Moving as a senior can be a tricky task to tackle if you do not approach it carefully. Thankfully, if you know what you are doing and how best to prepare, it will not be nearly as tiring and stressful as you think! To help you ensure a smooth and relaxed move, we have prepared a guide to senior relocation.
Plan ahead
The first step of senior relocation should always be meticulous planning. Moving is a physically intensive process, so if you allow yourself to underestimate it and plan everything at the last moment, you will likely burn yourself out. Take the time to figure out your budget. Know when you want to move, meaning your preferred season, and figure out a date from there. Look into contracting moving company services. It is also wise to check which of your children or younger relatives would be willing to help out with the move since it might affect your approach to things. You would need to start packing sooner if you plan to do it on your own, for example.
Go slow
There is no need to rush through your move! The experts from bestcrosscountrymovers.com agree that a well-planned move can be entirely stress-free if you do it right. Doing things piecemeal and at your leisure will also let you enjoy the process. When you are not rushing around and trying to do everything at once, it is easy to get excited at the prospect of getting to know an entirely new city. There will be lots of new things to do and places to explore, after all! So, take advantage of the schedule you drafted and do not procrastinate. But do not try to get everything done sooner, either.
Take the chance to declutter
It is essential to know what you will be taking with you when it comes to senior relocation, especially if you are looking to downsize! The most helpful downsizing tips almost always consist of advice on dealing with your excess belongings. After all, you will have likely accumulated a lot of knickknacks over the years. Some of them are important memories or even family heirlooms. And those, of course, should be preserved or passed on. But you will find that many of your belongings are things you can entirely do without.
Remember to bring a bag of essentials
Before packing in earnest, you need to set aside essential items you cannot afford to misplace in a box. Typically, this would include a couple of changes of clothes, any devices you use regularly, toiletries, ID, and similar documents, as well as any medication you use. Once you have it all set aside, grab a bag and mark it as the one you will place these into on the very last day before your move. Of course, you need to be careful not to forget any of this stuff!
Consider finding help for packing
Packing is, and will always be, the most troublesome part of moving. The sheer volume of things you need to get through will likely be overwhelming even after decluttering and settling on what you really need! Not to mention that it is both tiring and very easy to mess up. Unless you pack your appliances in a very specific way, for example, they will likely arrive at your new home a battered mess. And then there’s moving supplies to take into account! This is why you should either ask for help from relatives or look into getting professional help. A reliable moving company always offers packing services, so it might be a good idea to look for assistance there once you’ve settled on your movers.
Get to know your neighborhood before the move
It can be hard to orient yourself immediately and hit the ground running if you are moving to an entirely new city or even state. And this applies whether we are talking about senior relocation or not! Of course, it is doubly crucial for seniors to know exactly what they can expect of their new neighborhood. Make sure to visit your future home well in advance and spend a relaxing day with your family exploring. Find all the stores, pharmacies, and other essential locations in the vicinity of your new property. It is also helpful to look into the location of hospitals, doctors’ offices, and other medical facilities and note down their numbers.
Know how to handle your pets
Any pets you own will likely find the move more stressful than you will. Most animals do not react well to a sudden change in environment, especially if they are older. They can easily get stressed and refuse to eat or wander away and never come back once you’re at your new home. This is why you need to take care of them before and after the relocation properly. Get a suitable pet carrier and consider covering it while in transport. Once there, pay attention to them and be extra careful not to let them out until they have calmed and settled down. Then, you can think about taking them on a nice long walk to get to know their new environment.
Afford yourself time to de-stress
It is vital for your health to take the time to release all the stress you might have accumulated. While seemingly harmless on its own, stress can cause a litany of medical issues, including blood pressure problems, headaches, nausea, depression, and more.
Know how far you can push
The last tip for senior relocation we have to share is always to be aware of your physical condition. You can likely do a lot on your own and are no less capable than you used to be. But your stamina will be diminished from what it used to be. This means that you can easily push your body too far if you are not careful, which can be dangerous. It is better to delay your move than have a medical emergency!
Final words
We hope you have found our guide to senior relocation helpful! Remember to be careful and try to enjoy the process! It is not every day you get to move to an entirely new place, and it can be an exciting adventure if you do it right.