![downsizing and moving checklist downsizing and moving checklist](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/09/48/75/094875c7b959686b490966e7d1284653.jpg)
Plenty of priceless artifacts have been ruined in transit. It’s very important to designate a box for essential items, such as medication, bathroom supplies, bedding, or anything that will be needed within hours of unpacking. Now that you’ve decided what stays and what goes, it’s time to pack! Organization is extremely important while you’re packing, so nothing is filed away to the wrong place, or gets broken.īefore boxing anything, identify which room each relocated item will go to. Read our eBook for a detailed look at what retirement communities provide. If the item is unlikely to find a new home even at a Goodwill, there is no shame in throwing it away (or recycling, if possible).ĭownload The Complete Guide to Senior HousingĮvery senior has their own set of wants and needs, so retirement communities offer differing levels of care, services, and amenities. Donating to places like Goodwill will pass the possessions along, and will give you a small tax credit. If you’re having trouble finding a new home for some items, it may be time to let it go. Some items may be beyond repair, or have little resell value. These heirlooms can grow a deeper bond with a loved one, and may bring joy to families for generations. If that upright grand piano can’t be relocated to the new community, consider giving it to a musical friend or family member. Passing along heirlooms is a time-honored tradition, and some friends and family would be overjoyed to have a meaningful item passed along. Think about the condition and resell value of any items that cannot be taken to the new community. A beloved piece of art or furniture may be precious in the senior’s eyes, but unsellable on the market. If you plan to have an estate sale, or sell off items on Craigslist or eBay, keep value in mind. While sorting the possessions, look out for tax documents, deeds, medical records, wills, any diplomas/certifications, identifications (driver’s license, passport, social security cards), prescriptions, and anything else that may be important to keep. You will need to sort your senior’s belongings by importance, what is sellable, what should be given to friends and family, what should be donated, and what should be thrown away. The next phase of reducing stress and moving forward with a downsize is the Organizing/Decluttering Stage.
![downsizing and moving checklist downsizing and moving checklist](https://i.etsystatic.com/27662090/r/il/c50a16/3512133590/il_1588xN.3512133590_5b9u.jpg)
Make the decision early and carefully, and stick to your plan! 2. A moving company has the skills, equipment, and trucks needed to move everything to where you need it. Friends and family may have their hearts in the right place, but may lack the vehicles and equipment to safely move possessions to the new community. Decide Whether to Hire a Moving Company or Ask Friends & FamilyĪ relocation is usually three times as much work as you think.It’s cheap, easy, and you may even get a decent amount of money! Unless you want to pay monthly at a storage facility for something that may never see the light of day again, consider setting up an estate sale. There’s a good chance downsizing will lead to a surplus of sellable furniture.
![downsizing and moving checklist downsizing and moving checklist](https://goodmove.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/GoodMove-Blog-2.png)
This can be a stressful decision, as folks can be extremely sentimental about their possessions, but sometimes, a firm decision needs to be made. Take measurements of anything large that may be accompanying the resident, and decide what simply won’t make the cut. The worst time to figure this out is when it’s stuck in a doorway. The senior in your life may be very attached to that antique dresser, but it may not fit in their new living space. Set a reasonable date, which takes into account all of the factors of the move and stick to it. Nothing motivates like a deadline! Leaving a move date up in the air is a recipe for endless delays and long-term stress. Give yourself months to prepare, if at all possible. Nothing adds stress to a task like all-or-nothing thinking, and a marathon approach may cause burn out. Get ahead of the task as much as you can. As you remember each and every aspect of the downsizing, write it down in a central location. Plan your work, and work your plan! The act of writing your plans itself has been shown to reduce stress. We’ve created this downsizing checklist, to make everyone’s life easier. Organizing the downsize into manageable bits will make the process more stress-free for you, and the senior in your life. The trick to tackling a massive undertaking is to divide the task into several small tasks. Relocating has many crucial steps, and thinking of the event as one huge task can be daunting. Downsizing Checklist for Caregivers and Parentsĭownsizing for the senior in your life (or rightsizing, as we like to call it) can be a huge, overwhelming task.