One of the most important moving tips for seniors is to understand when it’s time to downsize. For financial and logistical reasons, it might make sense to downsize your home as you get older. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that moving seniors might choose a smaller home for their next place.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As you prepare to downsize and pack, here are a few moving tips for seniors you’ll need to consider.
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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.
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.
Think about the items that you can give away or sell to family or friends. This will reduce the number of items that need to be packed and make the move easier. If you have valuable items that you no longer need, consider selling them in a yard sale, online, or at a consignment shop to make some extra money.
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!
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.
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.
When searching for a new home, seniors should consider the location of the home, accessibility for mobility aids, and quality of life improvements.
Accessibility is key for seniors, especially if they don’t drive. Look for a home that is close to family members or public transportation. This will make it easier to reliably get to appointments, visit friends and family, and go shopping for necessary goods.
If you use a wheelchair, walker, or cane, make sure the new home is accessible to your needs. Look for features like wide doorways and hallways, ramps, and other quality-of-life features, like shower handrails, grab bars, stair lifts, and others that will make it easier to move around.
Seniors often need more storage space than younger people. When planning moves for seniors, look for a home with plenty of room for storage. This will make it easier to keep the home clean and organized.
If you are an adult with aging parents or other loved ones, you might be in a position to move them into your home. Moving an aging loved one into your home can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be a challenging one. Before making this decision, there are many important factors to consider.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When it comes to finding senior moving assistance, it’s important to shop around and compare prices to find the best deal.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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).
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.
White Glove Moving is an excellent choice for senior moving. Our experienced staff is trained to handle all the details of your move, from packing to unpacking, so you can focus on your new home and enjoy the next chapter of your life. We provide a wide range of services to make sure your move is as stress-free as possible.
Get in touch with our team today for a reliable senior moving quote. Call us at 1-800-340-1911 for a free quote!
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