If you’re a senior who’s getting ready to move, the process can feel incredibly stressful. That’s especially true if you have mobility issues, chronic pain, or you’ve accumulated an excessive amount of stuff over the decades you’ve spent in your current location. And although some degree of stress is inevitable, that doesn’t mean it has to put a damper on your excitement over settling down and enjoying your retirement in a new place.
When you know how to plan your relocation and you bring in a few helpful resources, your upcoming move can be far simpler and easier than you might imagine. Read on for some of our best senior moving tips for a low-stress relocation.
Figure Out How Much Space You Have in Your New Place
Are you moving to a home that’s smaller than the one you presently live in? If so, it’s in your best interest to get familiar with just how much space you’ll have in your new house. Chances are you won’t be able to fit all of your furniture and the other items you own into the smaller space, which means you’ll need to downsize.
As soon as you know where you’ll be moving, here’s what you’ll need to figure out:
● The square footage of each room
● What the new floor plan looks like
● Any accessibility modifications you’ll need to make
● Whether you have room for storage, either in the house or somewhere on the property
The earlier you nail down the above details, the sooner you can start planning what to take with you and what to leave behind. Since downsizing and packing will comprise the largest chunk of your relocation process in terms of time, the earlier you can get started, the less stressful and overwhelming the whole endeavor will feel.
Determine Whether You’ll Need Help
Can you downsize, pack, load, transport, and unpack everything by yourself? If you live with chronic pain, mobility issues, or you just have a ton of stuff, chances are you’ll need help. But how much help will you need?
If you have agile, strong relatives nearby, it never hurts to ask for help with sorting your belongings and downsizing. But if you don’t know anyone who can help out, hiring professional movers is your best bet.
Determine Which Moving Services You Need
When you hire a moving company, you’ll have a wide variety of services to choose from. You can opt for a bare-bones basic move or go all in and hire the pros to handle every aspect of your relocation. As soon as you know you’ll be bringing on professional help, start thinking about which of the following moving services you’ll need:
● Full packing services. If you opt for this, professional movers and packers will pack your entire house, load your belonging onto the truck, transport everything, and unpack all of your things when you reach your new home.
● Custom crating. If you have large or awkwardly shaped items that you want extra protection for, you may need custom crating services. Your moving company will hand-build crates to custom dimensions so they’re designed to fit your items perfectly.
● Custom move plan. Don’t want to deal with the hassle of planning your own move? Leave the entire thing to the pros! When you opt for a custom move plan, your moving company will create a plan unique to your needs. Whether you need storage solutions, specialty services, decluttering, or flexible packing solutions, your movers will help you nail down every detail.
● Appliance moving. If you’re planning to take large appliances to your new home, appliance movers are non-negotiable. Moving these heavy, bulky items can present a major safety risk, so it’s always best to leave this job to the pros.
● Furniture moving. Like appliances, furniture can be hazardous to move. If you’re transporting heavy couches, dining room pieces, outdoor furniture, or any other large household items, working with professional furniture movers is in your best interest.
● Storage solutions. Do you have several belongings you won’t be bringing with you? If you’re not ready to sell, donate, pass down, or toss those things, renting a climate-controlled storage unit is likely your best option. Check out these 6 reasons to opt for climate-controlled storage over a standard unit.
Plan Your Moving Timeline
Creating a timeline for your relocation will help you stay on track as you downsize your current home and prepare to move. Generally, you’ll want to start your timeline at least three months in advance of your move date, but if you can start it earlier, that’s even better.
If you’re not sure how to create a comprehensive timeline for your move, a professional moving company (like our team at Ace!) can help you out with a custom move plan.
Create Your Moving Budget
Like a moving timeline, a relocation budget can help you stay on track during your move. But rather than organizing all the tasks you need to accomplish before move day, your budget is designed to prevent your move from becoming more expensive than you’d like it to be.
If you’re hiring a professional moving company, start creating your budget around those services first. Since hiring movers and packers will likely comprise the largest portion of your relocation-related expenses, figure out how much your comfortable spending on professional services and go from there. Check out our top tips for creating a move budget that works for your needs.
Start Downsizing as Early as Possible
Last but certainly not least, begin the process of downsizing as early as you possibly can. As soon as you know you’ll need to leave things behind, start sorting through your stuff to determine what you can’t live without and what you don’t mind getting rid of. Check out these helpful tips for consolidating your belongings before you move.
Looking for Senior Moving Services in the Twin Cities?
Whether you’re a senior planning your own relocation or you’re helping an aging relative move, our team at Ace Moving & Warehousing is here to serve you. We specialize in a wide variety of senior moving solutions, including full packing services, climate-controlled storage units, custom move plans, and more. Since 1958, we’ve helped seniors throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro with all of their moving needs, and when you need us, we’re here for you too.
To learn more about our senior moving solutions and how we can help make your relocation easier, give us a call today at 763-755-2045 or contact us online. If you’re ready to get started, feel free to request a quick moving quote here.