Senior Moving & Downsizing in the DMV

Start with the new floor plan

Before anything is sorted, find out what fits. Ask the community or the landlord for a floor plan with measurements, or measure the rooms yourself. Then choose the furniture that matters most and check each piece against the plan. Knowing that the bed, the favorite chair, and the dresser fit turns the rest into smaller decisions.

Ask the community for its rules

Senior communities and apartment buildings usually have move-in requirements. Get them in writing early.

• The days and hours when moves are allowed
• How to reserve the elevator
• Whether movers need a certificate of insurance, and who receives it
• Where the truck parks
• Whether staff can help on the day, and what they need to know

Sort in stages

A whole house is too much to face at once. Short sessions in one room work better.

• Begin with rooms that hold fewer memories, such as the guest room, the laundry, and the garage.
• Use four labels: coming along, going to family, donate, and haul away.
• Limit a session to an hour or two.
• Let the person who is moving make the choices. The pace is theirs.
• Photograph things that cannot come, such as a workshop or a collection, before they go.

Family items

Decide who is taking what, and set a date for it to be collected. Things promised to family tend to stay in the house until move day unless there is a deadline. If relatives live far away, we can deliver pieces locally, and a long-distance shipment can be arranged through our partner carrier.

What we do

We handle the moving and the hauling, and we are glad to work with whoever is coordinating.

• Careful packing and labeling of valued and fragile items
• Taking apart and putting back beds and furniture
• Sending the certificate of insurance and working within the community's move window
• Hauling away or donating what is not coming
• Updates by text to family members who are out of town
• Many families also hire a downsizing organizer for the sorting itself.

Move day

The day should be quiet for the person who is moving.

• Arrange for them to spend the day with family or a friend, away from the loading.
• Carry medication, glasses, hearing aids, documents, and the phone charger yourself.
• Have one family member at the old home and one at the new, if possible.
• Give the crew lead the floor plan showing where each piece goes.

Set up the first night

The first evening matters more than finishing. Before the day ends, have these in place.

• The bed made, with the usual pillows and blanket
• The favorite chair, a lamp, and the TV or radio working
• The bathroom set up, with a night light on the way to it
• Photographs and a few familiar objects where they can be seen
• The phone plugged in and within reach

An eight-week timeline

Longer is better if the date allows.

• 8 weeks out. Get the floor plan and the community's rules. Choose the main furniture.
• 6 weeks out. Begin sorting, one room at a time. Get a written flat rate.
• 4 weeks out. Book the mover and the elevator. Set the date for family pickups.
• 2 weeks out. Schedule donation pickup or haul-away. File the change of address.
• 1 week out. Pack, or have us pack. Send the insurance requirements.
• Move day. Set up the bedroom and the chair first.