Senior Moving Tips
Moving house and getting ready for a new chapter is never easy but our senior moving tips should have you prepare for the upcoming change and go through it with ease.
Prepare for the emotions
Some people are completely positive about moving and see it as a fresh start, while others may have more trouble coping with change so they find preparing for a new life extremely challenging. So if you feel anxious about leaving your house that holds so many memories of children growing up and years of family events, then you must know that this is completely normal. No matter how excited you are about a new beginning, it’s expected to feel a bit sad about leaving your home. The most important thing here is to embrace the feeling and be aware that this is your expected step on a journey to settling into your new house.
However, pay attention if you notice these feelings growing into something bigger, such as Relocation Stress Syndrome, which some people experience after a move. In case you experience extreme anxiety, sadness, depression, despair, confusion, trouble with sleep, withdrawal, etc. make sure you seek professional help and keep in mind there’s nothing to be ashamed of – lots of people experience a different set of emotions when moving from one environment to another.
Find senior discount options
We all want to save when moving so we’ll get really creative when it comes to cutting costs. Sometimes, people will sell most of their belongings in a yard sale, other times they’ll pack smart in order to pay less for moving services, students will use their benefits as well, and you as a senior citizen will be able to get some discounts. In order to benefit from the fact that you’re an elderly citizen, do some research and see which moving companies offer this type of discount. This shouldn’t be too hard since there are numerous movers respecting the seniors and working towards improving their moving experience. The best thing to do here is to check out movers that are members of the National Association of Senior Move Managers. Once you get all the options available, go ahead and request at least three quotes from selected movers.
The reason why you want to get several estimates is that you’ll be able to compare, find average costs, and see what works best for your specific situation. Keep in mind that quotes are always free of charge, so you can request as many as you want. Also, all trustworthy movers will be more than happy to go through the quote with you and answer any questions you may have, so do take advantage of that.
Plan your move
In order to have a successful relocation, you should prepare in advance and take care of the most important things first. To start with, you should find a new home that suits you and choose which way you want to move – whether it’s full-service movers, moving labor services, or DIY move. Although there are a lot of step-by-step DIY moving guides you can use to plan your relocation, we strongly advise against it. The DIY option is the least recommended one since there will be a lot of heavy lifting and loading involved so it’s better if you hire some help to handle these tasks. Your smaller tasks will include gathering packing supplies such as moving boxes and bubble wrap, and you should be fine with handling these yourself.
Again, you can always go for a full-service moving Brooklyn company and they will pack, load, transport, and unload all of your belongings safely at your new home. Make sure you plan way ahead so you could figure out what you can do in person and what will require professional assistance.
Take care of your health
This is an important thing for everyone but it’s especially important if you’re a senior citizen – health always comes first. Before moving, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor who will guide you through the best practice considering the situation. You’ll have to transfer your medical records, consider your medical plan and insurance, and make any changes needed.
Important contacts
When planning to relocate, make sure you have a phone list with important contacts handy. It should include the number of your doctor, your landlord or real estate agent, your mover, your family members, and close friends, etc.
Downsize
The next tip has to do with the practice that’s very popular with senior moves – downsizing. If you’re currently living in your home that served wonderfully for multiple family members, now you may find the space too big and unnecessary, since kids grew up and moved out to live on their own. The maintenance and bills usually get too high for such a big space which is not even used. So this is where downsizing comes into play.
Moving into a smaller home means you can actually use all of the space and pay the utility bill that makes sense. You can get rid of items you no longer need and only keep what you truly like. If you wonder how to declutter your home before moving, there are a couple of ways to do that. For example, you can organize a successful garage sale before moving or donate your things to charity or your friends. Furthermore, selling a bigger home and moving into a smaller one will leave you with some extra cash, which you can use to renovate your new home, you can use it to travel, you can also add that amount to your savings, etc. However, if you decide to downsize but you’re not ready to say goodbye to some of the bulky household items, the next tip may help.
Rent a storage unit
In case some of the chunky pieces are too important to leave behind but have no purpose in your new smaller home, contact reliable NYC movers with storage, rent, and enjoy the benefits of climate-controlled storage units. Storage will keep your items safe, whether you want to store family heirlooms, children’s things, some beautiful furniture pieces, etc.
Pay a visit to your new home
If possible, go ahead and visit your new home, get familiar with its surroundings, and see how you feel about it. Seeing your new home in person will tell you exactly what you need to know, and that’s whether this space can eventually feel like a true home.