Cambridge

Downsizing and senior moves in Cambridge

Galt, Preston, Hespeler and everywhere between. We sort, pack, move and set up the new home, with one written price before we start.

Three towns, three kinds of house

Cambridge is really three old towns that were joined in 1973, and people here still say they are from Galt, Preston or Hespeler. Each one has its own housing, and each one makes for a different job.

Galt has the stone. Limestone and granite homes, some well over a century old, on the hills on both sides of the Grand River. They are beautiful and they are hard to move out of. Thick walls, narrow staircases with a turn halfway up, low doorways, and steep driveways where a truck cannot always get close. Furniture that went in decades ago sometimes has to come out in pieces.

Preston and Hespeler have their own older cores, with brick homes and tight lots, and then the postwar and seventies subdivisions spread out around them. Those are the bungalows and split levels with a full basement and a garage that has not had a car in it for years.

Getting furniture out of an old house

In a heritage home the move itself takes real care. Here is what that looks like.

Every piece is wrapped before it moves, so neither the furniture nor the plaster takes a mark.
Large pieces are measured against the staircase and doorways first. If something needs to come apart, it is taken apart properly and put back together at the other end.
Floors, banisters and door frames are protected.
On steep or narrow lots, we plan where the truck goes ahead of time and carry the extra distance.

None of this is rushed, which is one reason we quote one written price instead of billing by the hour. A careful job should not cost you more because the stairs are awkward.

Want to talk it through first? Call or text (289) 670-3146, or book a free walkthrough.

What we do

We walk the home and give you a written plan and one written price. We sort with the person moving, and they decide what is kept, what goes to family, what is donated and what is sold. We pack, move and set up the new home so the bed is made and the pictures are hung on the first night. Then, if needed, we clear and clean the old house.

Good items go to a local registered charity partner and you receive a donation receipt. Valuables can be sold through our auction partner if you choose. The rest is disposed of properly. The Region's waste site is right in Cambridge, which makes the clearing out part quick.

Antiques and old things

Older Cambridge homes tend to hold older things. A hutch that came from a grandparent, a trunk, clocks, crocks, tools from a family business. Families often are not sure what is valuable and what is only old.

We set those pieces aside during the sort rather than guessing. If the family wants them, they go to family. If not, our auction partner can look at them. We will be honest that most brown furniture sells for less than people hope, and that the best home for a family piece is usually a family member.

Where Cambridge downsizers are going

Many stay in Cambridge, moving to a condo near the river in Galt, a bungalow townhouse, or a retirement residence in Hespeler, Preston or Galt. Others move toward Kitchener or Guelph to be closer to family. We handle the move wherever it lands, and coordinate directly with the condo or residence on elevators and move in times.

Selling the Cambridge house

We work hand in hand with our real estate partner, a local brokerage. We handle the house, they handle the sale, on one plan. When the home is listed with our partner, the transition is included, along with clearing and cleaning so the house is ready to show.

Questions families ask

Do you cover all of Cambridge?

Yes. Galt, Preston, Hespeler, Blair, and the newer neighbourhoods in between, as well as North Dumfries and Ayr.

Our house has a very narrow staircase. Can you get the furniture out?

Almost always, yes. We look at it during the walkthrough and plan for it. Some pieces come apart, and once in a while something simply will not leave the way it came in. We will tell you before moving day, not during.

Can you tell us what the antiques are worth?

We are not appraisers. We set aside anything that looks like it may have value, and our auction partner can give you a realistic view.

Do you charge by the hour?

No. One written price, given after a free walkthrough, before anything starts.