What is a senior move?
- A “rightsizing move” – possibly at the start of retirement – moving to be closer to family or to a different location that has better weather or has access to what you love to do – golf, boating. This is typically done between 60 and 80 years old.
- A move to senior living – likely planned as the “last move” – moving to a place that has a sense of community and offers amenities like dining and planned activities. Typically, spaces can be studio to 2-bedroom apartments – between 400 and 1200 SF.
The Approach/Mindset:
- Recognize that this is likely a major life transition – possibly moving from a family home for the first time or dramatically decreasing the size of the home. It’s critical if you are assisting with this move for a family member that you be patient, gentle, and compassionate. If you are embarking on this move as a senior, we encourage you to enlist help of family, friends, or professionals.
- Ideally, this is a move that shouldn’t be rushed. It’s best to start to prep for the move 3 to 6 months in advance. You want to balance not rushing but also not having too much time that decisions can be postpone.
- Focus on the end game – we help seniors see the positive aspects of this move – we want them to envision how they will live differently. The size of their personal space will likely be smaller but require less upkeep; and that frees up time to do things they love.
The key to this move is to have the new space in mind as you declutter & organize for the move. Space planning – mentally and physically is essential.
Senior spaces are often much smaller than a family home and should be decorated appropriately for size and use. You don’t want to overcrowd the space. Measure spaces; measure furniture; count cupboards and storage – closets, cupboards, cabinets. Know what you will have to work with. Without this knowledge, you will take more than you need and may still need to downsize upon arrival.
The more you can visualize your space, the better you’ll be at making choices about what to take to the new home.
The Process:
Now it’s time to think about how to tackle the project and the best way to do that is taking one space at a time with a consistent process in every room. Regardless of the size of a project, we use the same 3 step process – we call it Organization 101.
- Start in non-emotional spaces first – start easy and work up to those spaces that require tough decisions about what to keep.
- Next Categorize everything in the room – that means we pull EVERYTHING out; sort like items together; and discard duplicates.
- Everything you have fits into 4 categories: we call is SORT
S: Save – what you keep
O: Offload – what you donate or give away
R: Relocate – move items to the room they are used (to be sorted/categorized with like items late for decision making)
T: Trash – items that you throw away.
Depending on when the move is, you can return the space back to an organized space that will make it easier for a mover to come in and pack it or you can pack away items that aren’t routinely used.
Timing:
The goal is to make forward progress that doesn’t exhaust the senior. Moving is a very physical and emotional process that takes its toll.
– We encourage you to work smartly – 4 hour sessions at a time.
– When we take on a senior move, we plan 1 to 2 sessions a week (4 hours in length) over 2 months. That gives enough time to tackle tough decisions while still keeping momentum.
Recommendations:
Enlist help – hire a professional organizer to coordinate the move or hire a helper for furniture moving. Consider professional movers who routinely move seniors and understand how to move into apartment complexes.
If you are selling the current home, know what the realtor is expecting and when so you can plan accordingly. It this seems overwhelming, now is when to call in a Professional Organizer to assist!
