How a move management company can help you downsize with ease
Originally published in the Seattle Times on Sep. 6, 2024 at 7:00 am.
By Annie Midori Atherton
Special to At Home in the Northwest
Downsizing is no small feat. In the Seattle area, it’s very common for older adults to move into homes that are 700 to 900 square feet, says Mindy Garner, a real estate agent and the founder of ElderMove Alliance, a group of businesses aligned in their goal of helping older adults achieve their goals.
Many people are moving out of houses that are anywhere from two to 10 times larger than their new homes. That means a lot of editing. You’re likely only going to be able to fit a fraction of your furniture and possessions into the new space, and it can be very difficult for many people to decide what to bring and what to leave behind.
“There is so much emotional attachment to things,” says Maggie Wong, a real estate agent and principal at ElderMove Alliance.
“This belonged to my great aunt Florence. So, now I have to ask, do my kids want it? No, they don’t want it.
So, you take each little item, and you try to individually give it away to all these people,” Wong says. “Well, multiply that by thousands of things. It’s just overwhelming.”
Luckily, there are numerous services that specialize in helping people of all ages with every part of the moving process. A move manager can look at the floor plan of your new home, take measurements and help you figure out what’s going to fit and how to best arrange it. Then, they facilitate the process of donating and selling everything you’re not taking with you. With professional help, downsizing — or as David Haack, owner of move management company Next Step Transitions, prefers to call it, “right-sizing” — can be a positive experience. His company is part of ElderMove Alliance. Garner and her husband Mike Garner founded the group in 2002 after realizing how many people could use help with moving and aging in general.
The group hosts free in-person seminars: five in the spring and two in the fall. Each seminar discusses how to downsize as well as how to stay in your home comfortably for longer. They also include general information for older adults and bring in experts such as an elder law attorney, a financial planner and a Medicare specialist. The hope is that by the end of the seminar, attendees can start to put together a plan.
“We remind them that it’s easier to do this while you can because at some point, you maybe can’t, and then other people have to start making decisions for you,” says Garner.
Generally, there is an order of operations that makes downsizing easier, she says. First, find a place to move. Then, transport only the items you’ve decided to keep. After that, empty out your former house and get it ready to sell.
Next Step Transitions, which serves people in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, takes a highly personal approach. To begin, they speak with clients about which items they most want to keep, then take measurements at the new property. Those measurements are then used to create a floor plan. Sometimes, a large bed or piece of furniture just won’t fit, so they work with the client to figure out alternative solutions. “Math doesn’t lie,” says Haack. Once they’ve determined what the client can take with them, the company helps clients decide what to donate, give to family or sell through consignment or auction. That might mean winnowing down an excessive mug collection.
“We really try to have fun,” says Haack. “I think the most important thing that we bring to the table on those steps is to weave humor into everything that we do so that people can feel a little less stressed in the process. Instead of being at a level 10 stress level, which most moves push people to, can we get that down to a four or five?”
When downsizing collections, Garner advises picking two or three items to keep and taking photos of the rest. Granted, photos can pile up as well, but they can be digitized. Garner is also adamantly opposed to paying for storage units.
“Don’t think you’re going to get around to it later,” she warns. “The cost of storage adds up so quickly to way more than the value of the stuff that’s inside.”
Sometimes, relatives can hold up the decluttering process by requesting that items be held for them. That’s why it’s imperative to set boundaries, says Garner. “The kids need a deadline to get their stuff out, and if they don’t get it by that date, then it’s gone. It’s going to go to Goodwill,” she says.
“People have all sorts of collections, and when a loved one passes away, how do you best clear and find purpose for a room filled with dolls and treasures?” Haack says. His company…
Don’t be surprised if the task takes longer than you anticipated.
“It takes years to accumulate all that you have — you aren’t going to get rid of it in a day,” says Katie Hennings Larson, owner of Moves Made Simple, which serves the Greater Seattle Area. “The work to downsize takes patience and empathy.”
She advises setting a timer for one hour to tackle the task with no interruptions. Try to focus on one area at a time, and don’t begin a new area until you have completed the first. After that, take a break. And if you can, enlist a professional or friend to help.
Once all the decisions have been made, a move management company will spend a few days packing before managing the travel period.
“Our goal is always that by 6 or 7 p.m. on move day, we’re out of there,” says Haack. “Their beds are made, their fridge is stocked. They walk into their home, all their artwork is hung and the move is completed.”
Costs for move management vary depending on the size of the space and scope of the job. Haack says that, as an example, if someone needs help moving from a 2,000-square foot home into one that’s 675 square feet, it might cost around $5,500. However, many factors could influence the final price, including the number of possessions that will need to be sorted and handled.
Even if you’re not sure when you’ll move, it’s a good idea to look into options well in advance.
“The time to bring in a right-sizing move management company is a year before you’re ready to make a move,” says Haack. “Get an idea of the items that you no longer use. If you have items that you want to have shipped to family members all over the country or even internationally, let’s get all of those things done so that you are pretty light and ready to go.”
If you don’t have that kind of time, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of luck. But if you can give yourself a long runway, the process will be more calm and unhurried. Though it can be daunting, Garner says most people are relieved once it’s done.
“The reaction we always get is, I wish I’d done it sooner,” she says.
Learning seminar
If you’re interested in learning more about downsizing, ElderMove Alliance will be hosting the following two-day seminars this fall, which are free to attend.
More information available at eldermove.com/seminars
Oct. 22 & 29
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (includes lunch)
Bothell City Hall
18305 101st Avenue NE, Bothell, WA
RSVP by calling 425-649-5178
Annie Midori Atherto