So Many Details, So Little Time!

Although still fairly active and in good health, the time had come for Meg and Dave, aged 91 and 93 respectively, to downsize and sell their home. They scouted out and choose a ground floor apartment and contacted a realtor to put their home on the market. Having already moved several times over the years, the pair was not especially stressed, thinking they’d have several weeks to get organized.

Surprise! Within days of their house going on the market, the realtor informed the couple she had a received an offer well above the asking price. However, there was a catch. The sellers wanted to move in asap and wanted settlement to be scheduled within a month.

Though they felt the timing was rushed, Meg and Dave agreed the offer was too good to turn down. The couple didn’t have any family nearby and knew they needed help — so many details and so little time! The couple had always enjoyed reading Outlook By The Bay and had seen a number of articles about senior move managers and decided to start there.

Following a recommendation from a friend, Meg and Dave called a local senior move management company exactly 28 days before settlement on their house. The couple met with the senior move manager and together, they formulated a plan and timeline. Meg and Dave hired the company to help them sort through and identify which items should move with them. Then, the company would pack those items up, oversee the actual day-of-move, and then unpack and set up at the new apartment. After the move, the company would hold an estate sale to finish emptying the house.

Let the sorting began! Caring and kind staff helped Meg and Dave bring things out of cabinets and closets that hadn’t been opened in years. Oh, the memories! Part of the senior move manager’s job was to keep the momentum going and not let the couple get distracted or bogged down. Sorting and packing done by the morning of the scheduled move day, Meg and Dave went to stay at a friend’s house while the senior move manager oversaw the actual move to their new apartment.

The loading, unloading and setup took most of the day. Around dinner time, the senior move manager called Meg and Dave, telling them to “come home.” When couple arrived at their new apartment, the look on their faces was priceless. All their furniture was in place with everything put away, treasured items were on display, the beds were made and not a box or piece of packing material was in sight.

While Meg and Dave relaxed in their new apartment, the senior move company worked back at the house setting up the estate sale. Just a week after Meg and Dave’s move, the sale was held and afterwards, any remaining items were taken to donation sites. Arranged for by the senior move manager, the now completely empty house was professionally cleaned and ready for the new owners to move in the day of settlement. With so many details and so little time, Meg and Dave knew their decision to hire a senior move manager had been the right one and wondered how they could have done it without her.

AUTHOR: The owner of Chesapeake Transitions, Marilyn Leek is a Certified Senior Move Manager® who has been providing support and guidance for Maryland seniors and their families for over a decade.