Buda New-Construction Family Move

The customer found us through Google — searching "movers buda tx" returned our Buda/Kyle GBP at the top of the local pack. She booked an in-home estimate.

Our Buda/Kyle senior estimator visited the Round Rock rental on a Saturday. The estimate scope: - 3-bedroom rental contents (modest — the family had been intentionally minimal, anticipating the move) - Mid-range furniture, no specialty items, no piano - Approximate inventory: 45 boxes (mostly small + medium), 1 sofa, 1 sectional, 4 beds, 2 dressers, 4 nightstands, dining room table + 6 chairs, basic kitchen contents, 6 garage tubs, kids' rooms (lots of toys) - Approximate weight: 8,500 lbs - Estimated move time: 5-6 hours with 3-person crew

We quoted a binding estimate of $2,650 including DIY packing (the family wanted to pack their own boxes — both parents had time + wanted to save the cost). The quote covered: 3-person crew, 26-foot truck, mileage from Round Rock to Buda (~35 miles), basic mattress bags + pads + dollies + stretch wrap, $0.60/lb default coverage with Full Value Protection available as upgrade ($240 additional).

She accepted the binding estimate. Move scheduled: August 14, 2025, two business days before kindergarten orientation.

Two weeks before move day, the builder's project manager called: the certificate of occupancy was being delayed by two weeks. The HVAC final inspection had failed, and the city inspector wouldn't issue the CO until the contractor remediated.

This is the most common new-construction gotcha we see. Builders frequently slip 1-3 weeks at the final punch-list stage. Customers who scheduled the move on the builder's promised date often have to scramble.

The customer called us immediately. Three options: - Option A: Delay the move. Reschedule to late August. Problem: she'd miss kindergarten orientation; the kids would start school from a rental address. - Option B: Move on the original date and put household in storage. Move out of the rental on August 14, store the contents at our facility, then re-deliver once the CO was issued. Cost: 1-2 weeks of storage at $250/week plus a re-delivery fee of $400. Stress for the family. - Option C: Move on the original date, deliver to the new house without occupancy, and the family camps in the new construction with no power-of-occupancy. Risk: builder would object, possible legal complications, no homeowners insurance until CO.

We recommended Option B with a contingency. Move out of the rental on August 14 as planned. Store the contents at our Buda/Kyle facility (climate-controlled). The family stayed with the wife's parents in Round Rock for the gap. We'd re-deliver within 48 hours of CO issuance.

She accepted the contingency plan. The builder eventually issued CO on August 27 — 9 days after the originally planned move-in. Total cost increase: ~$650 for storage + re-delivery.

August 14, 7 AM. The crew arrived at the Round Rock rental — 3 movers, our 26-foot box truck. The customer had pre-packed: every box labeled with destination room (her own labeling system — color-coded painter's tape per room), inventory list ready.

The crew walked through the house with the customer, confirmed scope, took before-photos of any pre-existing wall damage, and began loading. Standard sequence: - Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes (4 wardrobes for the master + kids' rooms) - Dressers + bed frames disassembled and pad-wrapped - Sofa + sectional stretch-wrapped + pad-wrapped + loaded vertical - Kids' beds + nightstands - Kitchen contents in dish packs - Garage tubs + bikes

Inventory: 45 boxes (slightly over our estimate — she'd packed extras), 1 sofa, 1 sectional, 4 beds, 2 dressers, 4 nightstands, 1 dining table + 6 chairs, 6 kitchen boxes, 6 garage tubs, 2 bikes. Total: ~9,200 lbs (a touch over our estimate).

The customer's pre-packing was excellent — every box labeled, contents inventoried, valuables flagged in a separate box ("CAR — VALUABLES"). The kids' rooms each had a "first-night box" with stuffies, pajamas, school supplies, and one toy each.

The crew finished load by 11 AM. The truck drove to our Buda/Kyle storage facility (35 miles, ~45 minutes). Unload + storage placement completed by 1 PM.

The family moved into the wife's parents' home in Round Rock for the gap. The kids had brought their school-essentials in their car.

August 14-27. The household sat in our climate-controlled storage. We checked it twice during the gap (standard protocol — verify no leaks, pests, temperature anomalies).

The family stayed busy: kids' last weekend at the Round Rock pool with grandparents, completing the kindergarten orientation packet, getting school supplies, talking through the move with the kids (especially the kindergartner who was anxious about both starting kindergarten AND moving to a new house at the same time).

For the kindergartener especially, the staggered move was actually a gift. He had ONE week of just starting kindergarten (transitioning to school first), THEN a week of moving into the new house. Not both at once. The parents' counselor agreed this was easier on a 5-year-old.

The Round Rock ISD kindergarten orientation went smoothly. The daughter's third-grade orientation at her new Hays CISD elementary was August 17 (the family attended from grandparents' house — the daughter saw her new school for the first time the day before classes started).

Builder CO issuance: August 27, 3 PM. The family's realtor confirmed by photo. The builder did a final walk-through with the customer the same evening.

August 29, 8 AM. We dispatched a 3-person crew to the Buda new-construction home. The truck arrived at 9 AM.

The first surprise: the garage wasn't finished. The builder had skipped garage finishing in the punch-list rush. No epoxy floor, no shelving, no garage door opener fully wired. The customer hadn't been told.

We adjusted: garage contents (tubs, bikes, lawn equipment) went into the laundry room temporarily, blocking partial walkway. We documented the as-is condition + flagged for the customer to address with the builder before final acceptance.

The second surprise: the master bedroom carpet had a noticeable seam visible. The customer photographed and added to the punch list.

The crew unloaded efficiently. With the kids' destination rooms pre-identified by the customer (color-coded labels matching painted-on labels she'd done on each kid's bedroom door), boxes went directly to the right rooms. The kids' beds + dressers were assembled first, then their stuffies + bedding placed so the rooms looked ready for the kids to walk in.

Inventory check: every box arrived, no damage to anything packed. We re-assembled the dining table + headboards + entertainment center. Touched up wall scratches with a touch-up paint kit we'd brought. Took after-photos.

Total move-in time: 5.5 hours. Family arrived at 4 PM. The kids ran to their new rooms — the daughter's "MAYA'S ROOM" sign on the door (we'd taped it up before they arrived).

The family was in their new house 9 days after their planned move-in date. The kids slept in their new beds that night. Pizza for dinner. Standard first-night protocol.

School start, August 18 — kindergarten orientation: the parents drove the son to his Hays CISD elementary school from grandparents' house. He met his teacher, saw his classroom, sat at his desk for 10 minutes. The parents took photos. He was nervous but okay.

School year started August 19: both kids started their new schools. Kindergartener cried at drop-off the first day; settled by Wednesday. Third-grader made a new friend in the first week.

House settling: - Builder fixed the garage finishing within 30 days - Carpet seam in master replaced under builder warranty within 60 days - Family moved their belongings out of the laundry room into the finished garage in mid-September - Final builder punch-list closed in early October

The kids' rooms were the first rooms fully unpacked. Standard protocol. We'd told the family to unpack the kids' rooms first; they did.

The household is now settled. The customer wrote us a 5-star Google review three weeks after the delivery — specifically mentioning that we'd handled the storage gap and helped them keep the kindergarten orientation on schedule.