White House flip: How crews move one first family in, one out

WASHINGTON — For anyone who has had to relocate for a job, it's no easy task, but it's nothing like the job at hand for the crews who have only hours to get one family out of the White House while moving a second family in.

As the pomp and circumstance of the inauguration of Donald Trump begins, the real work will start as staff at the White House have to move all of the possessions of Barack Obama and his family out and move Donald Trump and his family in all in the span of about five hours, CBS News reported.

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"They literally move all your stuff out in one day. You are living there and suddenly, it's not all out on the South Lawn, they pack it up," President Barack Obama said.

"There is about five hours of organized chaos at the White House," Kate Anderson Brower described in her book, "The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House."

According to the book's synopsis, the staff is responsible for "132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators and eight staircases."

The Trumps will be able to redecorate the private areas, the Oval Office and much of the public areas will remain the same.

Luckily for the moving crews, the Obamas will remain in D.C. while Sasha finishes high school. The transition team announced in November that Melania Trump and the couple's 10-year-old son Barron will remain in New York to so he can finish his school year, CNN reported.

The Washington Post reports:

• Shortly before the outgoing president leaves for the final time, the staff gives him a gift. An hour later, a coffee with the both the new and old first families.
• At 10:30 a.m. it is time to leave one last time as President, and one last time for a civilian taking over.
• As soon as they leave, that's when the hard work gets started, packing up the remaining possessions of the outgoing first family, and swapping out the furniture, decor and other items. Repairs and cleaning are also done while the families are going through the official swearing in ceremony and events after.
• But the Trumps won't have to put their clothes away or even get out their toothbrushes, the staff will do that for them. Crews will also stock the food that the first family will want to have in their private kitchen.
• But not all of the work that has to be done is redecorating, there are some official jobs that have to be done.
• Representatives from the National Archives will do a sweep of the White House to collect documents, hardrives and gifts left from the Obamas.
• By 2:30 p.m. the rush to get everything done is in it's final hour.  The house has to be ready by 3:30 p.m. for the Trumps as they make the people's house their home.
• He will be greeted this year by Chief Usher Angella Reid as she says, "Welcome to your new home, Mr. President."

Cox Media Group