In short
Senior move managers are professionals who plan and run a move from the family home: sorting belongings, arranging donations and estate sales, packing, coordinating movers, and setting up the new home so it's ready to live in on day one. Most charge by the hour, roughly $50 to $125, and a full move from a long-lived-in house typically runs $2,500 to $6,000, often offset by what an estate sale brings in. Call (800) 614-8388 to find a vetted move manager near you.
Key facts
| Who does this | Senior move managers (look for NASMM membership), plus estate sale companies, donation services, and movers they coordinate |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | $50 to $125 per hour; $2,500 to $6,000 for a full move from a long-time home. Estate sale proceeds often cover part of it. |
| Typical timeline | 6 to 8 weeks from first visit to settled in the new home. Can be done in 2 weeks if needed. |
| What's included | Floor plan for the new space, sorting with you, packing, movers, unpacking, hanging pictures, making the bed, clearing out the old house |
| Who pays | Usually the family. Some senior living communities cover part of it as a move-in incentive; ask. |
| Best time to start | Before the house is sold and before the move date is fixed. Pressure makes everything harder. |
Is it time? A quick check
Six honest questions, for yourself or for a parent. There's no score to pass. Three or more "yes" answers usually mean the conversation is worth having.
Six questions
Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere. It's just for you.
This isn't advice about your situation; it's a way to start thinking. A conversation with us, or with your family, is the next step.
What a senior move manager does
Think of a move manager as a project manager for the whole transition, with a specialty in the emotional side. A good one:
- Measures the new place and draws a floor plan, so you know before packing a single box which furniture will fit and where it will go.
- Sorts with you, room by room, at your pace. Keep, give to family, sell, donate, discard. They've done this hundreds of times and know how to keep it moving without being pushy.
- Arranges the rest: an estate sale or consignment for things of value, donation pickups, a hauler for what's left, and a mover they trust.
- Packs, moves, and unpacks, then hangs the pictures, makes the bed, puts the coffee maker where your hand expects it. Most families say this part is worth the whole fee.
- Clears out the old house so it's ready to list or hand over.
We know move managers in most areas, and which ones families recommend.
Tell us where the house is and where you're going. We'll make the introduction.
The eight-week plan
With a move date set, this is how a well-run move unfolds. Compressing it is possible; stretching it is better.
- Weeks 8 to 7: Decide and measureChoose the new home. Get the floor plan. Walk the old house with the move manager and agree on a plan and a budget.
- Weeks 6 to 5: Sort the easy rooms firstGuest rooms, garage, basement. Build momentum before the sentimental rooms. Family comes to claim what they want.
- Weeks 4 to 3: The hard roomsKitchen, bedroom, the desk with forty years of papers. Short sessions. The move manager keeps it moving kindly.
- Week 2: Sale and donationsEstate sale or consignment pickup. Donation trucks. Shred the papers that aren't needed; file the ones that are.
- Week 1: PackOnly what's going. Labeled by room in the new place. Medications, documents, and a first-night bag stay with you.
- Move dayMovers in the morning, unpacked and set up by evening. Bed made, TV working, favorite chair by the window.
- The week afterHaul-away of what's left, final clean, keys to the agent. The move manager checks in to adjust anything that isn't right.
What it costs
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Senior move manager | $50 to $125 per hour; $2,500 to $6,000 total | Hours depend on the size of the house and how much sorting is needed |
| Local movers | $800 to $2,500 | Usually arranged by the move manager; apartment-sized moves are on the low end |
| Estate sale company | 30% to 50% of proceeds | No upfront cost; a typical sale nets the family $2,000 to $10,000 after fees |
| Junk removal / haul-away | $300 to $1,200 | What's left after sale and donation |
| Final cleaning | $200 to $500 | Before listing or handing over |
Add it up and a full move from a long-time home often lands between $4,000 and $9,000 before estate sale proceeds, and $2,000 to $6,000 after. Compared with the cost of a parent staying in a house that's become unsafe, or of adult children flying in for a dozen weekends, most families consider it money well spent.
What to do with the things
Worth more than you think
- Mid-century furniture, even worn
- Tools, especially hand tools and older power tools
- Costume jewelry, watches, coins
- Vinyl records, vintage cameras, typewriters
- Military items, old photographs, local history
Worth less than you'd hope
- Fine china, crystal, and silver plate
- Large dark-wood dining sets and hutches
- Collectible plates, figurines, most "collectibles"
- Encyclopedias and most books
- Pianos (often cost money to remove)
None of this makes the china less precious. It means the question to ask is "who in the family would love this?" rather than "what will it sell for." Photographs of a full room, taken before it's sorted, help more people let go than anything else we've seen.
Questions to ask before hiring
- Are you a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers, and are you insured and bonded?
- Can you give me two families you've moved in the past year that I can call?
- Do you charge hourly or by the project, and what's your estimate for a house like ours?
- Which movers and estate sale companies do you work with, and do you receive anything from them?
- What happens if we need to slow down or pause?
- Who will actually be in the house with my mother, and have they done this before?
Questions about downsizing
My mother won't let go of anything. How do move managers handle that?
It's the most common situation they see, and the good ones are gentle and patient about it. Starting with the easy rooms builds trust. Photographing things before they go helps. Framing it as "what do you want with you in the new place" rather than "what are you giving up" changes the whole tone. And a professional who isn't family often gets a yes where a daughter gets an argument.
Can we do this ourselves and save the money?
Yes, and plenty of families do. The honest trade-off is time and strain: a long-time home takes most families 8 to 12 full weekends to sort, and it tends to fall on one person. If the family is nearby and has the time, do it yourselves and hire movers for the day. If not, a move manager is usually cheaper than the plane tickets.
Should we sell the house before or after the move?
After, in nearly every case. Moving out first means the house can be cleared, cleaned, and shown empty or staged, which sells faster and for more. It also removes the pressure of showings while someone's living there. If cash from the sale is needed for the new community's deposit, many communities will work with you on timing; ask.
What should move with us on the first night?
Medications and the list of them, glasses, phone and charger, a change of clothes, toiletries, important documents, the TV remote, and whatever makes a room feel like yours: a particular blanket, a photo, the radio. Pack it in a bag that rides in the car with you, not on the truck.