We dedicate so many hours to work that any off-the-clock time feels like it should be reserved for relaxation. But chores and errands call, right? Not necessarily. That’s where home concierges come in.
While the “concierge” title conjures up images of pricey hotels, home concierges aren’t just for the uberwealthy. In recent years, families throughout D-FW have started hiring them to handle anything that gets in the way of what they’d rather be doing. Home concierges can complete tasks from picking up dry cleaning and setting appointments to planning parties, holiday decorating and gift shopping.
Wendy Lang of Southlake Concierge says most of her clients are everyday families, not the extremely wealthy set.(Monica Lawrence/The Branding Photo Company)
Wendy Lang, the owner of Southlake Concierge, has been building a clientele since 2018. She says the bread-and-butter of her business tends to be normal folks, typically very busy working parents. “They’re prioritizing their time on the weekends to attend their kids’ games and functions, to really spend that time as a family, because they spent Monday through Friday working, and they don’t want to use the weekend to catch up on the to-do list,” she says.
Lang focuses on what she calls customized home and lifestyle management. “What [clients are] looking for bounces back and forth from week to week,” she says. While she’s often tasked with arranging for, say, window washing, carpet cleaning or something else associated with property management, she gets more personal requests as well, sometimes at the last minute. For an anniversary, a client might reach out to Lang to handle gift giving from start to finish. “I need you to shop for it, I need you to wrap it, I need you to get it to my house,” they’ll tell her.
Home concierges can stock a pantry and organize it.(Kristen Prahl)
Concierge clients often prepay for a block of time at an hourly rate. Lang charges $300 for four hours, billed in 30-minute increments. “We’re definitely affordable. A lot of people think that having someone do what we do is very expensive, and it’s really not,” she says.
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Lang provides clients with an online portal where they can check in and see their balance, request tasks and view the status of their projects. Over time, she gets to know her clients and how they want things done. Even her first client remains with her today. “He can call me and say, ‘I need something for my wife’s birthday,’” Lang says. “I know her favorite color is pink, so when I wrap her gifts, it’s in a pink color. I know the things she likes. I know his favorite beer. So when he’s hosting a party, I’ll buy a variety, but I’ll always have his favorite included.”
One of the benefits of working with a concierge is access to their list of trustworthy vendors. A good concierge knows the best hire for that balloon garland or appliance repair because they’ve vetted those providers over the years. “The client especially likes that I’m not just going to Google someone. They know it’s going to be a quality service that gets the job done right the first time,” Lang says.
That bench depth eliminates all the usual guesswork and hassle. “I’m going to handle the job from start to finish, which includes scheduling, meeting the vendor at the home, making sure the work is done correctly and paying the bill,” Lang says, noting that her client profiles include credit cards for direct billing. “They know that the vendors I have don’t upcharge based on ZIP code, so they’ll get a fair price.”
Amy Blevins of Dallas-based Modern Home Concierge offers property management, home organization and moving support for primary and second residences.(Courtesy Modern Home Concierge)
Amy Blevins, the woman behind Dallas-based Modern Home Concierge, has become an expert in home organization, moving support and vacation home management in popular locales for North Texas families, such as Cedar Creek Lake. For both primary residences and second homes, Blevins offers customizable, tiered services — from occasional house checks to full-service management on a retainer basis.
Blevins’ onboarding process allows her to determine the level of support and frequency required. “For some people, it might just be asking me to meet the plumber or electrician, just the maintenance side of things,” Blevins says, noting that many clients need someone on the ground near their second home. “Other people may say, ‘I want to feel like I’m arriving at a hotel every time, almost like I’m a guest in my own home. I want the refrigerator stocked, I want the home aired out before we arrive. I want the chocolate-on-the-pillow kind of experience.’” That full-service approach can include facilitating general maintenance, overseeing housekeeping and lawn care, as well as special touches just prior to each arrival: floral bouquets, booked tee times and freshly laundered life jackets, for example.
Home concierges like Blevins can serve as an on-site resource for Dallas families’ vacation homes.(Dimensions)Related:Sophisticated waterfront home near Dallas elevates lake life
For second home services, Blevins’ house checks start at $75; comprehensive services start at $1,000 a month. The pricing depends on the home size, age of the home, property amenities (outbuildings, boats, water toys, etc.) and the frequency of visits. “Every job is different, because the size of the need is different,” Blevins says. “The main thing is, how much does the client want to delegate and how time-sensitive is the work?”
With primary residences, Blevins can help with simple tasks, such as watering plants and collecting the mail, all the way up to large-scale projects such as closet and whole home organization, downsizing and even remodeling. Modern Home Concierge’s moving and organization assistance starts at $240 for half-day services and $500 for a full day.
Blevins says she’s often called upon to help with what she calls a “season-of-life change” — people moving in together, moving out following divorce or death, kids growing up and leaving home. She can help pack and prepare on the front end of a move or help unpack and organize, and her objective viewpoint is useful in what is often an emotional situation.
For most concierges and their clients, the goal is the same: For people to be able to enjoy their free time, their family and their homes. Says Blevins, “I want people to love where they live.”
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