Meet the Frank Family* from Chicago. Phil and his wife Cheryl, who left sunny California for the bustling city life in Chicago after their first child was born. Despite their love for the city, the Franks couldn’t resist the pull of the California sunshine and being closer to Cheryl’s family. Now, with four kids in tow, they decided it was time to make the move back west.
A year ago, the Franks found the perfect house near Cheryl’s parents—a large, charming home that needed a bit (or a lot) of TLC. What they thought would be a quick renovation turned into a ten-month nightmare. Phil flew out to California every month to check on the progress, only to find disappointment after disappointment. The move-in date kept getting pushed back, and the stress was mounting.
Enter Atlas
After yet another frustrating trip to California, Phil met up with an old friend, Tom, for dinner. Over appetizers, Phil vented about the seemingly never-ending renovation disaster.
“I told Tom I was ready to throw in the towel and just buy a different house,” Phil recalled. “If it wasn’t right next to my in-laws, we would’ve walked away. The stress just wasn’t worth it. I didn’t trust our contractor, and I couldn’t bear the thought of starting over with a new team.”
Being the good friend he is, Tom couldn’t just sit there and listen-he wanted to help. He mentioned a service called Atlas that his Financial Advisor had recommended to him. Tom made a quick call, got the contact info, and passed it along to Phil.
The next day, Phil found himself on the phone with Brian Nuttall, CPA, J.D., and Shareholder at Origin CPA Group. Brian listened to the whole saga and assured Phil that Atlas could step in and save the day. They scheduled a meeting with the Atlas team.
“It was the first glimmer of hope I’d had in nearly a year,” Phil shared. “I laid it all out-the architect, the contractor, the delays, the mistakes. It felt like therapy!” Phil laughed.
The Atlas team quickly understood the situation: Phil was tired of being the ‘bad guy,’ and the family had a firm deadline—they wanted to be moved in before their youngest, Theo, started kindergarten. Atlas took the reins from there. They stepped in, introduced themselves to the contractor, and promptly replaced him. They found and vetted two new contractors, giving Phil the final say. From there, Atlas managed the entire project, kept the budget in check, set up weekly calls with the contractor, and provided Phil with video updates every week.
The Result
The Frank Family moved into their beautifully renovated home just one week before Theo started kindergarten. But Atlas didn’t stop there-they arranged the packing, moving, and unpacking, hired a cleaning crew to get the house spotless, registered the kids at their new schools, and even had the family’s vehicles and pets transported. The cherry on top? The fridge was stocked with groceries, and dinner was delivered on their first night.
“We’re in this home because of Atlas,” Phil declared. “I trust them completely, and they’ve made our lives so much easier. I’m beyond thankful we found them!”
Atlas continues to support the Frank Family with their day-to-day lives and are an invaluable part of their world.
What if You Had Someone to Manage Your Renovations and Move?
Change “what if” into reality. Contact us to learn how Atlas can support your world.
*This story is based on prior issues and projects Atlas has handled. In order to protect privacy, the details including names have been changed but the services and relief provided are accurate.