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Move Management & Downsizing
What is a Senior Move Manager?
A Senior Move Manager is a professional who specializes in assisting older individuals and their families with the emotional and physical aspects of downsizing, organizing and either relocation or aging in place. Because they focus exclusively on the downsizing and move process, Senior Move Managers have significant expertise in resources and approaches that save money, reduce stress and produce quality results. They also know various strategies that organize and monetize the possessions that may not be kept by the family.
Why are Senior Move Management services needed?
Many older adults making a transition have not moved in many years, and may have a great deal of possessions that they have accumulated over a lifetime. Because of this, they often need to downsize considerably. Many, if not most, typically find themselves overwhelmed by the process and/or not physically able to do it. Even though family and friends want to help, they often have geographic, demographic or psychographic barriers such as:
- They live too far away
- They are sandwiched between the needs of aging parents and their own children
- They are juggling conflicting demands of careers, home and family. ,They are physically unable to help because they are older themselves. They are emotionally drained due to the demands of illness or death of a loved one
As a result, the Senior Move Management Service Profession has emerged to fill these gaps, and to make the moving and adjustment process easier for everyone involved.
I am not a Senior - Can I still benefit from a Move Manager?
Yes! We are able to manage the move process from beginning to end for anyone who is too busy or doesn’t wish to handle all the detailed work of pre-move organizing, packing, furniture layout & design planning, selection of & coordination with Moving company, unpacking, complete home setup and hauling away all the trash and boxes after a move. We can work with busy families, executives, and those who are relocating - just to name a few.
I know I need to downsize. Can you help me?
Members of the NEXTChapter Team are specially trained to become valued resources for downsizing. From going through your treasured possessions, deciding which items to move with you and determining what items are wanted by family members or other close relations, to deciding how best to deal with what to do with the items that you won’t be taking with you, we can help! Whether you need resources for estate sale companies, auction houses, appraisers, consignment shops, charitable organizations, or online sales, we are happy to provide guidance throughout this process.
I have lived in my home for years. How do I decide what to bring?
A: Your NEXTChapter Move Manager can help lay out your new floor plan, measuring the rooms and your furnishing, working with you to decide what items you want and what will realistically fit in your new home. Once you determine which furniture pieces will go with you, you will be able to determine which additional items can go, based on the floor plan we have created and the storage capacity of the pieces you are planning to move. Our experience is also a highly valuable tool to guide you through what is needed and which items are not beneficial to take to you new home.
Can my family and I pack some of my own things?
A: Certainly. Remember, however, that boxes get stacked in the moving truck, so a good packing job with the right supplies is important. You are responsible for the items in the boxes you pack, but we will work with you and give you pointers and guidelines.
I am moving to (or from) another state. Can you help me?
Yes. We plan and pack (or unpack) for long-distance moves. We also can assist in locating a similar service on the other end. As a member of the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers, we have access to and can coordinate with Move Managers throughout the United States to complete your long-distance move. By partnering with other NASMM move managers, we can ensure that a move across state lines is as seamless as one around the corner.
Professional Organizing
What are the benefits to hiring a professional organizer?
Being unorganized has many negative effects on one’s life. The most obvious are higher stress levels and reduced productivity. Professional organizers are specially trained to create a system that works best for you and your household. With your personal environment organized, your visual noise will be eliminated and you will be able to find things easily - affording you more free time and less stress. By using a professional, you will benefit from their training and ideas, and you will gain a partner who will guide you through the process efficiently and effectively.
What can I expect from the first session?
Typically, our organizing team will come to your location for the initial evaluation. We will learn from you what you like and don’t like about the space, what is working for you, and your intended purpose for the area. After assessing challenges, ideas, your priorities, and other spaces in your home, we will formulate our plan of action.
How many hours will my project take?
Every client and project are unique. Some client’s simply need someone to help them get started while others need assistance from start to finish. The most important components to determine a project's timeframe are; the client’s physical ability, the size of the room and objective of the space, and the client’s willingness to make decisions and to eliminate. It is our job to keep you, the client, on task at a comfortable pace. What may be comfortable for you might not be for someone else. After our first session, the team working with you will be able to give you a more accurate estimate of time needed to complete your specific project.
Do I have to be present the entire time?
We feel our clients are better served by being present or at least available during the entire project. However, your presence is imperative in the first session. It is not a standard operating procedure for our organizers to eliminate anything without the client’s consent. After the “editing” stage, the organizer is able to work independently to complete the organization structure agreed upon with our client.
Is your work confidential?
YES! All meetings, conversations, and questions are between you and the team members assigned to your project – no one else. As members of NAPO (* insert link to National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals), we are trained and proud to abide by the organization's Code of Ethics, all which are designed to respect and protect the client’s privacy.
Photo & Memorabilia Organizing
My photos are a mess and in all different types of containers. How do you begin the organizing process?
Most clients literally have mountains of photographs stashed in a number of locations in their home - either in boxes, albums, digital files or loose. They also may be in prints, slides or other types of media. We encourage a client to gather everything they have into a centralized location. NEXTChapter can then come in and assess the collection - either in person or through a no-contact pickup. We then make a full evaluation of what is in the collection and discuss with the client what they would like to accomplish. This allows us to then create a personalized Photo & Memorabilia Organization Plan.
How long does it take to organize a photo collection?
Once we have determined the size of the collection and the client’s objectives, we are able to make an estimate on the time it will take to complete a photo organization project. This will be affected by the amount of information provided at the beginning of our work, the willingness of the client to participate in sorting, identifying & clarifying details about pictures that only they can provide and the amount of information that is already present - such as date stamps, writing on the back of photos, organization in albums, and so forth. Photos can be organized in a matter of days, weeks, or even months for a very large collection
How will you know how to sort and organize my photos?
Early in our work together, we will gather information from our clients as to how they would like to have their photos organized. The most common method is chronologically or by common theme. Each client is different in how they are most comfortable viewing their photos, and we help determine which method, or combination of methods (such as chronological and then by event or by person) works best for them.
Will my photos be sent off to be scanned?
No. One thing that sets us apart from many other photo scanning services is that we maintain the chain of custody through our team members. We have strict guidelines about photo & memorabilia intake, storage, handling and return to our clients. Everything will be handled in our state-of-the art office in which we have sophisticated scanning equipment to handle the archiving and scanning of most any photos or pieces of memorabilia.
How will I know where you are in the process of organizing my photos?
We have a standard process of photo organizing and will provide you with updates as we move through the steps. We will also contact you with questions or clarifications when we need them. You are welcome to call us for an update any time.
How do you save memorabilia items?
We are able to organize memorabilia of all shapes and sizes through high quality photo-rig scanning and flat-bed scanning for flat items, such as documents, cards & letters, etc.. We are also able to photograph 3-D memorabilia objects through a high quality light box and advanced resolution camera, resulting in stunning images of your keepsake items.
What if some of my photos are damaged or stuck together?
We are trained to repair and restore many damaged photographs. Through hands-on techniques and editing capabilities through Adobel Photoshop Lightroom, we are able to bring many of your less than perfect photographs back to life.
What if my photos are in old paper scrapbooks or photo albums?
Our team has been trained to use various techniques to either safely remove photographs from old albums, or to literally scan entire album pages directly in high resolution through our advanced camera rig system. These scans of the pages can then either be saved as a whole page or edited, to crop each individual photo as its own image.
