Making the Move: Expert Michelle Kavanaugh Dishes on Downsizing

Transitioning to a community that provides great residential choices—along with robust amenities—is a fantastic option to consider as you’re entering retirement. No lawns to mow, roofs to replace or unused rooms to clean: how you fill up all your newfound spare time becomes first on your To Do list! 

If you’re thinking about simplifying your life, making the move to a different – perhaps even smaller – space can be one of the best ways to achieve more freedom. When it comes to making the move there are many decisions to be made, and lots of work to do. Luckily, there are services geared directly towards helping seniors manage this endeavor.

We reached out to Michelle Kavanaugh, owner of Organize Senior Moves, to get informed on the perks and process.

Michelle and her team at Organize Senior Moves works with seniors and their families to reduce the stress of moving.

From start to finish, how long does the average move take?

This really depends on how much the client has already done.  If a client has been in their home for 30 years and hasn’t done any decluttering or downsizing, the process will take more time than a client who has been in their home for 30 years and has begun the decluttering process.  

Once downsizing is complete, we are able to pack most of our clients in one day and have them set up in their new home in one day as well.

Do you have a key piece of advice that you typically share with seniors who want to move?

Look at the decluttering/downsizing process as the time to choose what you would like to keep and not what you need to get rid of.  Keep in mind the space to which you are moving—this will help you focus on what items will come with you to the new home.  The last thing that anyone wants to do is to pay a mover to transport things that you will never use.  

Can you tell us a little bit about your certification?

Organize Senior Moves is certified with the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM).  The certification program is designed to cover all aspects of working with the senior population who are in the process of moving.  NASMM certification covers the obvious topics of running a senior move management business, as well as everything from how to encourage clients to let things go, to working with clients who have memory issues.  

What do your clients find to be most surprising about the process?

When we first meet with them we frequently hear “I am so overwhelmed!  I have no idea where to begin!”  Upon completion of the work we hear “I could not have completed this without your help!  You have made this so easy!”

Thank you to Michelle and Organize Senior Moves for these great tips! To read more about their services, visit http://www.organizeseniormoves.com/.