Six Reasons Why it Makes Sense to Hire a Move Manager

Do you realize that moving is one of the 7 most stressful things we will ever do in our lives?¹ If you’ve ever had to move, in-between raising your family, doing the laundry, working and trying to catch a few Z’s, you can certainly attest to that fact!!

A little known fact is that move managers can make your move a stress-free undertaking. We exist and we make life a lot easier for you around move time. I’m shocked by the number of times I work with a client or speak to a realtor who is learning about move management services for the first time, or doesn’t realize that many professional organizers offer this service.

So, what’s the big deal you ask? Let me tell you . . .

We do the admin. If you want to gather a few quotes from movers, need to reserve the elevator at your condo, or need to have a bin delivered to dump all that stuff that’s not moving with you, there’s no need to spend your lunch hour on the phone. We take care of the calls and scheduling for you.

We bring the supplies. After a full day’s work, when you rush home to feed the family, throw on a load of laundry and hustle the kids out the door to soccer practice, do you really want to go to your local moving supply retailer to get boxes, tape and packing paper? Likely not. But don’t worry: we’ll bring the packing supplies needed to get the job done.

We pack . . .and label. So, your move is three weeks away. It’s 9:30 pm on a Tuesday night. Your daughter’s homework is finally done, the kitchen is cleaned and ready for tomorrow’s early-morning onslaught. You have a decision to make: Start packing boxes? Or give yourself 45 minutes to collect your thoughts, prepare for tomorrow, or maybe even have a conversation with our spouse? Wait! You’ve overlooked one other option. You can ask your move manager to pack as much or as little as needed to allow you enough time to keep your sanity. We’ll pack like items together and label the boxes, so you have a sense of what’s going on when you get to your new home.

We want you to make money. If you’re downsizing, there’s no way you can take all your furniture with you. But if you have enough unnecessary furniture, you may be able to sell it via an online auction. Your move manager will prepare the auction lots, the auction house will arrange to have your property photographed and catalogued. They’ll run the auction and even arrange for the pick-up of items that were sold. You just wait for the cheque.

We’re there on move day. This makes a world of difference to a parent with a young family, or to someone who can’t be present to support an elderly family member.  We will be on site, to field any questions from your movers and oversee the goings on of the day. That leaves you with peace of mind and the opportunity to spend those eight hours however you see fit.

We unpack. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up on that first morning in your new home, knowing that your toothbrush is already in a bathroom cabinet, your clothes are hung in the closet and there’s coffee and cereal in the kitchen? It can happen. We will unpack your belongings so you can start settling into your new home and routines. You don’t have to live out of boxes for 6 months.

There are a number of reasons why someone may seek out a move manager:You may have health problems that make it impossible for you to look after things on your own; you may have a busy family and not enough hours in the day to get things done; you may not have anyone who can help you. Whatever the reason, take comfort in knowing that you don’t have to be that person quickly tossing things into big, black garbage bags as the moving truck prepares to drive  away.  Help is available.

 

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1. Thrive Global. https://www.thriveglobal.com/stories/28921-10-most-stressful-life-events

Three Things to Consider When Grandma Really Wants You to Have It

Family and traditions are extremely important. Every family has that treasure trove of things they are saving for the younger generation. This act of gifting can happen intentionally, with specific instructions of who is to receive the family album and cedar chest – or unintentionally, when there is a death that results in one unlucky family member inheriting an attic full of family memories, and the daunting task of trying to figure out the best thing to do with each and every item. Yikes!

Instead of dealing with years of uncertainty, guilt and, let’s face it, the burden of doing the right thing, why not try these three things:

Ask. Ask your daughter, granddaughter, godson, nephew, if they want the oak desk that would take up the floor space of most downtown condos. Then respect their answer. Simple, right? Asking is the simple part; accepting an answer that may not align with your wishes is a bit harder. But if receiving a gift is the moment in which we experience the most happiness, why would we force any physical item on someone who isn’t happy to receive it? Your gift will be received as more or an obligation, not a true gift.

Share the responsibility. Gather your extended family together to take that trip down Memory Lane. There’s no point sifting through pictures and chachkas all alone. Your cousins, aunts and uncles, may be very happy to reminisce with you. Getting the whole gang together is an opportunity for storytelling and laughs, maybe some tears too.  But it also gives you a sense of who else may appreciate having a memento of that loved one, and removes the burden of guessing what the best course of action is. And keep in mind, if no one takes you up on your offer to attend that party on Memory Lane, take that as an indication that you need not worry about who else might be interested in receiving a keepsake.

Take some, not all. Passing down the family china, is a common practice. So too is passing down a collection of things, like spoons, stamps, pressed flowers, whatever! The reality is, we live a much faster paced life than our ancestors did.  We don’t necessarily have the time to care for the collections, or hand-wash the china. Many people today prefer to spend their spare time enjoying adventure travel or pursuing intense fitness training. These choices do not lend themselves to having a home filled with objects that we seldom have the time to even acknowledge, much less celebrate and enjoy. Instead of taking on the full china cabinet or the complete collection, why not pick out a couple of favourites to showcase in your current life? You get to hang on to the memory, without being overwhelmed by it.  

Layered for Security

Happy Monday! I'm super excited to share this month's blog.

The work I do can be very personal and shrouded in secrecy. I'm still working hard to normalize disorganization so that people stop  beating themselves up -- not quite there yet!

But once in a while, I have the privilege of working with someone who understand and accepts their struggle with organization. More importantly, they are ready for change, ready to accept help, and want people to learn form their journey. That's where I find myself this month . . .

Last fall I was reunited with Regina. This, of course, is not her real name; but I have her permission to share her story -- she even gave this a read-through before I published it. Regina and I worked together some three years prior. As often happens, organization slipped to the bottom of her list of priorities and we took a little hiatus. But when Regina's neighbour in her Toronto condo discovered bedbugs, the alert went out that the entire floor was to be sprayed; Regina knew she couldn't avoid her clutter any longer. She enlisted friends and family to help clear the floor and move items away from the walls; she also asked if I could be present "for moral support".                  
                               

As fate would have it, Regina's unit was spared the scourge of an infestation. But having to let strangers into her cluttered space was the catalyst for her to get back on the organizing bandwagon. Our first three-hour session together was extraordinary. With careful consideration, my client made mindful decisions about what she wanted to occupy the space in her bedroom. Armoires were emptied, clothes were folded and returned to the shelves. Other clothes were tossed into the numerous bags which were carted down to my car and carried off to the Salvation Army. I returned two days later and witnessed more of Regina's determination.

But the following week I received a call. The baring of Regina's soul began. We would need to slow the pace of our work from twice weekly, to bi-weekly. She was frozen (mentally and emotionally). Her arthritis wasn't making it easy for her either. When I returned the following week, the big confession was made: The open space Regina worked so hard to create left her feeling vulnerable. She had purchased $300 of clothes and $500 of craft supplies to fill the open spaces shortly after I had left her. 

Regina is an abuse survivor. Historically, her bedroom has been a place of violence. For decades, her stuff has protected her, acting as a physical barrier. The space she reclaimed, in an effort to help her live more peacefully and easily, in fact left her feeling threatened. On her therapist's advice Regina turned to her art to process the emotions that her transformed home conjured within her. The result is the assortment of images accompanying this article. These are all examples of the Fibonacci sequence.

Regina started with a black canvas -- card stock actually. This represented the negative space that haunted her in her bedroom. Negative space is the area around an object, like the open space that was now visible in between the neatly folded stacks of clothes that occupied the bedroom armoire. Her mission was to fill the negative space. The colourful dots were carefully placed in sequence to create something more soothing and satisfying than the terrifying back panel of the armoire. After a sufficient number of dots covered the canvas, a second layer of dats was added. The same colour was added on top of its base colour, creating dimension, like a swirl of soft serve ice cream. Regina continued to stack the colourful layers until she had that sense that it was just right, that she had put enough dots to fill the negative space.

Regina tells me that the greatest benefit derived from the sequences is in the act of creating them. She has no attachment to them. But she does move them around her condo and affix them to any open space she may be contemplating. The colours fill the negative space and help to ground her.

I continue to be amazed by the creative way that Regina chooses to face her demons. And I am inspired by her strength, determination and courage to continue her journey, while caring for body, mind, soul and home. Not an easy feat.