New Profession Helps Seniors Move

Moving from a home that you have lived in for decades can be a daunting task, especially when you have to sort through a lifetime’s worth of stuff—not all of which will fit into your new home. Senior move managers specialize in making such moves easier for the elderly.

Downsizing is one of the often overlooked aspects of retirement planning. Retirement frequently includes moving, usually into smaller living quarters. While many people do plan for this, perhaps even wistfully dreaming of the smaller home with less maintenance, they frequently overlook the fact that this new, smaller home may not have room for all of the possessions they accumulated over a lifetime. When the time comes to move, many find it almost impossible to decide what to take with them to their new home and what to get rid of. Some people are so hesitant to part with anything that they rent or purchase unnecessary storage spaces to hold everything that won’t fit in their new home.

The New York Times in “Helping the Elderly Downsize” wrote about a relatively new and growing profession that helps seniors plan ahead and make better decisions. These new professionals are called Senior Move Managers. These are people who specialize in helping senior citizens get rid of possessions they no longer need and cannot take with them. They work with other family members and charities to figure out what needs to be kept and what can be donated.

Getting the help of a senior move manager will be intriguing and useful for many people, but if you do, make sure that nothing of value gets discarded when it should pass to your heirs in an estate plan.

Be sure to see a qualified estate planning attorney to help you plan for who gets what and how.

Reference: New York Times (July 22, 2016) “Helping the Elderly Downsize”

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