Moving senior family members to a new home can be a stressful and overwhelming experience if you are not prepared. Fortunately, you can make the process more manageable by talking to senior move managers in your area and asking them to assist you. A senior move manager will help you throughout the entire moving process. Aside from working with a professional, here are some other things you can try:
Determine What Possessions Are Truly Valuable
Moving is often a sentimental journey because your senior family members have a lot of memories associated with their home. You should take this into consideration when planning. Ask your loved ones to name six of their dearest possessions. For example, it could the blanket that was wrapped around their newborn or something handmade by a loved one. These items will definitely stay and get moved to the new location.
Organize and Declutter the House
Get six boxes per room and closet and label them Pass Along, Up for Grabs, Donate, Toss, Sell and Move. These boxes will be invaluable when you declutter your home and figure out which items to bring on the move. Start with the least-used room in the house and put items in the boxes. Things that are no longer wanted by your senior family members go into the Donate or Toss boxes. Things that anyone can take is Up for Grabs. Stuff that’s okay to sell goes into the Sell box, and items that will be moved at a later date go to the Pass Along box.
Reduce Stress
Saying things like, “You don’t need this thing; it’s junk” is probably not helpful to your loved one. Instead, focus on the upside, like talking about what your loved ones will do with the money they get from selling a few of their things. You can also make things easier by helping your senior family members give away their possessions to loved ones. It will be a great comfort to them to see that their beloved items are being used by family.
Busy Buddies has been moving seniors since 1994. We are a full-service senior move manager and we are licensed, bonded and insured. We specialize in decluttering and downsizing, packing and unpacking, moving and storage, and more. Call us at (703) 828-1833 to learn more about moving or to ask for a free estimate. We serve Arlington and nearby areas in VA.
