BETHLEHEM — For Michelle Kavanaugh, establishing Organize Senior Moves was a natural extension of a service she was already providing through the senior companion service she owned.
“While working with some of my clients, I realized they were making plans to move out of their homes,” she recalls. “During this transition time, I would help them declutter their homes and prepare to move into the new home.”
After conducting some research, Kavanaugh not only discovered there was an actual job title for what she was doing, but that a national organization for such professionals, called Senior Move Managers®, also existed.
Since completing its first move in 2010, the Delmar-based franchise has grown from a one-woman operation to a 21 person-team working out of its headquarters at 125 Adams Street in Delmar with additional franchises located in Saratoga Springs and Charleston, South Carolina. It is a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers, and recently received the organization’s Circle of Service distinction, recognizing its consistent dedication to both the organization and the profession as a whole.
Organize Senior Moves’ mission “Is to provide our clients and their families the care, attentiveness and trust during the physical and emotional time while transitioning from one home to another.… with compassion, integrity and knowledge.”
“Moving from one home to another is stressful, regardless of one’s age. Because [most] of our clients are seniors, our staff is empathetic to the extra care that may be needed,” explains Kavanaugh.
She and her staff take great pride in working closely with each client to make his or her move as stress-free as possible. “It is always satisfying to know that we were able to be of service to someone who was overwhelmed by the whole process,” she remarks. “To see the happiness on the faces of the clients at the end of the day is priceless.”
Those positive experiences often turn into referrals. According to Kavanaugh,“when we meet with a prospective for the first time, it is not unusual to hear them say that we moved a friend of theirs.”
Organizing Senior Moves can be described as “a one-stop-shop” with the ability to provide each client with an individualized plan of services, which, in addition to decluttering, may include:
• developing a custom floor plan for the new home
• de-cluttering / downsizing their present home
• recommending moving companies, realtors and other professionals
• packing belongings for safe transport to the new home
• unpacking belongings, setting up electronics, and hanging pictures in the new home
• preparing for an estate sale
While its name may suggest that its services are solely for seniors who are moving, she stresses they “are available to anyone who needs assistance,” adding that “all of our services are available to all clients on an a la carte basis.”
Potential clients should contact Organize Senior Moves as soon as they make the decision to move, “even if they do not believe that the move will take place for another year or two.”
To schedule a free, one-hour consultation to discuss your upcoming needs, call Organizing Senior Moves at (518) 528-2622.
“This will be the best move you’ve ever made.”