Senior Spotlight: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Senior Move Managers
Just because you can do it all alone, doesn't mean you should have to.
Moving is stressful. Moving out of a lifelong home one has lived in for decades is even more stressful, especially coupled with the physical and emotional toll of sorting countless, priceless possessions. This is just one of the reasons why the Senior Move Management® industry has become increasingly popular as adults aged 50+ downsize, upsize, rightsize, relocate and/or enter senior housing.
As a Senior Real Estate Specialist®, I do not perform the services of a Senior Move Manager nor hold their accreditation – but have closely worked alongside them and seen their immeasurable benefits support my clients in all types of life transitions, both chosen and out of necessity. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this service, I highly encourage you to read the FAQs on the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers® here.
If you have heard of a Senior Move Manager®, I want to empower you with the knowledge of 7 things you may not know they can do! Here goes:
Did You Know A Senior Move Manager Can:
1) Help older adults who are upsizing & rightsizing – not just downsizing? While a commonly requested service is helping a loved one select possessions and bring home into an assisted living setting, there are many, many times when retirees want to move up into a dream home or just minimize stuff to minimize stress.
2) Equip loved ones to more effectively age in place. You don’t have to move to benefit from the expertise of a Senior Move Manager. They can make an existing space meet current and changing needs, create a floor plan that suits you now, explore home care maintenance concerns, reduce home safety hazards and more. Learn about NASMM@HOME here.
3) Utilize technology platforms to settle estates and complete home inventories. When transparency, integrity and objectivity are needed – Senior Move Managers® fill the role with ease. Many of our NASMM® contacts now use a shareable, online system to support families going through the estate division process.
4) Manage the moving timeline and serve as a liaison between multiple parties. When to pack, when to drop off donations, when to call the movers, when to turn off utilities at the old home, when to start bringing items to the new one… these are just a few of the items that Senor Move Managers can not only include on your moving checklist but adjust along the way.
5) Enable your loved ones to settle in quickly. We have seen NASMM® members make a one room assisted living unit look and feel as much like one’s former home as possible. Incorporating favorite furniture items, repurposing cherished heirlooms and putting one’s favorite books and framed photos on the nightstand are just a few of the helpful and hopeful touches they add!
6) Work within your budget. We would all LOVE someone to handle every aspect of every move, but most of us find cost to be a limiting factor. Most Senior Move Managers® offer customized service packages, some with as low as a 4-hour minimum. This means you can pick and choose where you need the most help and use your dollars there.
7) Offer genuine understanding. It’s not that you can’t move without support, it’s that you shouldn’t have to. Senior Move Managers® ‘get’ not only the physical tasks of moving, but also a genuine compassion for what it’s like to leave a lifelong home, to accept a path you didn’t pave or to grieve what feels like the loss of independence. Their life’s work is helping people through transitions, so what is new to you is a familiar friend to them.
If you need an introduction to an amazing Senior Move Manager®, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can also search the directory of NASMM® members here.
Bobbi Decker
DRE#00607999
Broker Associate
650.346.5352 cell
650.577.3127 efax
www.bobbidecker.com
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Bobbi Decker & Associates fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. For more information, please visit: http://portal.hud.gov/
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