One of Us: Tim Blin

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Tim Blin is the owner of Tailored Living featuring PremierGarage and is also a real estate agent with RE/MAX Specialists. Since 2005, Tailored Living has helped more than 5,000 homeowners in Northeast Florida organize their homes with custom closets, pantries, laundry rooms and garages. He and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of two boys.

How do your services differ from other, similar companies?

I would attribute our success to listening to what our customers need and delivering a solution. Every client has unique needs, and it is my job to make sure we develop a personalized organizational strategy for the home to address your specific needs to fit your lifestyle. We use innovative technology to provide a detailed 3D design showing precisely how your garage and closet will look when finished.

We also can take care of every detail of your garage or closet makeover. We offer a full-service experience. We can take care of everything from emptying the space, painting, providing on-site storage, donating unwanted items and putting your belongings back in the space organized!

How did you happen to get into the storage/garage business?

I have always wanted to own my own business. My father started his own business and I would say being an entrepreneur is in my blood. While visiting my sister in Scottsdale, Arizona, we were going through some model homes and I noticed that garages were all decked out with beautiful cabinets and convenient organizers which included a decorative floor coating that looked like granite. When I returned to Ponte Vedra, I looked at my own garage, which was a disaster. I then started to notice that other people’s garages looked about the same and that there was a need that was not being met.

I’m originally from Iowa, where most homes have basements and attic storage was not a big issue. But here in Florida we do not have that luxury. Space is at a premium and having a plan is a necessity or chaos will result.

What is the biggest storage need you’re finding that local residents have?

Definitely the garage. The garage is usually our “front door” to our homes. Whether you are moving into a new home or you have lived in your home for years, this is a room that starts with nothing in it. What I typically see is clients will try to repurpose old kitchen cabinets, use flimsy wire shelving or buy some plastic shelves. The effort is good, but the result is usually a miss and doesn’t solve the storage issue. You need to have a plan and a system that is customized for your unique situation. Through our expertise, our clients are amazed at how easy and fun the project can be. It is so exciting and refreshing to be able to pull into your garage and have your belongings neatly stored behind cabinet doors and hung on organizers for ease of use.

What’s the most dramatic transformation you’ve seen in terms of solving a storage dilemma?

One of my most memorable situations started out as most of our inquiries do – a call to the office asking to make an appointment to help get them organized. After arriving to the home and the garage door went up, I knew this one was going to be different. The garage was filled to capacity all the way to the door and I couldn’t even enter the space. I had to measure the garage from the outside of the home since there was no other way to do so. The client was extremely embarrassed, but was ready to make a change.

I prepared my 3D design and organizational plan for the customer and she was thrilled. On Monday, my team emptied all of the garage’s contents into a POD and painted the garage. The next day we started our two-day floor coating process. We installed the cabinets and organizers on Thursday, then on Friday my organizational team began emptying the POD and putting the contents back into the garage. Before we were able to put her belongings back, however, they needed to be sorted into three piles: keep, donate or discard. We were able to organize her contents to fit into the cabinets and onto the organizers.

The client had an overwhelming sense of relief and feeling of order in her life that she had not had in a very long time. This is what I find so rewarding in what we do. We can actually change a behavior that can have an effect like this. To this day, this client keeps her garage just as we left it!

You’re also a real estate agent. Do your two businesses complement each other?

Absolutely, I have been in thousands of homes all over Northeast Florida and I am familiar with practically every subdivision in the area. We are extremely proud of the over 5,000 clients we have helped get organized in the past 11 years. I am confident that my commitment and level of service I have dedicated to my clients over the years will be invaluable to a homeowner buying or selling a home.

Do closet/storage/organization systems add to a home’s resale value?

In my opinion, yes. I doubt you are going to hear someone say that a home was too organized or it had too much storage. Just because there are small closets in a home it doesn’t mean this has to be a negative. We can take a small closet and maximize the space with more hanging and shelf space than one can even imagine. Suddenly, a weakness can be turned into a positive. Another reason to consider adding a closet/storage/organization system is that it will differentiate your home from others and make your home stand out.

How do you enjoy spending your free time?

I love traditions, so I would say one of my favorite things to do is to travel with family and friends. I am also getting back into golf after an 11-year hiatus, what with being busy with the family and growing the business.