Moving Tips for Seniors

You’re Unable to Keep Up With Housework

When you reach a certain age, it can become increasingly challenging to keep up with the housework. If you find yourself unable to keep up with the cleaning, yard work, and other maintenance tasks, moving to a smaller home can reduce the amount of housework you need to do and free up more of your time. Though it can feel like a sacrifice at first, downsizing your home can help you live more comfortably in the long run.

You Have Unused Space or Too Much Storage

A tell-tale sign that your space is too big for your current needs is that you have unused rooms or if more than one room has taken the role of storage space. Apart from being wasteful, sprawling homes with poorly defined multi-use spaces are magnets for clutter. In these situations, downsizing your home can help you make better use of your space, allowing you to declutter and simplify your life.

Your Home’s Value Has Appreciated

A higher property value can inform your decision to downsize, especially if you have some equity to show for it. If your home’s value has appreciated, you’ll be able to get more money back from selling and, therefore, more money to put into a downpayment, savings, or investments. One of the most practical moving tips for seniors is to consider how downsizing can not only reduce maintenance and energy costs but also help you scale back your overall cost of living, making your retirement years more financially comfortable.

Your Housing Expenses Have Grown Too High

As mentioned, larger homes cost more to maintain. If the combined costs of your mortgage, utilities, repairs, and other home-related expenses have become unmanageable on your current income, downsizing your living space can offer you more financial freedom to enjoy your retirement.

Your Family Doesn’t Live Near

An unfortunate fact of life is that old age can sometimes bring a certain degree of dependence. If you find yourself regularly needing more help around the house but with no nearby family, it can make your living situation a lot less convenient.

You Have Health Concerns

For seniors with health concerns, housework, and regular upkeep can be all the more difficult. Additionally, more serious conditions can tie up more of your money and resources. In these cases, it can be a smart choice for moving seniors to downsize their homes, freeing up more money and time to tend to their health.

Size of New Home

It’s important to take thorough measurements of both your current home and the home you plan to move into. This can give you a better idea of whether or not your current furniture and possessions will fit in the new space, as well as where you might need to cut back.

Eliminate Before Packing

Now is a great time to go through your belongings and eliminate items you no longer need or use. This will reduce the number of items that need to be packed and simplify your move.

Give Away or Sell

If you have too many items to move to your new home, you may need to consider a storage unit. Research local storage facilities and compare prices and services. Make sure to get a unit that is large enough to accommodate all of your items and, if necessary, climate-controlled for items that can be affected by extreme temperatures or moisture.

White Glove Moving & Storage is your trusted partner for both full-service moving and storage services. Our storage solutions make your transition smooth and easy!

Necessities

Prioritize the items that are necessary to bring to the new home. This can include furniture, appliances, and other items that are needed for day-to-day living. Be brutally honest with yourself and ensure that all of it is actually useful to you and not just clutter.

Collecting vs. Hoarding

For some seniors, it can be difficult to part with items that have sentimental value. It is important to differentiate between collecting and hoarding. The key difference is that collecting is done for enjoyment, whereas hoarding is done out of fear or anxiety. Consider talking to a doctor or mental health professional if you are concerned about or are a senior who is exhibiting hoarding behavior.

Far from just an inconvenience, hoarding can be dangerous, as it can create an unsafe living environment. Tripping hazards, fire hazards, and a lack of access to necessary items like the phone or the front door can make a home unlivable, especially as a person ages.

If you are helping a senior who is hoarding, it is important to be patient and understanding. Do your best to create a safe environment and to help your loved one create a plan to declutter their home. This may include throwing out items, donating them to charity, or finding other ways to part with unneeded items.

Handling Healthcare Needs

Before helping seniors move into your home, it’s crucial to consider the healthcare needs of that individual. Do they need regular doctor visits, medication, or physical therapy? Are there any chronic conditions that they need help monitoring? Do they need help with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and eating? If so, it’s important to understand the extent of their healthcare needs and decide whether you can ensure they are properly taken care of.

Space for One More Resident

Accommodating an aging loved one will require space, so factor in your home’s size before suggesting they move in. If you don’t have the space to accommodate your loved one or their possessions, bringing them into your home might not be feasible.

Cost of Housing Another

Having another resident in your home can increase your expenses through food, utilities, and medical costs. Go over your budget thoroughly to ensure that you can handle the added expenses, both for your own sake and that of your loved one.

Time Spent as a Caregiver

Some seniors become less independent as they age, so it’s important to consider how much time you can devote to caring for them. Are you able to provide the necessary care that your loved one requires on a daily basis? If not, you may need to hire outside help or enlist the help of other family members or friends.

Other Family Members

If other family members already live in your home, it’s important to consider how the move will affect them. Will the presence of your aging loved one create more stress on your family? Will it be difficult for everyone to adjust to the new living situation? Before making a decision, it’s crucial to have a family discussion to ensure everyone is on board with the move.

Social Opportunities for Seniors

It’s also important to consider how your aging loved one will interact with other people. Will they have access to social activities and opportunities? Will they be able to maintain their current friendships and form new ones? It’s essential to ensure that your loved one has the chance to stay connected with their peers.

Mobility-Friendly Home Modifications

If your loved one is living with mobility issues, it’s important to ensure your home is equipped to accommodate them. This may necessitate modifications like ramps and railings, widening doorways, and installing grab bars in the bathroom.

Hire Movers Who Provide Packing Services

Hiring movers to help with packing can greatly reduce stress and make the moving process easier for seniors. Professional movers for seniors are trained to pack quickly and efficiently. They often have access to specialized packing materials and supplies, and they’re also a valuable source of guidance for packing and moving valuable items.

Recruit Friends and Family to Help Pack and/or Downsize

Friends and family can provide moving assistance for seniors by helping with packing and downsizing. Whether you or a loved one are moving, ask friends and family to help sort items. Especially when the person moving has a lot of items to sort through, the old saying that “many hands make light work” is never truer than when someone is downsizing and moving to a new home.

Make a Checklist for Your Move

Creating a checklist of items to pack and tasks to complete before the move helps to ensure that nothing gets forgotten. The moving checklist should include items such as:

• Arrange for a moving company or rent a truck
• Gather packing supplies
• Pack items from each room
• Arrange for utilities to be transferred
• Notify the post office of your new address
• Cancel any newspaper subscriptions
• Arrange for pet transport (if applicable)
• Dispose of any hazardous items

Know the Layout of Your Next Home

Before packing up your current home, familiarize yourself with the layout of your next home. This will help you decide which items should be packed together and determine their ultimate destination in the new home. If possible, take a tour of the new home and plan where you would like items to be placed.

Pack Up Each Room Starting With Large Items First

Starting with larger items helps create more space in your home for packing smaller items. As the larger items are packed and moved out of the way, not only does this provide a mental advantage of making the job ahead of you look smaller, but it also opens up the space necessary to organize and sort through the myriad of smaller items that find their way into every nook and cranny of your home.

Keep Essential Daily Items Somewhere With Easy Access

Place essential daily items such as medications, toiletries, and clothing in an easy-to-access bag or box that you can keep within reach throughout the move. Since these are necessary for daily use, these should be easy to transport (ensuring that they make it to the new home) but should be packed and moved last of everything (making certain that they are available until the last minute and the first thing unpacked when you settle into your new home).

Shop Around for Prices on Movers

There are various moving companies that offer different services and pricing, so seniors and their caregivers should carefully assess both pricing and services in order to identify the moving company that best fits their needs. Some moving services are better suited than others to provide moving assistance for seniors, so ensure that the company you choose can accommodate senior moving and has the expertise necessary to excel at it. At White Glove Moving, we specialize in senior moving services, ensuring a seamless and compassionate relocation experience.