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LADY STARTUP: How an Aussie mum-of-four's simple pantry idea has made her thousands of dollars.

Tracy Bond makes a living out of the household chore most of us put off for days, weeks and even years.

The 41 year old is a pantry “wizard” who now earns a living reorganising everything from pantrys to garages thanks to her business Love My Pantry.

The Young Mummy‘s Sophie Cachia shared the results of her own pantry yesterday on Instagram, raving about Bond.

“Everybody meet my pantry. Before, and now after. And everyone also meet Tracy. Tracy is a magic fairy who comes to your house, and within a few short hours, does what you told yourself you’d do ‘this weekend’ for the last five years,” she wrote.

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“She gets boxes, she puts sexy little name tags on them, she organises you like never before. Oh Tracy. Everybody needs Tracy in their lives. My husband asked if Tracy would move. Tracy said no. But Tracy come back. Tracy come back reallllll soon. Linen cupboards, garage, and my wardrobe next up!

“Ps: if your friend is having a baby, don’t buy soft toys, newborn suits or dummy chains. Buy them a voucher with Tracy. PLEASE.”

Like all genius ideas, Love My Pantry started out by accident just over two years ago.

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Melbourne based Bond, who loves organising things, started doing reorganising her friends’ pantries who kept recommending her.

“Then I did my sister-in-law’s pantry and she thought I was a freak and told me to do it as a business. I laughed and thought no-one would go for it but decided to give it a go.”

Tracy Bond and family. Image: Supplied
Tracy Bond and family. Image: Supplied
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When she posted on a parenting forum offering to do five pantries for free, she was inundated with responses.

"It went crazy! Mum's were like 'Please come and do mine!'. So I did the five for free and it's just grown from there thanks to recommendations," she says.

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It was such a success that Bond has been able to do it full time for the last year. This year alone has seen a 200% increase in profit, turning over more than $20,000 in just two years.

She started with pantries and now does whole houses - think laundries, kitchen cupboard and even garages.

"It's funny because people love it. Mum's are often in tears when it's finished because they are overwhelmed at how amazing it is and they say they feel free and like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders."

As a mum of four - Bond's children are 13, 11, nine and five years old - knows what that feels like. She says she's an "energiser" that's "always organising" even at home. With a background in graphic design, making things look beautiful has always been second nature to her.

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"I can look at a space and know what will work plus I love shopping," she says.

"I still keep our house tidy but I'm not crazy, not the kind of mum who drives everyone nuts. Everything has to be practical - tubs really do work wonders."

While most of her clients are mums and families, Bond says she also gets a few older clients.

"I get a few people in their late sixties who have been hoarders for a long time and they're at a point in their lives when they just can't look at these things," she says.

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"I find myself acting as a bit of a psychologist sometimes too, counselling them what they should keep or get rid of."

Prices range from just under $200 for a pantry organisation right up to a whole house package 10 hour package. A pantry clean out takes about two to three hours, and involves Bond pulling out everything, cleaning the shelves, throwing out the old stuff then organising it beautifully.

"I work around school hours so I can pick up the kids. I've done a few six hours in a row of decluttering which does get exhausting even though I'm a go-go girl!" she says.

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Don't be embarrassed about your pantry though - Bond really has seen it all.

"People just put everything and anything in their pantry including toys, it just becomes it's a bit of a dumping ground because it's in the kitchen and you can just close the door!" she says.

"Because it's so hidden you'll often get things that are very out of date - I recently pulled out something from 2004! I always have a laugh with my clients, they're just so happy when it's done."

So what's the secret to a perfectly decluttered pantry? Bond says there are two main rules to abide by.

1.Only keep in your pantry what you use.

"You go to the supermarket and buy so much stuff that you don't actually use. Pass it on to a friend, donate to charity or throw it out so you only keep what you will actually use," she says.

"And don't put un-related pantry items in there!"

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2. Store everything in a canister or tub.

"Things like brown sugar, caster sugar - if you have them in jars you can see what you've got rather than packets that leak and attract ants," she says.

"Canisters (jars etc) can get expensive so you can also put all your sugars and flour in a tub and then you can pull out the whole tub when baking. It also means your pantry is easier to clean."

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