which involved arranging displays in department store windows.

"I think they like the idea of someone who knows what they're doing," she added.

When January comes around and the festivities are over, she also offers to take decorations down and put them away.

"It's nowhere near as fun, taking it down, and I just think people can't be bothered to do it themselves," she said.

"You end up with all these tangled lights and that's where I come in because I like things done in a strategic way."

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