Are you in the process of helping your senior parents to downsize? Feeling overwhelmed and stressed out? I know the feeling. I’ve been there. When I was in my 30’s, I helped my parents move from a 5 bedroom home to a fully furnished mobile home. They moved from Washington to Arizona.
We had to move quickly in order to get the house on the market. I wish we had a checklist like this to help us through the process.
These are general guidelines I created to help you and your loved ones to have an easier transition. I talked to several realtors and they all agree that 2 months ahead of the move is the best time to reach out to them. If you already have a senior living, assisted living or memory care facility picked out and made your deposit, then now is the time to find yourself a realtor. On average, homes sell within 1-3 months once listed. Before listing, your realtor will want the home decluttered as much as possible. That’s where this chart comes in handy. By following these guidelines, you will have your home on the market in no time and will be ready to go when it’s time to move.
To avoid confusion, I will briefly explain the chart below.
8 Weeks Out
If you plan to sell your home, you will want to meet with a realtor as soon as possible. The average home sells within 30-60 days of listing. Realtors generally, want homes decluttered as much as possible before listing it for sale. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you may want to consider hiring a professional organizer or senior move manager in your city. You can find a local organizer http://napo.net or a senior move manager at http://www.nasmm.org.
6 Weeks Out
Now its time to start purging. Start by sorting everything into categories: keep, sell, give away, donate, recycle and trash. Make lists of everything that is being given to family members or friends. Set a deadline for items to be picked up or dropped off. If you have things of value that you don’t want to donate, look into hiring a estate sale company to sell them for you. They will be able to tell you what items are worth. Don’t be surprised if they quote you at lower prices than you were expecting. We often think things are worth more than they really are.
4 Weeks Out
When you start packing, pack one room at a time. If there are multiple people helping, you can assign each person a room to pack. It is best to start in a room with no sentimental attachment like the bathroom or linen closet. Pack all non essential items first. These are items that will not be needed for several months. Set anything with sentimental attachment aside to deal with later.
Now is also a good time to contact utility companies to give them a 30 day shut off notice. If you have an address of the new location, you can start change of address with doctors, banks, insurance companies, etc.
2 Weeks Out
This is the time to change your address with the post office and transfer your mail to the new address. It is also the time to arrange for large items like furniture and appliances that you are not keeping to be picked up. Schedule a time to have family and friends pick up items they claimed and take all donations to Goodwill or charity of choice. If you plan to sell anything, start posting items for sale online or have an estate sale. Be sure to create a household binder for keeping important documents and paperwork like medical records,insurance papers, important phone numbers etc. For more information about creating a household binder watch my YouTube video here
1 Week Out
The week before the move you will want to confirm with the moving company, schedule house cleaning services, cancel garbage and schedule utilites to be disconnected. You should also create a first day box. A firstday box should include any essentials you will need the first day you move into your new place. Things to include in your first day box should be phone charger, toilet paper, medicine, bedding, toiletries and anything else you may need access to right away.
Moving Day
On moving day, pack your car with your first day box, household binder, personal items, breakables and anything that you need access to right away. Be sure to dothis before the movers arrive. Be there to greet the movers and give them instructions before you head to your new dwelling. Be at the new place when the movers arrive.
