The Joys of Moving in Lake Tahoe

[SinglePic not found]Years ago (many years ago,) when I was just beginning a career in real estate, a wise and experienced teacher, Danielle Kennedy, taught that a good Realtor should move every 5 years just to stay in touch with the stress, fear and excitement that our clients will go through during a transaction.  Empathy will go a long way into shaping one as a great Realtor.  Well, Ms. Kennedy, I am here to say that after moving twice in a year, I am about as empathetic as one can get.

Moving in or out of a home in Lake Tahoe has its own unique qualities.  The weather for one!  On one hand, I have always been taught that it is a blessing to have rain on moving day.  What is it when one has a mixture of sun, rain, snow and wind?  You know the adage in Lake Tahoe.  ”If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.”  Here are a few tips that I learned (the hard way.)  

1. If you are renting a moving van, book at least a month in advance and call two days in advance to confirm.  

2. DO NOT try to take care of a change of address through an online program.  Go straight to the post office on Al Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Blvd. and personally ask for the change of address forms, fill them out and hand deliver – at least two weeks in advance.  

3. Collect boxes at least a month in advance – there just aren’t that many in Lake Tahoe.

4.  Plan of staying at the new location for at least 48 hours to hook up new utilities.  Help comes from out of area and the expected time of arrival is something like, “between 8am and 5pm.”  Grab a good book and just relax.

5.  If you are not tech savvy, find a pro and ask them to just hang with you.  

Fortunately, the entire moving experience is a beautiful experience – it’s Lake Tahoe!!  How can you miss??