Why Use A Senior Move Manager and Not Just a Moving Company?

This is probably the number one question senior move managers are asked. Senior Move Management is still a relatively new industry and everyone in the field is working hard to educate seniors and their adult children on available services, as well as educating the new generation of Baby Boomers getting ready to downsize and move.

A good mover will offer to come in and pack up everything and move it. They will place your furniture in your new home per your instructions and leave the boxes for you to unpack and put away. Then their job is done.

A good Senior Move Manager (SMM) will do so much more. They will meet with you and help you decide if it is reasonable to move everything you have, taking into consideration how much space you will have versus how much “stuff” you have. They will get a floor plan of your new home and work with you to arrange the furniture prior to anything being moved (thereby saving you money by not moving furniture that won’t fit). If you want to send your good china to your children or relatives out of state, the SMM will make that happen.

If you are moving into a community that will fix your meals, a SMM will pack up and sell or donate your kitchen items, dining room items, etc, that you may no longer need. The same applies for every room in your house – you won’t need to worry about disposition of these “overflow” items. Most SMM’s work with auction houses, estate sale companies, Ebay traders, charities, etc, and they will be sure your “leftover” items either get sold or re-cycled. A SMM will monitor all the sales to be sure you don’t have to.

Sometimes when moving, it is overwhelming to be sure all the utilities are changed properly and on the right dates, so just ask the SMM to take care of that for you. Same goes for magazine subscriptions, newspapers, etc.
The SMM will arrange for the physical move with a trusted, insured mover. They know from experience which movers work well with seniors and take extra care with your belongings. Once the move is complete, the SMM is there to unpack each and every box and set up your new home to meet your needs. Boxes and all packing will be removed, and you are left to sleep in your freshly made-up bed that evening. All your necessities and medications are at your fingertips and not stuck away in some box that you cannot locate.

Senior move managers love to work with seniors and their families. They are organizational gurus and will leave your new home organized, tidy, and truly feeling like home. They will even hang pictures if you wish or arrange with the community maintenance folks to do so.

Not sure you are ready to move yet? No problem. You can get a jumpstart on the downsizing process by working with a SMM to move out items you no longer need or want by sending off family heirlooms to out of town relatives, or perhaps by sorting through outdated clothing with you to donate. Then you will be more prepared when you decide it is time to move. Or, perhaps you need to get your house prepared to sell (like putting in new carpet) and cannot pack up boxes and move them around, call a SMM for assistance.

Most experienced SMM’s are members of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), which means they are experienced in their trade, well trained, and have references to share with you. Don’t be afraid to ask!

While not even an experienced SMM can move a 3 bedroom house full of treasures into a one bedroom, they will work with you to preserve your treasured memories and assure you still have a comfortable home surrounded with familiar belongings. Moving does not have to be overwhelming or stressful if you have the help of experienced Senior Move Managers.

This article appeared in The Senior Focus, Jefferson County edition, October 2010.
Jeanine Plumhoff and Betty White are relocation, decluttering, and downsizing experts, and the owners of Smooth Transitions Denver LLC. If you have questions, want a quote, need a little help or an entire move, call them at 303-674-0250 or email at betty@movingforseniors.com.