Moving house is stressful at any time of life, but more so as time goes by and you have a lifetime’s possessions to sort out.
Whether you simply want to move to somewhere smaller and more easily manageable, or into specialise retirement accommodation, the sheer scale of what needs to be done may feel overwhelming as you get older – particularly if you don’t have family nearby to help with the practicalities of organising the big move.
I was in the middle of setting up my new property business when I got a worried phone call from my 72-year-old mother. She needed to find a new home fast when her partner had to go into a nursing home and his bungalow had to be sold to fund his care.Helping Mum find somewhere suitable to live as well as co-ordinating the many other tasks associated with moving, from packing to re-directing mail, was even more complicated because I live nearly 150 miles away.
The experience led me to broaden the scope of my property staging and styling company Clarify Interiors to include specialist services to assist older movers and their families.
My experience with Mum made me realise that with an expanding elderly population, many on their own or living a long way from their children, there’s a growing need for services here in the UK – as there already are in the US – to help lighten the emotional load as well as the practical burden for older people who need to move house.
Clarify Interiors ‘Downsizing Without the Downside’ service is a complete project management package. Clients are offered hands-on assistance with the whole move from beginning to end if they need it.
If family or friends are available to help with the process, they can pick and mix from elements of the service. These include working out what possessions to take and what to do with the rest (sometimes a thorny family issue), preparing the client’s old home for sale, help with packing, supervising the removals team on moving day and getting their new home ready to welcome them, right down to hanging pictures and making the bed.
It’s a practical, personal service and my aim is to help you to stay in control and feel positive about the move, rather than overwhelmed and anxious.
We offer a much broader level of service than just packing and unpacking – it’s planning and organising so the emotional burden of moving is minimised, and your new living space will feel as much like home as the place you are leaving.
If family or friends are on hand, we will work with you and them to provide whatever help you may need along the way to make the transition as smooth and straightforward as possible. Or we can plan and manage the whole process from beginning to end if you require – always with your input and guidance, because we never forget it is YOUR home.
If you’d like to know more, please get in touch with me at Clarify Interiors, email clare@clarifyinteriors.co.uk or telephone 07917 716004
