Case Studies
Some of the most satisfying moves that we have personally managed recently were for older generation clients with complex health challenges.
Mr B is a single gentleman in his 70’s with a chronic neurological condition. He needed to leave his family home which had become completely unsuited to his needs. Wheelchair use gave him access to only about 30% of his substantial home and he reluctantly acknowledged when I met him that it was time to move.
I worked at Mr B’s direction, viewing single level apartments and houses until we eventually found a recently updated and adapted bungalow. Our team worked with a local builder to further adapt external ramps, security systems and a wet room so that Mr B finally had a home that worked for him – ‘future-proofed’ with enough living space for a live-in carer if and when that is needed. A ‘forever-home’ where he can access all areas, inside and out with ease and mobility.
Mark B, Surrey
Mrs S is a mid-70’s widow who had already (in theory!) made the decision to leave her beautiful top floor apartment for a new life in a purpose built Senior Living Facility due to health challenges and a general feeling of ‘being alone’.
She is a prolific list maker and one of the biggest concerns on her “Pros and Cons” list of reasons to move was ‘The Garage’. In the 10 years since her husband passed away, Mrs S had regularly felt overwhelmed by the stacks of boxes and piles of ‘stuff’ that had accumulated there. It was the fear and inability to tackle the garage that was stopping her selling and moving on...
We worked with Mrs S over a series of mornings, pulling everything out of the corners of the garage and helping her to sort and let go of the contents. Once she had looked at things ‘one more time’ (“That was my Mother’s dish/ mirror/chair...” was a common theme) she was quite happy to sort into ‘Keep’ (a very small pile!). ‘Charity’ and ‘Clearance’ piles were significant!
We worked with our Clearance Partners to sell what we could from the furniture and cleared the rest to local charity shops.
Mrs S found that her list was clear. There was no longer an impediment to moving. The obstacle was removed.
Despite COVID, we were finally able to settle her into her new life last summer where she describes every day as “like a holiday”.
As a religious household, it was particularly important that our whole team was aware of cultural sensitivities around the disposal of books etc.
We take pride in understanding each of our clients and their needs and know that when the whole team has been briefed correctly, we can avoid giving any kind of unwitting offence.
Penny S, Harrow
Sometimes, it is ‘going the extra mile’ that helps the most.
Bob and Sheila had organised their removals, had their dates confirmed and were really just looking for help with unpacking when we met them. Bob happened to mention how his deafness made it incredibly hard to deal with the gas and electric providers as well as BT and SKY. Hanging on the phone for ‘hours’ was something he was dreading, and it was causing him quite a lot of stress.
Our experienced team were able to sit down with Bob and arrange the switch over of all their utility accounts; closing the accounts at the old address and opening new accounts for their move. We were able to look at their SKY package and found that they no longer watch SKY Sports or SKY Movies and did not watch BT Sports. This meant that we were able to negotiate a much reduced subscription for them in their new home. It also meant that we were able to arrange for BT and
broadband to be up and working within 24 hours of moving in to their new home.
Utility companies will say that they are ‘trying harder’ and ‘helping customers’ but the reality is often many hours spent hanging on the phone and being frustrated by the process. Our teams have completed this process many times, for many clients across all providers and are well trained in how best to help achieve this part of the move process with minimum fuss.
Bob and Sheila were delighted that this part of the move process was done for them as indeed they were with the two days we took to unpack and ‘dress’ their lovely new home!
Bob & Sheila W, Berkshire
Clare contacted us as a referral. Having lost her father just two years ago, it came as a complete blow to find that her mother needed to move into assisted living facilities.
Clare runs an international business and lives over three hundred miles away from her (previously independent) parents. When we met, she was at her wits end.
Having secured a really good buyer for the family home, she was now faced with the overwhelming task of clearing over 50 years of family history from the house within a relatively short period of time. This included two sailing dinghies that her father had handmade, a dilapidated car on the drive, plus the contents of the five-bedroom family home.
We were able to advise and suggest a timetable for the clearance of the home, working backwards from the sale completion date. Auctioneers were invited in to appraise rugs, furniture and small collectible items which were sent to auction. The car log book (V5) was found and we were able to sell the car.
The dinghies were donated to keen local sailors via a sailing club. One week before completion, our clearance team moved in and separated anything that could be sold, donated or recycled and a clean of the house left it in good order for the new owners.
Clare and I only met once. We kept in touch via WhatsApp and email. There is a huge amount of trust involved in a project like this and it was a privilege to be able to step in and help to “fill the void”
Clare S, Cambridge