Moving Tips for People 65 and Over

Published: November 17, 2015

Over 12% of Americans are over the age of 65 and many of them will be making the decision to downsize to a smaller home or apartment or make the transition into a retirement facility. Whether you’re moving yourself or your parents, moving can be a stressful and emotional experience at any age.

The first thing you need to do is plan your move. Figure out the square footage of the new place as compared to the old residence and figure out exactly how many rooms you’ll need to furnish in the new space, as compared to the old one.

Take inventory of everything in your home, starting with the attic and working your way down into the basement. Sort everything into different rooms so you know exactly how much stuff you’ll need to find room for. Work with your family to figure out what items you use most often and those which have the most sentimental value and make sure you prioritize those items to ensure they make the move or find a new home.

Create a checklist of everything you need to do before you move. This includes changing your addresses, canceling your utilities, setup mail forwarding at the post office, transferring prescriptions to your new pharmacy, and alerting friends and family of your new address.

Scale down the things you’ll be transferring with you to your new home. Figure out what items you are definitely taking with you and consolidate them in one room of your home prior to your move. Invite friends and family over to give away your other items to loved ones. Organize a garage sale to try and continue to scale down what’s leftover and schedule a pick up with a local thrift store for whatever doesn’t sell.

Unpack strategically based on what’s most important, starting with your bedroom, bathroom, and the kitchen to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Recruit children and grandchildren to help you unpack so the process goes by faster and your new space feels more like a home.

And be sure to hire movers you can trust. UNITS will help make sure your move goes as smoothly and stress-free as possible. Contact us today for a no-obligation quote!