John Whitney – Moving Home
John got in touch to let me know that he and his girlfriend Alex were moving from the Norwich area to Nottingham to further their education … and asked if I could help?
I met with them both to find out the timescales for their move to their apartment in Nottingham, which was just over a month away. We discussed all the details, working our way through my ‘Moving Home Checklist’ to cross reference what aspects of moving where applicable to them. During our chat, I identified some areas where they may wish for assistance, such as; organising storage in their apartment so that everything would be neatly and tidily put away, drawing up a shopping list of what items were still required for purchase and from where, offering to take them shopping for some ‘new home items’, including furniture from IKEA, assistance with flat pack furniture assembly, a comprehensive food and household shopping list so they could select all that they needed to get them set up. They loved these ideas, so I created a schedule so we all knew the timelines we would be working to.
In addition to finding out what assistance they needed, it was also important to ascertain any concerns they may have, as addressing and negating any concerns, ensures a smooth transition and happy customers. I explained that moving home really can be fun and exciting and that I was there to help make their move as easy and as enjoyable as possible.
The apartment, although not large, had lovely high ceilings and massive windows so there was a real feeling of light and space. They had both mentioned that this was one of the things they really loved about their new home and they would really like it to still feel like that, even when they had moved all their stuff in. So, to aid this, I drew up a to scale floor plan of the apartment layout with items of furniture (also to scale), so they could be moved around the layout drawing to check re spatial awareness and practicality of use. They loved this and felt reassured that the ideas would work.
Having planned and prepared for the move, I was on hand from packing up all their belongs in Norwich, to waving them goodbye having successfully completed their move to Nottingham and set up of their new home in less than 2 days.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that count and the attention to detail that customers really appreciate. In John and Alex’s case, this was agreeing a budget for their move to give them complete peace of mind, making sure something nice to eat and drink was to hand as we worked through the day and into the evening, taking time to make sure that some of their favourite things, i.e. John’s computer/gaming equipment and desk were set up, and Alex’s cookery items and her lovely plants, were just how they both wanted them. They also commented that they loved the way I had maximised the space in the apartment as it still felt as light and airy as the day they first viewed their to be new home.
