Few people welcome the stress that comes from moving. Senior citizens, however, often face even greater stress.
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This decade, seniors nationwide will sell up to 11.3 million houses, and that will jump to more than 15 million between 2020 and 2030, according to a 2012 report by the nonprofit Bipartisan Policy Center. According to the National Association of Realtors report in 2012, one in four home sellers was 65 or older.
While much of the move for seniors is not any different than other move, such as ensuring that items are loaded properly to avoid damage, seniors do have special needs.
Here are some tips for helping seniors downsize before a move:
1. Be cognizant of your parents’ emotional ties to their possessions. While something may seem insignificant to you, it could be filled with memories for your parents. While they may know they can’t take the item with them, it may be especially important for them to know what will happen to it, whether it will be handed down to a family member or be donated to a charity.
2. Surround them with familiar furnishings. When you moved, you may have welcomed the idea of getting all new furniture. Most seniors don’t share that same excitement. While their new home may be much smaller, try to replicate it has much as possible by surrounding them with familiar furnishings. Take photos of how they arrange items in cabinets, for example, and arrange them in the same way in their new home.
3. Sort first, then pack. Helping parents move is an organizational challenge. Instead of packing everything up, take the time to go through items with your parents, let them talk about their memories, and then decide together whether the item will move with them, be given away, sold or donated. Be sure to take the items that your parents have been storing for you..jpg)
4. Choose words carefully. Avoid making your parents feel embarrassed about the condition of the house, such as poor housecleaning, or about items they've kept even though they appear to not be functioning or usable. Suggest a place where they could be donated, and take care of it for them.
5. Give plenty of time and space. You may want to get the house packed up in a weekend, but your parents may need more time. Sessions may need to be shorter than you’d like based on both their physical and emotional well-being. Some studies have shown that when seniors have a chance to reminisce, it can help reduce their stress. Listen, ask questions, and realize some days will be more productive than others.
Moving as one of the most stressful events in your life so you want to take care when choosing a moving and storage company to be sure you get the one that best suits your needs. Choosing the right company that can help with what you need will take a lot of the load off your shoulders so here's some things to look for when researching moving and storage companies.
1. Free Estimates - if you are hiring the company to move your household, make sure they will come to your home and give you a free estimate. When they do, be sure you show them everything as large items like pianos and pool tables can have a big effect on the moving bill.
2. Insurance - make sure they have a good insurance policy in case your items get lost or damaged during transit. If you are storing items for any length of time, be sure you find out about the insurance while in storage.
3. Packing - some moving and storage companies will pack the items for you so if you want this service, be sure to find out up front if your company provides it. This, of course, will be at an added cost.
4. Transport - be sure you get the particulars on exactly what the moving company will do. It may seem obvious to you that they will remove it from your old house and bring it to your new house but you want to get specific to make sure you're both on the same page.
5. Placement - find out in detail where your items will be put when you get to the new house. You should have all your boxes marked as to the room you want them in and be sure that the movers instructions are to place them in those rooms as well as the furniture that goes in each particular room.
6. Protecting your furniture - be sure the movers will take every effort to protect your furniture from scratches and dings including using protective coverings while in transit.
7. Storage - there are basically two types of storage, self storage and containerized storage. If you are requiring storage, you need to decide which type you want and then be sure that your moving and storage company provides it.
8. Recommendations - it's always good to go with the company that someone else has used and recommends favorably.
9. Cost - find out if there are any discounts for moving at a certain time. Usually movers will charge the highest prices if you're moving on a Friday or at the end of the month. You may be able to get your move done cheaper if you do not move at these peak times.
10. Staffing - make sure you know how many people will come to your house to help with the move.
11. Storage Access - if you are storing your goods in between moving from your old home to your new home and you want to be able to access them be sure that you make this known to the moving storage company. Some companies store stuff in containers that are stacked and getting to them is not easy. You have to be sure to contract a company that provides access to storage.
12. Shop around - be sure to get quotes from three different moving companies but you might not always want ago with the lowest quote as they may provide low quality service. It's important when doing this, to be sure that you are comparing apples to apples so be sure that you tell each moving representatives exactly the same thing.
13. Visit the company - if you will be storing your items, be sure to visit the storage facility so you can assure yourself of the security and environment that your household items will be held in.
14. Self storage access - if you're using self storage, make sure that you find out what hours you can access your storage unit as not all places allow 24-hour a day access.
15. Itemize - if you are using containerized storage you'll want to make an itemized list of everything that goes in the storage crates and be sure you have a representative from the moving company signed the list.
Choosing the right moving and storage company can make your move a little easier and if you follow these 15 tips, choosing the perfect company will be a breeze.
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