A Moving Story

When news about my promotion came through last year, I have to confess to mixed feelings. The job was great, a major step up for me both professionally and financially. I’d be managing a new office and the opportunity to impress my superiors would be immeasurable. But as with most great deals, there was a catch. In this case moving to a new state hundreds of miles from my then home, uprooting my whole life and causing major disruption to my family.

I cast my mind back to the last time we moved house. Without wanting to sound melodramatic, it had been one of the most stressful experiences of my adult life. There was a seemingly endless procession of tasks that needed to be completed, from finding a new house to the interminable packing of a lifetime’s possessions to the challenge of choosing schools for our two children. In short, I wasn’t looking forward to going through the whole ordeal again.

But this time around, I was in for a pleasant surprise. My firm contracted a relocation agency to facilitate the move, rendering the process almost totally unrecognizable. It all started well in advance of moving day. Representatives of our relocation company were extremely eager to find out what we were expecting and answer the countless questions we had about our prospective new lives. In a move that my wife found particularly useful, we were taken on an orientation trip to our new town. We were able to get a great feel for the place, checking out schools, shops and neighborhoods with the help of an extremely knowledgeable guide. It was a completely different experience than the ‘headless chicken’ approach that had characterized our forward planning last time round.

In fact, that was probably the single most important difference between a solo relocation and one performed with the assistance of professionals. This time we had a timetable. In close discussion with our relocation company we laid out clear plans that enabled everything to run far more smoothly. And after this plan was agreed on, we remained in regular contact with our relocation company so absolutely everybody new how far along in the process we were. As the day of the actual move grew closer, there was none of the rising panic that had enveloped me before. Though I was increasingly tied up at work with preparation for my new position, my wife wasn’t going through things alone. She was provided with a packing assistant to fill in for her absent husband. I can only imagine how many potential arguments that managed to stave off.

The benefits of a professional relocation continued after the last box had been unloaded at our new address. We were provided with yet more assistance getting all our possessions installed in their correct place, making our house into a home at lightning speed. The effect on the whole family was remarkable. The kids settled into their new rooms as if they had been there for years and my wife got straight into indulging her passion for interior design. My bosses got a good deal too. Because I didn’t have to worry about my family I was able to devote my full attention to the job from day one. It worked out pretty well for everyone.

Months later, we really feel part of our new community. The new office is running smoothly and I’m in no hurry to move again anytime soon. But if it has to happen at some point in the future, at least I know there’s no reason to fear. As long as my company are prepared to stump up for professional help.