November 26, 2008
Often we only see the value in a service after we have been through the experiences of providing that service ourselves. Someone recently said as much to me regarding my job as a Seniors Move Organizer. Although she knew what I did she had never fully appreciated what it entailed. That is, until she was faced with her mother’s impending move, and cleaning out her mother’s home.
Most of us go through life assuming we’ll be able to handle any given situation when it arises. And, for the most part, we do.
Then life throws you a curve ball. Something out of left field you weren’t expecting. And although you think you can deal with it – you can “fit it in” – ask yourself “at what expense?” Something has to give.
Caring for an aging parent is one of life’s curve balls. Having to arrange a move for that same parent, or handling their estate, is another one. We already have so many balls we are juggling that one more will simply cause all the balls to fall.
You either handle it yourself or find someone who can do so on your behalf.
Recognize the reality of the task ahead of you. Recognize its scope. Recognize how much time it will take you and how much spare time you have. Recognize how much experience you have with the tasks that have to be done. Then decide how best to deal with it. You may end up acknowledging that hiring a Seniors Move Organizer will save you time, energy and money. It could be the best thing you can do for yourself – and your loved ones.
Give a Gift of Time
Our Gift Certificate is the perfect gift for someone who has everything.
Purchase the services of a Trusted Transitions Seniors Move Organizer to help a loved get organized. Follow the link for all the details.
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November 19, 2008
Think. This most sedentary activity can save you the most physical labour. Think about what you will need in your new place. Think about what you no longer need in your current home. Think about who may benefit from those items you no longer need. Think of what you’ll need to help you move – the people and the companies or organizations. Keep notes on the important items you’ve thought of for the next steps.
Investigate. You’ve figured out what you need, now find how to get what you need into your new place. As Seniors Move Organizers we know who will take the items our clients no longer need. We know the people, companies or organizations needed to make the move. This might include movers, painters, electricians, cleaners, or handymen.
Sort. The size of your new home, and its storage space is probably smaller than what you have now. We help our clients sort through possessions to figure out what to keep and move, what to donate, and what to discard.
Recycle. One of our tasks when helping our clients move is to find the best place possible for their unwanted possessions. A short list includes: content sale resellers, charities, consignment shops, and buy ‘n sell websites. If the item is simply not usable, we ensure that it goes to the proper recycling facilities.
A few choice words, for a few choice tasks to help your move go smoothly.
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November 12, 2008
There are so many websites catering to seniors, it’s hard to know where to begin. Here’s a short list of sites we read and use, some for general interest, and some when when we’re helping our clients with their moves.
50plus.com: One of the 11 websites owned by Moses Znaimer and his Zoomer Media. Best thing about this site is the Canadian focus, and timely advice on current topics.
www.familycaresolutions.ca: Sponsored by YellowPages and Canadian Living, this site has interesting articles for caregivers.
Craigslist.com: Perhaps the most popular website for buying and selling. World famous and used by people of all ages for all kinds of items and services. If you have something to sell, you might find a similar item here that will help you decide on price. Remember this shows a suggested price, it does not mean your item can be sold at that price, or any price. Select your city to find what’s for sale in your area.
Do you have any favourite sites? Please comment on this article, and include your favourites. The power in the internet is sharing knowledge – we’ll be pleased to pass your finds on to others.
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November 5, 2008
Moving costs time and money. You can save both by moving only what you need, not everything you have.
Make decisions about what you absolutely need before you move. You’ll save the time and costs of packing, moving, and unpacking these items.
How to decide? With clothing ask yourself these questions:
- If I haven’t worn it in two years, will I wear it again?
- Will I ever be this size again?
- If I bought this three years ago, and it still has the price tag on it, will I ever wear it?
Look through the items you have in storage in your basement, storage unit, or crawl space. Will you really need the remains of the paint you used on your dining room walls? Or, the old curtains from your child’s nursery? How about your tax returns from 1968?
Look in your dining room. Will you really need the second, third, or fourth set of dishes? Will you really need the linens for a table set for 12, when your new home will have only enough room for a table set for six?
How many pieces of art will your new place hold? If you have fewer walls, and smaller rooms, you will not be able to display all your art.
As Seniors Move Organizers we help our clients go through each room in their home, and ask these questions. Usable items can be donated to a charity, or given to a friend or relative who will cherish the item. Others items are recycled as appropriate.
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October 29, 2008
We’ve all heard the witty quip “I’m having a Seniors moment”. Maybe you can remember using it yourself. As we age, we feel our memory is not as sharp as it was. We need to use tools to help us remember. One tool, is keeping a written list of tasks we need to do.
Another great memory aid is photographs. As Seniors Move Organizers, we use photographs to make a record of items we’re selling on behalf of our clients. We post these online at buy ‘n sell websites, or show them to content sale organizers.
We also take photographs at the new location. These help us remember room dimensions, window placement, wall colours, and the type and colour of floor coverings.
Often our clients purchase new furniture for their new home. We take a camera along during the shopping expedition to make a record of the items purchased. These photos will help when deciding on furniture placement, or accessory colours in the new place.
With the new digital cameras we don’t need to print each photo on paper so we can take as many pictures as our camera’s memory will hold. We can capture all the visual images we need to remember without taxing our own memory.
Any tool to help make moving easier, is “the” tool to use.
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