Moving Parents out of the Family Home

There are many things to consider when helping your parents relocate from their family home to an abode that will better suit their needs. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services is available to help guide you through the moving process giving you the positive experience you and your family deserve. Provided below are a few tips on how you can help support your parents in their move.

Communication

Communicate with your parents allowing them to express their feelings about the upcoming changes. If your parents have been in the same family home for decades, just the thought of moving can bring about strong emotions. The first step to having a dialog about moving is to sympathize with them about this loss. Even if the new place is perfectly suited for their needs, it’s not home. Once everyone is on the same page and accepts that moving from the family house is not something to take lightly, everyone can then move forward together in a place of understanding and compassion.

Plan Ahead

Trying to tackle the entire home in one weekend or even one month is an undertaking that very few can pull off and still have their sanity intact. Give yourself ample time to go through everything and pack up. 4 months is not an unreasonable amount of time to give yourself for such a move. Recruiting other family members to pitch in with the packing can be a huge help as well, just remember to sweeten the proposal with some take out and beverages!

Declutter

To begin the downsizing process try setting up donate/gift and toss area in the home. You might be surprised how many items your parents are willing to part with when they are assured their sentimental items will be well taken care of and appreciated by their heirs and friends. Now may be the perfect time for grandpa to pass down his marble collection to the grandkids or for grandma to donate clothes she hasn’t worn in years to the needy. Another option is to see if your parents are willing to have an estate or yard sale inviting their neighborhood friends and family. This can be a great way to lighten the load and earn a little cash to put towards moving expenses. It can be emotional for anyone to let go of possessions collected over the years, try reminding your parents how many more years of use and love their belongings will get when passed down to others.

Storage

For the items that mom or dad don’t use every day but refuse to part with try these nifty storage solutions: Space Bags- Space bags work well for storing fluffy items such as comforters, extra pillows and seasonal items such winter blankets and jackets. There are various brands to choose from such as Spacebag, Ziploc or Whitmor. Each company offers a variety of sizes and can be found online or in stores such as Home Depot, Walmart and Target.

Recreate

One of, if not the scariest factor in moving for an older adult, is change. All of the things that were tucked away in unseen areas will unlikely be missed after the move, however, staple items in the home can be crucial to bring so that the new home is set up in a similar way. Take several of photos of the main rooms so that you are able to recreate the new place in its image. Hang their wedding portrait to the right of the bed above the lamp as it always was in the old home,  little details like this make the new place feel like home much quicker.

Having a dialog with your parents sooner rather than later can be key to a successful move. If something has happened suddenly causing you to be in time crunch, remember to ask for help from other family members or friends if possible. Hiring a professional moving company may be worth the price in these instances as well.  Berkshire Hathaway is dedicated to helping you and your loved ones from start to finish finding that new place to call home sweet home.

SeniorAdvisor.com Staff

Senior Advisor's knowledgeable writers blog about senior care services, trends and more.