When Relocators Relocate — Coastal Town Moves & Gulf Coast Moves

In the summer of 2020, in the middle of the global pandemic, Coastal Moves’ CEO Laurie Maggio relocated with her family from the Northeast to Texas. Read how her experience gave her more insight into her profession as well as the experiences of her clients.

This past summer, it was my turn to move … again!

Step one - a chart for each room in the house.

We all know moving can be stressful. Yup, even for a professional move manager. Never once are your circumstances the same as the previous time you moved. More than ever, this move taught me that knowing this, accepting it, and getting help to make sure everything runs smoothly are smart decisions!

So what did I do this time around? This was after all my 10th time relocating in 23 years of marriage. But that didn't mean that I had this moving business down to a science. I am often asked if I can compare one move to the next. Yes, there are similarities, for example, almost every move involves things people would rather pack for themselves. But, fundamentally, you have to think of moving as an event. Granted, it's the type of event we all hope not to have to repeat too often, unlike, say, a fun and festive party. Since I have a background in running special events, I take it as a challenge and personally enjoy re-writing the script, adapting and pivoting almost daily leading up to the big day.

Moreover, when I was planning this particular relocation, I reminded myself that this is what I do - I help people transition/move/whatever is needed and along with my trusty crew and we make it seamless for clients!

I knew we would get through this move and I also knew I would be grateful for having CTM's organized packers. Better yet, I would avoid losing my marbles over the potential unknowns that can/do/will/just happen.

As it was the summer of Covid, it meant every step of the way we needed sanitizer, masks, and extra patience. This unprecedented pandemic had so many people already stressed, we had to just make light of the small stuff. Most importantly, we needed to treat everyone with care along the way.

And so it began, my turn to be the client.

Step one:

I made a chart for each room in the house (what comes with us, what goes away etc).

Step two:

What goes away should go as soon as possible. The trick is to see an item, and decide right away if it’s a need or a want. If it’s not, it needs to go away soon. These decisions can be challenging, but, especially if you are downsizing or moving to an entirely different kind of space, they are important. As I was sorting I had to promise myself that, with the exception of memorabilia from loved ones, these were items I could live without. As this is always the daunting part of any move because it involves more thinking than doing, it was important that I trusted my instincts and those of the surrounding crew. Every time I made a decision to limit my coffee mugs I knew I was doing the right thing! I enlisted as many young teens as possible for GoodWill runs wherever I could, gave away/sold etc.. and appreciated everyone who contributed. And guess what? I don't miss a thing :)

Step three:

I enlisted my family to help. Admittedly, that was way easier said than done. Bribery didn't even work and it should have, but go figure. With two college bound kids in the picture, neither of whom was driving to their respective schools, organizing was frightening at times. Each had their own systems - "Ma, leave me alone, I'll get to it". Nothing awful happened, and we all laughed when my son was unpacking in his dorm and found his own framed baby picture to display alongside the one with his HS buddies.

Step four:

Have supply stations throughout the house! In the off-chance you are watching TV (it is Covid, so yes we did this often), you can make boxes, all sizes! Small ones for books, heavy duty for kitchen goods and breakables, large ones for soft goods but less of those are likely needed … the most popular is in the middle, just right - think Goldilocks.

Step five:

Regroup time. I went back to those charts I’d made in step one and figured out what we could definitely live without for months. We packed those immediately and didn’t give them another thought. We left the items we used on a daily basis for later.

Step six:

Trusty crew time. At this point I was starting to feel overwhelmed. There was a lot to do and limited time. It was time to get my trusty crew back in to help.

Step seven:

Let the crew pack for you. Make sure everyone stays hydrated, fed and gets a good night of sleep. We were almost there. My crew? They knew exactly how to talk to me - they read their people well, keep them calm all while getting it done. Yay CTM people, you rock and I couldn't have done it without you!

A lot more transpired in those last packing days, it always does. Not least all the emotional goodbyes. But no need to harp on this, it comes with the territory and I see nothing wrong with a little denial!

In the end, we had a lot of take out meals on paper goods and we looked ahead for brighter days when we would be settled again. When the moving truck arrived, I had a brief moment of panic: “Am I ready?” We all ask this. It's never perfect and maybe not always fun, but having support to ease the bumps is worth every penny.