On this episode of the Realtor In Your Pocket podcast, we're unpacking the secrets to a stress-free move. Nick Fundytus and moving expert Lisa Ann Robinson from Streamline My Move dive deep into the strategies that make transitioning a breeze. Get ready for practical advice, insider tips, and expert insights that will transform your moving experience from a headache to a cakewalk. Have a question? Reach out! Get in touch with Nick here: https://shor.by/NickFundytus Or visit our website at: www.nickfundytus.ca
How can you make moving out of your home and into your new one easier? Today, I'm joined with my friend and industry colleague, Lisa the Mover. Lisa is the founder and owner of Streamliner Relocation Services, which is a moving management company. She's certified through the Canadian Association of Movers and has over a decade of industry experience in this role. Together, we're going to talk through the moving process, see what it looks like, and how to avoid some of the common headaches that come with moving. I'm Nick Fundytus, and this is the Realtor In Your pocket podcast. Podcast. You're listening to Realtor In Your pocket podcast. Do you want a head start on buying, selling, or renting in Ottawa? You're in the right place. Every episode brings you great advice and insight that you can keep in your back pocket until you make your move. And now, here's your host, Nick Fundytus. All right, so I'm joined here today with Lisa, the mover. Hi, Lisa. Thank you for coming. Hi, nick. We've We've been trying to get you on for a while, and you and I have been working together for years. I think the first time that you and I worked together was actually might have been on my move. Yes, that's the first time we met. Yeah. [00:01:10.660] - Speaker 2 We were expecting our second child, so Aaron, he's in senior kindergarten now. We were moving out of our little townhouse and into our place in Beacon Hill, and you helped make it go really smoothly. Since then, you've worked with, I mean, dozens and dozens of our clients. I just want to share, have you come on today to share some of your experience with people who might be considering a move or who might have just sold their house or just bought a new one and are thinking about what to do. Let's start with saying that most people are familiar with moving themselves. Everybody has done the U-Hall thing where they rented a U-Hall and bribe their friends with pizza and beer, and what a mover does. But what does a moving management company do? [00:01:59.540] - Speaker 1 So a move management company handles all aspects of the move, from hiring the right mover at the right price to the final unpack of the last box. Finding the right mover is the key. That's the first thing I'm going to say. [00:02:17.320] - Speaker 2 Super. And you have some roots there because you started with a moving company and you've branched out. So I think that would be helpful to share. Tell us about that story. [00:02:28.180] - Speaker 1 Yes. So I started out It was an estimator working for different moving companies in one facet or another. And then I decided I would rather work for the clients because it positions me in a different situation where the movers are now being hired by me and not working for them. Working for the moving company meant I had to rely on the other staff to do their job properly, and I didn't have the same control. [00:02:52.730] - Speaker 2 Right. If you felt that it wasn't a good fit with that mover, you couldn't say, You know what? This is not the right size mover for you. You're always having to sell the moving company that you're working for. Correct. Now, to me, being an estimator makes perfect sense. I understand what that job is. Explain what that job is. Assume somebody has never worked with professional movers before. What does the estimator do? [00:03:14.170] - Speaker 1 The estimator comes into the home, and they basically take an inventory of all the furniture that needs to be moved and a box count. It's a skill that apparently I have in terms of space. Once they correctly, then they're able to tell how many movers, what size truck, how many hours it's going to take, down to, I would say 30 minutes. [00:03:37.900] - Speaker 2 Perfect. That's great. I've seen that in action quite a few times with you. So in a broad sense, what are the main pros and cons of hiring professionals to help you with your move? [00:03:50.270] - Speaker 1 I should mention that I myself have moved 28 times. Oh, wow. 28. Yeah, and I'm not military. So I just had a little gipsy phase. But So I've moved myself many, many times. Hiring a mover is an expense, but it's also a luxury because you just reach a certain point where you just physically can't do it anymore, or pizza and beer isn't going to cut it at a certain point, or maybe you're just too busy, or maybe you physically can't do it. So the movers are the pros that come in. They're the muscle, they're the skill. They get it done faster and more efficiently, and it just makes it easier for you. Super. Yeah. [00:04:30.740] - Speaker 2 And then, I mean, the only real downside is, I mean, it costs more than using a U-haul. But I think for most people who have done it, you're hooked on it. You said, I've never... People start to realize how much their own time is worth, no matter what job they're doing. And they say, I never want to move myself again after they've had a professional do it for them and just see how different it can be. [00:04:55.000] - Speaker 1 100 %. Yeah. [00:04:56.590] - Speaker 2 Okay. So start to finish, from the moment that a A special client calls you or say, a realtor puts you in touch with one of their clients who's just bought a house, from that point, first contact, what does a typical move look like from start to finish, if it's going smoothly? [00:05:13.290] - Speaker 1 Right. Which is the goal? Yes. I make an appointment, and I do the in-home surveys myself because I'm very good at it, and it just saves everybody a lot of time. I do the survey. We talk about what you need and what makes your move different because everybody's move is different. There's just no question. Everybody has different things, a lot less, a lot more. Then you mean from my perspective? [00:05:37.820] - Speaker 2 From your side, and just to give a client an idea what's going to happen at each stage. [00:05:44.490] - Speaker 1 Okay. We get estimates. Sometimes people get, well, I work with different moving companies, so basically I hand out the specs and I say, quote on this, we pick the right mover for your move based on what you have. Then I set you up with whatever services you need to prepare. Do you need a packing service? Do you need someone to come in and help you organize? Whatever services people need to eliminate that stress. Whatever services they need, I will provide. Excellent. [00:06:16.160] - Speaker 2 Yeah. That sounds familiar to the realtor side or the mortgage broker side. When you say that you work with different companies, it's a little bit like a mortgage broker going to different lenders. Correct. Saying, I know that I can go to this bank and this bank and this monoline lender, and we'll set you up with a person who's right for your specific situation. And for you, that's movers. I'm sure there's movers who are a little bit better at doing something international or a big move, and there's ones who are suited for doing a small move or the people who also can move specialized things like a piano. [00:06:49.610] - Speaker 1 Good one. Yeah. And even exercise equipment, not every mover is skilled at certain things, or they go at different paces. And so I've been around long enough to know who's good at what. I've already prevetted them. I have four different moving companies that I work with consistently, and I feel that after four years of being in business, they know the expectation, and I just find things are going really smooth now, just because we've been working together for a long time. [00:07:18.790] - Speaker 2 You go in, you do the survey, you know what they want. Then does a separate estimator come in from the different companies? What happens next? [00:07:26.310] - Speaker 1 Or is that's usually- It's usually me. I remain the main contact. You're only dealing with one person, not with 10 different people doing 10 different things. It just keeps it that alone simpler. Excellent. [00:07:38.090] - Speaker 2 Now, let's say that your service is to coordinate everything in here for this person's particular move in this scenario. On packing and moving day, what does that look like for a seller? What do they need to get prepared to move out of their current place? [00:07:57.700] - Speaker 1 It's a good question because this is where things can start off right or start off wrong. So I have my own team of packers, and we work with the four movers that we have. So we're like contract packers, so you're covered. We come in a day or two before, and not only do we do all the packing, we do all the prep, making sure that everything is the way that the movers want it. So all they have to do is come in, grab and go. Yeah. So the only thing the client has to worry about is to get rid of anything that's not coming. Because we're a bunch of Minions running around, we split up and we get it done. [00:08:34.630] - Speaker 2 I've seen that. I think of it like a science fiction movie where the little AI, the little nanobots just sworn over everything and they just take it away. There's no discrimination over whether it's organic or not or whether it's coming or not. The movers are like that, too, right? They come in and over the course of a morning or an afternoon, everything you own to pack up. I mean, don't leave Get your phone out on the counter because it's going to end up in four layers of paper in a box somewhere. You just need to make sure that... [00:09:08.320] - Speaker 1 Yes, but we actually set up what we call a safe zone. Sure. Okay, so we block it off with green tape. So your phone, your purse, all the immediate, we don't touch that. Yeah, your toddlers. We have a safe zone. Yeah. We try not to accidentally pack something we shouldn't. Oh, totally. Yeah. Yeah. But it all goes very, very fast. As a move manager, we encourage you actually to not even be there. Great. Go ahead to work, go have lunch with your girlfriends, get your hair cut, just relax and let you know that we're on site. We know what we need to be doing, so you don't have to. [00:09:42.200] - Speaker 2 Perfect. Yeah. That's great. Then so everything goes into the truck. The truck ends up at the new home. And then what does the next phase of that look like? [00:09:51.820] - Speaker 1 So hopefully we get a floor plan or some sense of where everything's going. Sure. Okay. We mark all the rooms like master bedroom, main bath, primary On the boxes? [00:10:00.800] - Speaker 2 Yeah. [00:10:01.180] - Speaker 1 On the boxes and on the walls. Because we're trying to eliminate the whole, where does this go? Where does this go? We try to have that all set out ahead of time. So we try to get a floor plan, and we actually mark the furniture. So coffee table, we'll go in the basement. We handle all that so that the unload is so much smoother and quieter. Perfect. [00:10:23.420] - Speaker 2 I've seen this in action. Just to give somebody who's listening who's never used a professional mover before, if you had, Do you remember my place, like the four bedroom? [00:10:33.160] - Speaker 1 I remember there being lots of stairs. [00:10:34.240] - Speaker 2 Yeah, four bedroom Beacon Hill thing. If you were to take all that and pack it up today or take it and the packers came, it's faster than I think people realize when you have professionals doing it. If I were to pack it, that's over the course of a month. We're doing it in the evenings and weekends when we can. We're allowing extra time for spousal fights about what's coming and what's not. We're not taking that. For professional movers, even just taking out the spousal fights out of it, how much time is that taking them to pack up a house like that? [00:11:07.410] - Speaker 1 We usually pack a house in one day. Yeah. Yeah. And so that is a gift in itself because you can just live completely normally up until the day before the move, right? And so there's no arguing. You can live completely normally, and then we pack it all up, move you, everything in the safe zone stays there, and the unpacking Everything is the same. Usually, the moves can be done in one day, too. Typically, on a local move, it's a three-day process. [00:11:36.450] - Speaker 2 Yeah, unless you're going to Vancouver or something. [00:11:38.580] - Speaker 1 Which is a whole other thing. [00:11:40.850] - Speaker 2 Of course. Now, is there a preferred time of month or time of year to book a move where it's going to be a little bit easier to get it all done? [00:11:50.660] - Speaker 1 June, July, August has and will always be the busiest time of year. In real estate, whatnot, we follow the sold signs. Military Derry kicks in at the end of June, and they usually take precedence over the private sector, so this is the issue. Okay. Yeah. Something really important to know is that renters and senior clients are on leases. So the leases are always up at the end of the month. That is why it's so full at the end of the month. And some movers will charge more. Some movers will charge more for the weekends. Okay. And most don't work Sundays. So the ideal time to move is between September and May. Mid-month. [00:12:32.760] - Speaker 2 Yeah. Wednesday, if you can swing it. [00:12:34.310] - Speaker 1 Wednesday. It's a perfect day. That's great. Yeah. Well, movers, I find tend to be more rested after the weekend. So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, in my opinion, are good days. Perfect. [00:12:44.670] - Speaker 2 That's great. [00:12:45.920] - Speaker 3 Hey, it's nick Funditus. Question, what's your favorite social media platform? Are you big on Instagram? [00:12:53.120] - Speaker 2 Do you Reddit? [00:12:54.400] - Speaker 3 No matter where you are, I'd love for you to find me there and connect. All you need to do is type @nickfunditis and follow and lets you and I connect. I'd love to be able to provide you the right answers, the right resources, and the right content to help you make your next move. If you send me a question, I always answer back. So subscribe, and I'll see you there soon. [00:13:19.010] - Speaker 2 Now, what can movers move? What can't they move? Or what don't they move? [00:13:23.740] - Speaker 1 Movers don't move combustibles, aerosols, alcohol. [00:13:28.970] - Speaker 2 I think that's fair. Yeah. [00:13:29.990] - Speaker 1 Or chemicals. So we do provide a list just as a warning. Like these items can't be moved, fire extinguishers, propane tanks. If I'm on site managing a move, I take the risk and bring them with me. Okay. Yeah. But otherwise, even restricted firearms, there's just certain protocol that needs to be followed or not at all. [00:13:49.400] - Speaker 2 Sure, because they're not supposed to be accessible to. [00:13:53.490] - Speaker 1 Right. Sometimes I have ex-militarians, so we have to deal with that. But no. [00:13:58.180] - Speaker 2 But especially in Ottawa. [00:14:00.240] - Speaker 1 Yeah, lots. And this is a little secret. I actually work with a government mover. That's all they do is D&D Global Affairs. Okay. So I go in, I do the estimates for them just to keep me sharp, so I still see a lot of that. And then I remind them when they retire that there's somebody that can still look after them. Right. Yeah. Yeah. [00:14:20.970] - Speaker 2 It's good to have that connection. Yeah. Now, what are some of the common pitfalls that people run into when they're moving or hiring movers? So say if they don't They know about you, and they haven't called you, or they're in Saskatchewan or something listening to this podcast for some reason. What are some common pitfalls they run into? [00:14:42.350] - Speaker 1 A lot of problems that I see when people just don't know the business like we do is the truck is too small. [00:14:49.100] - Speaker 2 Okay. [00:14:49.890] - Speaker 1 Or there's damages, right? Because things aren't being done properly. Availability of the movers, not getting the movers you want on specific dates, because they do book up very quickly. Sure. I'm eight weeks out, usually. Packing is a skill, okay? [00:15:09.560] - Speaker 2 Yes, it is. [00:15:10.870] - Speaker 1 Sometimes when people do their own packing, they tend to crush in because they're not as full. So that's where the damage is. I see a lot of that with people that just don't know. And probably not understanding the insurance. Okay. [00:15:26.440] - Speaker 2 Yeah. Help me understand the insurance. Tell me about that. [00:15:28.790] - Speaker 1 Yeah. So When you do your own packing, the moving companies will not cover the contents because they're not in control of how they're packed. Sure. Right? That's just something to know. If the movers carrying out a box and they drop it and there's move related damage, then you're okay. But it's a fine line. Sure. And oftentimes I think it's worth paying the extra for it. Property damage is always covered. If there's anything, if they ding the wall or the floor, that's always on them. It's just important to know what's covered and what isn't and how best to handle it. Because you can have a perfect move except that one problem with the wall, and that could just ruin it for you. But if it's clear and concise, and I make sure all my clients understand, we always go in with full coverage. [00:16:13.980] - Speaker 2 As far as customer and client service goes, we know about that so much on the realtor side, where everything could have gone great, and then the dishwasher breaks the day after closing, and it's just a sour taste in the mouth. Somebody's a jerk and removed something from the house that we thought was going to be there. I'm sure if you get that ding in the wall, you just want to do everything you can to avoid that sour taste because it-I'll tell you, it's a slippery slope. Yeah, the final experience is so important. What kinds of things can you and movers do that maybe most people don't know about? For example, I'm surprised how fast packers can pack. [00:16:56.260] - Speaker 1 Oh, yeah. [00:16:57.270] - Speaker 2 What are the things you think if you'd never hired a mover before, what would surprise you? [00:17:02.090] - Speaker 1 Probably how fast they are, definitely, and skilled, and neat that it can be. So when people move themselves, they don't wrap every piece of furniture in a blanket. These guys wrap every single thing like babies, right? And it all goes in there. When you rent a truck, you never see blankets. So there's very, very little damage. And it happens so fast, you just won't even believe it. You literally have to just stay out of the way. [00:17:28.810] - Speaker 2 I'm I've been surprised when I've seen my clients be moved by you and the movers, how much of your furniture can come apart? Right. So I've done it when I helped a buddy move a couch, and he had no idea. He thought we were going to have to squeeze through this door and stuff. [00:17:46.380] - Speaker 1 The backs come off. [00:17:47.330] - Speaker 2 We can just pop the sucker apart. Come on, man. Yeah. And it was a friend of mine whose kids had all grown up, and we found so many of his kids, his kids were teenagers now. Found so many of their soothers, their old soothers on the couch when we popped that off there. [00:18:00.170] - Speaker 1 That's fun. They take everything apart. It's typical for the movers to take the dining room table and the beds apart, and they reassemble them. Imagine an IKEA bed with just regular people that don't do it every day. We take them all day. [00:18:15.200] - Speaker 2 It never goes back the same way, and you don't know how it went apart. [00:18:18.830] - Speaker 1 We try to do larger items ahead of time, like treadmills and ellipticals, that thing. But the movers can do couches, dining room table. They just flip them over and the legs are off, and then I walk around with baggies, so I'm holding all the parts. So staying organized as much as possible is huge. The movers just let them do their thing. If something is unusual, I'll tell you, and we'll deal with it ahead of time. But the backs on those sofas come off. [00:18:49.940] - Speaker 2 Now, this isn't one that's going to help anybody in a practical sense, but I am always surprised how much of that gray-brown packing paper goes into it. When we When we went to our current house, Jack was just a baby. I think he was one and a half or two or something like that. We had a mound of paper that was so big in our family room. We just piled it up like you might pile leaves. Our favorite game for the next week and a half was just throwing him into the paper, and he would just howl with laughter, and then he'd come climbing out the bottom of it, and then we'd throw him back in again. I mean, that was better than any single toy that he had. He thought it was the greatest thing in our world. That's fun. The other greatest thing was an empty basement. When you a toddler and you have an empty room that he can just run around and his voice echoes a little bit, they get surprisingly excited about that. [00:19:36.300] - Speaker 1 Kids are great. [00:19:37.210] - Speaker 2 So when, I know the answer to this one already, but I'm going to ask for listeners, when should someone move their own things and when should they call a professional? [00:19:46.780] - Speaker 1 I think anybody can move themselves, and we all have and we all will, until you reach a certain point, I think. Maybe you have the money, or maybe you just can't physically do it anymore. You can't rope your friends Maybe have some expensive furniture. Like I said, people that move themselves don't pack and wrap things the way that professional movers do. Our goal is to be damage-free in the end. It's a personal choice as to when and how you want to do it. If you think you might want to talk to a moving company or find out how much it's going to cost, there's no harm in that. All the estimates are free. Excellent. Yeah. [00:20:28.620] - Speaker 2 I'm going to tie into that question a little bit. That's a good one. But just to reiterate, how far out are you booking this time of year? We're recording this near the start of May 2023. How far out should someone have called you to move around this time? [00:20:44.960] - Speaker 1 I'm going to say eight weeks. Eight weeks? Yeah. 6 to 8. Yeah. So we're at the beginning of May. I'm already booked the last week of June. Statistically, it's the busiest week of the year. It's gone. Yeah. So in a perfect world, I would almost talk to the moving company as soon as you list. [00:21:04.670] - Speaker 2 That's a great idea. [00:21:05.660] - Speaker 1 You do not need a moving date necessarily to get an estimate because they don't change that much. But at least we've got it in hand. And if you sell quick and you have a quick close, we pull the trigger 10 times faster. [00:21:17.120] - Speaker 2 I think that's a great idea. When we have a new client, we always share an intake form. It's just a Google Sheet, so we can gather their needs and wants list. But on there, we have links to all the different forms they're going to fill out and videos on how to use those. But one of the things we have is our recommended professionals. You're on there, and I think I'm going to add a note to our template that says, The day you list, just call Lisa the Mover or email Lisa the Mover so that you know that you're connected, that you have that connection right away, and you're not going to run into a situation where you're short on time. Moving is one of the big stress points. There's the selling your home, there's the thought about owning two homes or being homeless. All those things I can take care of, but I can't take care of the move. It's good to know that if they reach out early enough, that part can be taken care of. [00:22:07.420] - Speaker 1 That's great. Yeah. Once I have the information I need, you just tell me when, and I make it happen. We have options. We have There's a lot of different movers we can deal with, but getting the right mover for you is the key to a successful move. [00:22:20.910] - Speaker 2 Exactly. That ties me into my very last question here. How can someone reach out and hire you? What are your coordinates? [00:22:29.550] - Speaker 1 Lisa, Lisa the mover. Just Google me. My website is streamlinemymove. Com. You can find a link there to email me or my cell phone number. [00:22:41.320] - Speaker 2 Yeah, cell phone number, too. [00:22:43.900] - Speaker 1 613-294-820. 0202. Call anytime. Perfect. Call or email. I'm on all the social media, as I think as Lisa the Mover or Streamlined Relocation Services. Yeah. [00:22:55.340] - Speaker 2 Just to give you a final plug, not only do the team and I love Working with you as a mover. We also know that you're really involved in your community. You're involved in women's business groups and promoting female-owned businesses. What's the group that you're involved with? [00:23:10.280] - Speaker 1 The Women's Business Network. [00:23:11.280] - Speaker 2 Yes, that's the one. Obviously, I'm not a member, but I've seen on your socials that you're part of that. I know other people who know you, like Anne-Marie McElroy is one of my friends who's a lawyer. She's run into you there and she says great things about I know that in addition to being a wonderful professional, you're a wonderful part of our community. I think that that is such an important thing for all the people that we know and work with, too. [00:23:39.820] - Speaker 1 Yeah. Well, can I talk about the organization I'm working with now? Yeah, totally. [00:23:43.480] - Speaker 2 We're the main For anybody who's listening, we're starting to pass the main content, but now you get to learn a little bit about Lisa here. [00:23:49.460] - Speaker 1 Okay. I was a member of the Women's Business Network for many, many years, and I've probably met some of my best friends there. I'm not currently a member now because I've teamed up with Shelter Movers. [00:24:02.050] - Speaker 2 Yes. And we were at your function a little while ago. [00:24:04.460] - Speaker 1 That's right. I had an event for many reasons. It was my birthday, and I was celebrating. We won't talk about which one. I volunteer as a mover for Shelter Movers, which is a... It's nationwide, volunteerpowered organization that moves women and children out of abusive homes. But the best part is moving them into new homes. Right. So I've been collecting furniture and funds for the organization to help with this activity, and that's where I give up my time. So we did a silent auction in March, and we raised almost $3,000. That's great. Yeah. And it was just a little sidebar. [00:24:48.840] - Speaker 2 And they're just called Shelter Movers? Yeah. Where does somebody find them if they want to donate or help out? They can contact you, obviously. [00:24:55.480] - Speaker 1 Definitely. Yeah. Online, Shelter Movers of Ottawa. But they are nationwide. So anybody in any major city probably could get help through a referral with an agency because it is a free service with a referral. Yeah, it's incredible. That's awesome. Yeah, so many good things. And I think they said it's $250 a move. So with my event, we were able to do, I think, what, 13 moves? Thirteen, 14 moves. Yeah. [00:25:22.940] - Speaker 2 That's fantastic. [00:25:23.630] - Speaker 1 Yeah, it's really great. [00:25:25.110] - Speaker 2 That's a perfect note to end on. So Lisa, the mover. That's me. Thank you so much for coming on today. I really appreciate. My pleasure. Do you know that in the studio era, when we've been coming to pop up podcasting, which I should also shout out, it's JP here running this awesome studio. In this era, you were our first solo guest. You've held down the panel on your own here. [00:25:48.660] - Speaker 1 I'm glad you didn't tell me that at the beginning. [00:25:50.780] - Speaker 2 Everybody else gets to play off each other like Manfred just showed up in the booth here. Okay. But you've done wonderfully. Oh, it's my pleasure. I hope that everybody rjeaches out and hires you. [00:25:58.850] - Speaker 1 Yes. Thank you, nick. I appreciate it. [00:26:00.320] - Speaker 2 Thank you very much. [00:26:01.360] - Speaker 3 What is People First when it comes to real estate? After all, we're buying and selling properties, so is it really about people? People First just means that people are more important than properties. It means that at the heart of every move, there's a human story. And that's why my team and I have to be excellent for you every time you buy or sell a home. That's why we take so much time to educate all our clients on the market and on the process. That's why we are continuing improving our processes, honing our negotiation skills so that you know you are getting Ottawa's best when you work with us. That's why we stay in touch year after year with our past clients, because I believe, and we believe as a team, that being a business in Ottawa means that we have an obligation to our community to improve it, to serve it, and to connect the people who live in it. In an era where property sales are often prioritized over people, our team relationships first. One client at a time, one relationship.