While “home is where the heart is,” a dwelling is where one lays his or her head.
A study from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed some interesting statistics about the moving habits of the everyday American. Most of us move an average of 11.7 times in our lifetime. That feels high, doesn’t it? But consider that most Americans move once or twice with their families in childhood, and that’s even before college. After college, many Americans move from lease to lease until they buy their first homes.
As we age, we become set in our ways, and our choice of dwellings is no different. The same census study states that by age 44, most Americans have slowed way down when it comes to changing residences, in large part because of the reasons that prompt us to move.
Career opportunities are the most common drivers for a change of dwelling, as well as the cost of living. Additionally, children factor into many moves: Growing families require more space in the home, a friendly neighborhood environment, and often the right public school district. Sometimes, after the kids have grown and left the nest, a home is simply too large, and many Americans choose to downsize, moving into smaller homes where they can enjoy their retirement years.
In the Wilmington area alone, we see incredibly diverse choices in dwellings. Consider the young, hip couple renting a Front Street loft; the growing family in their Monkey Junction starter home; and the retired couple who have moved into a patio home within walking distance to the beach. Yet no matter how much our dwellings may differ, we always want them to feel like “home.”
That’s one of the services Strickland’s offers – we help customers turn their dwellings into customized spaces that suit their unique needs. With window treatments that provide privacy and light control while reflecting one’s personal style. With custom closets that make getting dressed a pleasure each morning. With a Murphy bed that lets the guest bedroom double as an art studio. Or with professional organization systems for garages, offices and pantries that save busy families precious time.
Compared to the national statistics on moving, Strickland’s is an outlier. For nearly 75 years, our business has been housed on the corner of 23rd Street and Castle Hayne Road. But over the past several years, our product lines and services have grown so much that we found ourselves in need of a new dwelling.
We started by revamping our virtual dwellings:
StricklandsBlinds.com and
StricklandsClosets.com. But our physical location is changing too. This April, Strickland’s Blinds, Shades & Shutters and Strickland’s Closets & Home Organization will be moving to 5422 Oleander Drive, near K38 Baja Grill and Hops Supply Company. We can’t wait to welcome you, our neighbors, to our new space because no matter where our showrooms and offices may be located, Wilmington is and always will be our home.
With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Fred Kumpel is the owner of Strickland’s. Strickland’s Blinds, Shades & Shutters is a window treatment design center that has specialized in custom window treatments for nearly 75 years. Strickland’s Closets & Home Organization provides professionally designed organization solutions such as Murphy beds and custom-built systems for closets, pantries, garages, basements and laundry rooms. To learn more, visit www.StricklandsBlinds.com and StricklandsClosets.com. Fred can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 910.762.0944.
