Less than 10% of people know about the move management industry which is a game changer for anyone who finds moving to be stressful and would rather spend their vacation time traveling rather than packing and unpacking boxes.
If you have ever moved, you know first hand how unsettling the process can be. When I moved cross country 11 years ago, I had three children – ages 3, 8 and 11. We were “professionally” packed and then I was left with all but our suitcases packed in boxes with no family, no friends and three young children underfoot.
While I was given a box count, I had no idea what was in each box and there was no priority labeling or details so I could find the television and Wii for the kids or my coffee pot.
Rather than spending time getting my kids acclimated to our new area and getting them ready for school, I spent days trying to get our home unpacked and settled. And I never did find those Wii remotes.
There are few easy remedies in life from the top life stressors. Losing a loved one requires time, overcoming illness requires getting through treatment (if you’re lucky), time and expense. Moving, also on the list of top stressors, can be accomplished in a way that is not only easier but some would say enjoyable.
Enter our company Silver Linings Transitions, a senior and speciality move management company easing the stress of moving for San Diego seniors, busy professionals, divorcing clients, empty nesters and overwhelmed parents.
Less than 10% of the general population even knows the senior and specialty move management industry exists. Sometimes people stumble on us when doing a Yelp search for movers and will call us to “shop our rates” comparing our prices to that of traditional moving companies. Here’s why this is not a fair or accurate comparison.
We offer so much more than just packing and unpacking. We offer the complete coordination of every aspect of your move, including: measuring furniture, planning room layout, packing delicate items, reducing clutter, and organizing small spaces. We handle the smallest details, like allowing room for outlets, hanging family pictures and artwork, organizing pantries and bathrooms, making beds, and setting clocks.
Our goal is to minimize the feelings of chaos and stress associated with moving by proactively addressing all aspects of the move process and recreating the look and feel of one’s current home.
We handle all the logistics of the move – coordinating elevators and move in times and overseeing the move with vetted movers. Because we work with the same movers on a regular basis, we have a course of action should something go wrong.
We also consider the well-being of our clients who are downsizing allowing them to work at their pace, reminding them to stay hydrated and sitting down while we bring things to them.
In our hourly fee, which is only slightly more than a moving company, is the cost of training our team members on how to work with people who are emotional about sorting through a lifetime of belongings or developing their organizing or packing skills so they pack both efficiently and carefully. It includes the cost of attending national conferences and membership into https://www.nasmm.org/
The National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers where we take classes and subscribe to a code of ethics.
Here are a few stories of clients that best illustrate the difference between Silver Linings Transitions and a traditional mover:
We working with a client who was moving with her mother from out of state and had been packed by the mover. While the truck was in transit, her mother passed away and she had to meet the truck at the storage unit the day after her mother died to go through her mother’s belongings and put her mother’s things in storage while determining what she’d need in her new home. She needed emotional support as the truck was being unloaded so I got to see first hand the way items were packed and labeled – haphazardly, without common sense and with kitchen scratch describing their contents. While the movers were polite, they did not have the time or capacity to address the emotional needs of the client in her great time of sorrow.
Another client of ours is a 95 year old war veteran living alone after his wife of more than 60 years moved to a memory care facility. His adult daughter canceled a vacation and took time off work so she could help her father sort through all of his belongings and prepare to get the house ready for market. She planned to come back after the home sold and help with the move. She had no idea about the services we provide – that her father would not need to pay for our services and that there was no need for her to take an extended period of time away from her own life to do anything more than enjoy time with her father.
Through our partnership with local San Diego and Orange County Realtors*, we receive a credit from the commissions to cover the costs for our team to sort through belongings, get the house ready for market, do all the packing and unpacking and then find homes for all the belongings remaining behind.
We get to know our clients so we can create a floor plan for the new space mindful of their preferences and safety concerns. We work side by side with them as they face the tough decisions of sorting through a lifetime of belongings. We make arrangements for donations, shipments and the sale of these items.
Our training means we put things away in a way that makes sense and with physical needs in mind. For example, most seniors cannot reach their arms up high, so we put everyday items into lower cabinets. We also consider whether a wheelchair or walker will fit between pieces of furniture. We clean items and furniture that may have been neglected over the years – making them look new. We decorate, hang pictures and consider little details like freshly made beds and filled ice trays. We even bring refrigerated and frozen food from one home to the next so that by the end of move-in day, our clients can have dinner in their new homes. These extra details leave our clients feeling settled and ready for their new life.
Our depth of services eclipses those of a traditional moving company and the old adage rings true, you get what you pay for.
While we specialize in seniors, our services can greatly benefit and reduce the stress of anyone making a move.
To learn more about our Realtor partners, call 760 522-1624 or email info@bodybasicswellness.com.
Our work makes a drastic difference in people’s lives and they don’t even know it is an option. Won’t you share this information?