Waukesha County Home

July, 2021

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Moving From Page 1 It is the midst of the high activity season for movers, a heightened level of activity that typically runs through September, according to Swenor, who said this year in particular has been "incredibly busy." Some of the busyness is due to a worker shortage. Swenor said the local family- owned company is currently operating at a reduced capacity, despite offering wages "significantly higher" than $15 an hour. It also is due to shifts sparked by the coro- navirus pandemic, which Swenor said are still playing out. "Last year we had a record season with COVID," he said, adding that many were looking to enhance their home office space and places for children to work from home. "A lot of that is still going on," said Swenor, who said many of Bluemound Express' customers are still working from home at least some of the time. Moves to Lake Country As the housing market boom continues, Swenor said there are increased resources people can find online, from packing tutori- als to company reviews, if planning a relo- cation. Although the general public has an increased presence in providing reviews and social media commentary about com- panies in the industry, Swenor cautioned that any moving business with a 4.9 out of 5 star review is likely incentivizing some of the feedback. In the recent rush of moves, Swenor said many people in southeast Wisconsin have been relocating from the city into the sub- urbs. "Lake County is huge. Waukesha, Pewau- kee, Delafield. The number one hot spot is Oconomowoc," said Swenor, who said Blue- mound Express also has had repeat cus- tomers who had moved downtown and are now looking to move back to the suburbs. There are groups like empty nesters look- ing for smaller homes in the market, as are the first-time homebuyers, according to Swenor. He said there is also a trend of moving into larger homes in suburban areas of 2,500 square feet or larger. For those mov- ing to homes of that size, Swenor advised that the process will take more than one day. "Normally we'll come in and the day of your closing we'll move you out. The next day in the morning we'll come right away and unload," he said. 'Atypical' patterns Nationwide, some of the trends unleashed by the pandemic have started to slow, according to a recent report. In an analysis of about 300,000 moves, the relocation industry technology company Updater found that outflow from urban areas like New York, San Francisco and Boston slowed in the first quarter of 2021, according to a report published last month by Businesswire. The United States Migration Report pre- dicted migration to those destinations to tick up in the second quarter, although a company expert still labeled moving pat- terns "atypical." "It's been fascinating to watch migration patterns shift away from cities and to warmer weather climates during the pan- demic," said David Greenberg, founder and CEO of Updater, in the report. "With vaccinations underway, restric- tions lifting in some of our hardest-hit cities, and companies rolling out perma- nent hybrid working solutions, we're antic- ipating a summer moving season unlike any other," he said. Bluemound Express operates within the state of Wisconsin and Swenor said most moves the company has worked on recently have been within 50 miles. But there also has been a group of retirees moving farther north, to Green Bay and beyond, he said. Planning ahead As the busy pace continues in the hous- ing market, Swenor noted that making stor- age arrangements and possibly budgeting for a second move may be necessary when relocating. Bluemound Express includes storage vaults and Swenor said the company is at more than 90 percent capacity of its 1,200 vaults. "You sell your house and then make 25 bids on other houses without getting one," he said. "Then you need storage because you're going to live with your parents for a month or two. It happens more than you can imagine," Swenor said. Moving tips Planning to move soon? Below is a roundup of suggestions from Chad Swenor, operations manag- er for Bluemound Express in Waukesha, and information from the Illinois Movers & Warehouse- man's Association, shared through the Wisconsin Mover's Association: ■ Schedule ahead. Call movers to book a move a mini- mum of two to three weeks ahead of time. The more proactive you are with scheduling, the better the likelihood of landing the date you want. ■ Go online. If you are packing boxes, YouTube is your friend, especially if you haven't moved in a while. Plates, for example, should be packed standing up and not stacked in a box. There are a host of tutorial videos online offering packing advice and Swenor said Bluemound Express will soon be launching its own online guides. ■ Think small. Packing the smaller items takes the most time and movers can quickly handle bulkier items. ■ Stack and label. Place boxes in stacks with clear labels on the outside (not the top) of the box for easier distribution at the new location. ■ Break it down. Any furniture or items you can disassemble yourself will save a lot of time and money. Be aware that companies like Bluemound are no longer dis- assembling fitness equipment, due to the complexity of the newer machines. ■ Seal it up. Packing totes are popular lately but if they are not taped or closed on the top, you can end up "with holiday decora- tions everywhere" or a similar problem, Swenor said. ■ Be realistic. Almost every- one has a moment when they realize they have more items to pack than they originally thought. Get started by packing a few boxes a day to get ahead. ■ Get an estimate and be honest. Talk over your pending move with the moving company and clearly explain what will need to be moved with precise descrip- tions in order to get as accurate an estimate as possible. ■ Be insured. Check with your homeowner's insurance policies to see if it will cover a move. Many do. ■ Get a receipt. Ask your mover for documentation about completion of the move, including rates, weights and charges. HOME JULY 2021 2 Distributed by: ©2021 by Conley Media Waukesha County Home is published monthly by Conley Media - Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. A publication of Conley Media Sales Director: Jim Baumgart 262/513-2621 jbaumgart@conleynet.com Editor: Dan Muckelbauer 262/513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 pscheel@conleynet.com Home Volume 10 ■ Number 4 ■ July 2021 Submitted photo A staff member with Bluemound Express Storage & Moving Co. at work. Most of the moves the company has worked on recently have been within 50 miles, according to Chad Swenor, operations manager. "You sell your house and then make 25 bids on other houses without getting one.Then you need storage because you're going to live with your parents for a month or two. It happens more than you can imagine." – Chad Swenor, Bluemound Express Moving & Storage Co. operations manager

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