A Place For Everything®:
Professional Organizers Help Ease Relocation Stresses
By Deborah Stadtler
Article appeared in Mobility Magazine |
A magazine of and for the Employee Relocation Council based out of Washington, D.C.
The movers were late. When they did arrive, two hours behind schedule, the truck was partially filled with another person's belongings. But Sally Allen, founder, A Place For Everything®, Golden, CO, was there to help the Clayson family in their move from Denver, CO, to Santa Fe, AZ.
Allen directed the movers, sent the Claysons to the hotel for a good night's sleep, and got the boxes packed on the truck. After midnight, Allen tipped the workers and watched the truck drive away. All in a day's work for a professional organizer.
Professional organizing services are becoming a popular way for companies to make the relocation process easier for their employees. Others are commissioning organizers to help themselves when conducting their own office's group moves.
Organizing services also are being offered as a perk when recruiting high-level executives. But because of cost, some companies with tiered relocation policies cannot afford to offer the services to all transferees.
Some companies find the services to be overpriced and are waiting for the daily or hourly rates to decrease before considering them for their policy.
Marilyn Spittler, CRP, manager, relocation, Rhythms, Englewood, CO, has contracted Allen for services for their newly hired and relocated CIO and CFO.
"We use professional organizers on an exception basis for our highest level of senior management. We do not have a policy regarding organizing services and we don't anticipate adding the services to our formal policy," said Spittler.
"We need our senior officers to immediately be able to focus on their new job responsibilities and this service alleviates the stress of a household in disarray. It allows them to feel cared for by the company. [Having the help of an organizer] is a good employee relations benefit for the employee and spouse."
Rhythms pays for two days of unpacking and organizing services.
Marriott International has added professional organizing services such as Allen's as part of a resource list in the executive relocation policy, which applies only to top-level management.
May Caffi, SCRP, director, relocation services, Marriott International, Inc., Washington, DC, said Marriott gives an incidental allowance that associates could use toward organizing services.
Caffi said Marriott is not considering adding organizing services as a paid benefit, "not because it isn't valuable or worth it, but because you only have so much money [you can give toward relocation expenses]."
Blockbuster Entertainment offers professional organizing services as a set dollar amount through Prudential Real Estate & Relocation, which handles its relocations.
"Professional organizing services are only offered to those holding director and above positions," said Yvonne Perkins, assistant to director of staffing and relocation, Blockbuster, Dallas, TX. "There are separate relocation policies for each level of employee and organizing services are included in the executive level only."
Blockbuster offers the organizing services as a benefit to newly hired executives who relocated, and transferees who are promoted to executive-level.
Soothing a Frantic Wife
Allen, one of more than 1,200 members of the National Association of Professional Organizers, specializes in residential relocations and organizing. She handles all aspects of organizing during relocation, from pre-sale preparation, sorting and purging, selecting a moving service, orchestrating the packing and loading, and settling-in.
Allen said that her most popular service is the settling-in service, which includes unpacking, organizing rooms, hanging art, and being the conduit between the moving company and the transferee.
"Our home in California is 3,200 square feet, and with the help of [Allen] we completed the entire process of unpacking, placing items in cabinets, hanging pictures, and arranging artifacts in four days," said recent transferee Doug Watson, general manager, Marriott, Anaheim, CA. "In just a few short days it looked as if we had been living here for years." Allen said that the biggest problem she faces is educating companies about what services she offers and how to use them effectively.
"Organizing is a budding industry that is being promoted more each year because people are overwhelmed with life and need to get organized to proceed, especially in relocation," said Allen. Allen said that companies typically pay for two people for two eight-hour days for relocations. According to Allen, when she works directly with individuals, the number of hours and the schedule can be more flexible to fit into a budget.
Deborah Stadtler is Mobility's staff writer. She can be reached at 202/862-4237 or
e-mail dstadtler@erc.org
Sally Allen – Professional Organizer –specializing in Relocation
Company name: A Place For Everything®
Title: Founder
Location: Golden, Colorado
Experience: Has moved 19 times, domestic as well as international
Listed as a Service Provider for:
Kentwood Relocations
Coldwell Banker Moore & Company
Prudential-Legend Realty, Inc.
Coast to Coast Wolverines (third party relocator)
Relocation Movers Services, Inc. (third party relocator)
Avenue West (corporate housing)
Atlantic Relocation Systems (Atlas Van Lines)
Amick Moving & Storage (North American Van Lines)
Graebel Van Lines
Fuller Towne & Country Properties