By Jill Nagy
Seniors faced with the prospect of moving out of their home can find help at Organize Senior Moves Saratoga, a new service in Saratoga Springs.
The company, a franchise of a national company, is owned by Lori Tracey, an interior designer and business owner.
“We take the stress out of moving,” Tracey said.
The company’s staff can help sort through accumulated belongings and arrange sales, auctions, donations, and other means of disposal, she said. Then, they can sort, pack, arrange the move, and unpack.
By the end of the day, “art is hung, beds are made, everything is put away in the kitchen cabinets,” she said.
The company is not made up of real estate representatives, but work with them and can help prepare a home for sale, including “staging” the home–furnishing and decorating it to make it more appealing to potential buyers.
In short, she summed up, "we take over the entire moving process."
They are also not a moving company, but can recommend a mover, if the client asks them to, and work with the mover to help get the job done, said Tracey. The company provides boxes and packing materials and everything they use gets recycled afterwards.
Tracey worked for four years for an Organize Senior Moves franchise in Albany before buying into the company last fall. In that time, she recalled, "We've seen it all."
Sometimes, they have to go into homes of people who are hoarders and help (or persuade) them to de-clutter. Other times, they have worked with disabled seniors, often with no children or other close relatives to help them. They have found hidden money and hidden jewelry that the owners hadn't seen in years. Tracey said one woman insisted on transporting two boxes of drier lint from New York to California so she could put it out for birds to use when they build their nests.
Saratoga Springs is the pinpoint of Tracey's franchise area, which includes surrounding areas from Lake George to Clifton Park. She or an employee go to the client's home to make arrangements. Her headquarters is a home office.
Organize Senior Moves Saratoga has eight employees, including an office manager and several project managers and assistant project managers. Fees are $45 to $50 an hour. Some jobs may require only a few hours. Others last for weeks or months.
Business, so far, has been "fabulous," Tracey said. "We are very busy."
Tracey can be reached at 339-6402.