I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love moving and relocation projects. There is something about a fresh start done right that is so fulfilling. Anytime I have the opportunity to meet with a client for a consultation and create an action plan around an upcoming move I take it. Each move has several puzzle pieces to put together and if done well, in an organized and efficient way, a move can be a breeze.
In most parts of the country Spring and Summer are the post popular times of year to move but I’ve noticed in Silicon Valley (or at least at Kuzak’s Closet) it is the late Summer and early Fall. I think the combination of factors like the weather, construction schedules, and our fast paced real estate market that has my phone ringing this time of year.
We just completed a relocation this week for a lovely client who was moving from her 2 story town home to a single level home in Palo Alto. She was excited about the move because her knees couldn’t take the stairs anymore but she also dreaded it because it was the first move since her husband passed away which meant she would need to face the closets of clothing and personal items that he left behind. Tackling a big project after a huge life transition can be difficult and when the transition goes from “us” to “me” it can be one of the hardest.
For this client we started with a consultation, I knew I couldn’t be the project manager so I had Tammy come with me so we could be on the same page from the start. We did a walk through of the client’s townhouse and took an inventory of areas that needed to be purged and packed.
After the initial consultation we visited her new home and created a plan for the move. We wanted to make it as seamless as possible so we scheduled 3 consecutive days to pack up the town home, project manage the movers, and unpack and organize everything at the new house. As a small business owner it’s still hard for me to let go and have someone else from Kuzak’s Closet handle manage a project but I’ve learned that to keep up with the quality of service and results our clients expect I need to share the responsibilities. Lucky for me I’ve hired some wonderfully talented and smart people over the years and it’s amazing how much we’ve grown!
For this move we started with the kitchen because we had a quick timeframe. It is the most cumbersome area in most homes but is often packed up last because it’s used most often. After the kitchen was wrapped up Tammy and Kate worked in the living spaces and then the bedrooms. They sprinkled in decisions here and there so our client could let go without feeling overwhelmed and fatigued.
We always let professional movers do the heavy lifting but in this case we did move the kitchen the day before the movers arrived. We wanted to make sure it could be unpacked so that moving day could be spent directing traffic, placing furniture, and unpacking the rest of the home. Billy came with the van and was supposed to load the kitchen boxes around noon so they could unpack from 1-4pm so when I received a text from Kate letting me know that Billy had loaded the van at 8:50am and they were heading over to the new house I was surprised and excited. Billy really takes my Grandpa Chappel’s favorite saying seriously… “If you can’t be on time, be early.” I was able to check on them in between meetings at about 1pm and the kitchen was organized, the boxes we broken down and our client was enjoying the newspaper in a sunny spot in her back yard. It doesn’t get any better than being ahead of schedule and under budget!
By the time moving day came Tammy and Kate were able to divide and conquer. Tammy was at the old town home working with the moving company and Kate was at the new house the picture frames and artwork we brought over the day before and preparing for the furniture and wardrobe boxes to arrive. All Reasons Moving & Storage did the move and there were done in record time, thanks to our organization. If our client would have tried to handle all of the aspects of this move on her own it would’ve taken twice as long and been much more costly, emotionally and monetarily. Her house is free of boxes and already feels like home, what a treat!
If you are moving this fall please give Kuzak’s Closet a call! Having your move organized will make the world of difference!
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