A Smooth Move to Fox Run

This past April, Barb and Phil Horvath made the move to a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath residence at Fox Run, an Erickson Senior Living community in Novi, Mich.--it was so easy.

That's because they took advantage of the Erickson Realty and Moving Services program, which connects Priority List members with trusted resources, like real estate agents, downsizing and packing experts, and moving companies, to make everything as streamlined as possible.

"We didn't have to worry about a thing and that, to me, made it so much better," says Phil. "They took care of everything for us!"

Plan your layout

To make the moving process stress-free for incoming Fox Run residents, Kristen Yaquinto, the community's planning and moving consultant, offers a complimentary home visit and can help coordinate services.

During Yaquinto's visit to Barb and Phil's house, she measured the "wish list" of furniture they wanted to bring with them and worked with the couple to create the best layout.

"We sat down together and had some fun seeing how their items would fit in their floor plan," says Yaquinto. "I find that people feel more at ease knowing that the things they love most will work in their new home."

"Kristen was so helpful. She knew how to appropriate furniture in the space that we were going to have," says Barb. "It helped us decide what to bring with us."

Yaquinto then answered any questions they had and recommended preferred partners, based on what she thought would work best for them and their situation.

"Everyone's move is different," says Yaquinto. "Some people want more help and guidance, and some want less."

A quick sale

Barb and Phil appreciated Yaquinto's recommendations and decided to work with preferred real estate agents Maria Gardner and Susan Flynn with Real Estate One.

"They know all the ins and outs of buying and selling and were so helpful with what to do and not to do," recalls Barb. "Maria and Susan worked with us to capture the most money we could out of our property. Our house photographed beautifully."

As a result, their house sold in three days!

Working together

The Horvaths also decided to work with one of Fox Run's preferred senior move managers, who helped the couple with downsizing, packing, and unpacking.

"We were coming from a four-bedroom, four-bath house with a basement and a garage," says Barb. "They were kind and helpful when having us choose what we wanted to keep. They marked everything that was going with us with green tape and everything that wasn't with red. Everything was color coordinated, so the movers knew what to take."

The company then held an estate sale with their unwanted items and donated the remainder to charity. They also packed everything at the couple's house and then unpacked it at Fox Run.

"They put everything in place, and they even made the bed for us!" says Barb.

"Everything worked out wonderfully," adds Phil.

Because the Horvaths used preferred real estate agents and preferred experts for packing and moving, they qualified for the Move On Us program, which reimburses residents up to $2,000 in moving expenses.

"It went right into our account," says Barb. "That was great."

Personalize your space

Yaquinto notes that incoming residents also have the opportunity to personalize their new homes--before moving in--for an additional fee through the community's Custom Interiors department.

"We have had people transform their spaces by changing kitchen cabinets, adding crown molding, and installing specialty lighting or different flooring," says Yaquinto. "There's quite a lot they can do with the help of Custom Interiors."

The Horvaths selected a backsplash for their kitchen, custom wood flooring, carpets, and window treatments.

A seamless move

Given their years of experience, Fox Run's preferred partners know how to make moves as seamless as possible for Priority List members.

By Michele Wojciechowski