How Realtors Can Help Senior Clients Declutter Before a Move

We collect a lot of stuff throughout our lives. The older we get the more stuff we accumulate. That’s one reason why moving later in life is extra hard. It’s so challenging, and a whole industry has evolved to meet the needs of seniors facing a move. 

As a realtor, you have probably seen this play out numerous times. Even when seniors have pressing reasons to sell their homes, they get stymied in figuring out what to do with thirty or forty years of stuff. How can help your clients get unstuck? Read on to find our best decluttering tips.    

Acknowledge Your CLIENT'S Emotions

Before you start talking about boxing things up with your client, make sure you’re clear on how difficult the process of moving is for older adults. We’re not saying you should act as a therapist, but be prepared for the moving process to be more emotional for your older clients. 

Think about how you feel when you come across old photos or memory boxes. Those items elicit a range of emotions—joy from fond memories, wistfulness at the passing of time, and sadness that relationships have changed. Now multiply that by a few decades and add in the other pressures of moving. It’s a lot to process.

Keep the End Goal in Mind

You can be mindful of the emotional challenges of moving and still make progress helping your clients sell their home. Help your client remember what they are working towards. This will be different for each person, but there some common themes:

• Having less ‘house’ to manage. Less cleaning, less maintenance, etc.
• Being in a safer place. Many seniors move to homes with no stairways to maneuver, with more senior-friendly amenities.
• Not having to mow a lawn, rake leaves, or shovel snow. 
• Social contact. Senior living communities have scheduled social activities. 

Suggest your client post a list of the things they are looking forward to somewhere they can see it. Keep a photo of their new place handy if possible. 

Decluttering Methods

There are many ways to declutter. A method that works well for one person won’t work for another. Here are a few methods to try. The one helps your client make progress and feel less overwhelmed is the best one. 

Four Boxes Gather materials for packing boxes—boxes, tape, paper for wrapping, markers, and labels. Label four boxes: donations, items to sell, items to keep, and trash. Start with something small—a bookshelf, a cabinet, one corner of a room. Every item must go in one of the boxes. This narrows the choices down and makes decision-making easier. Be sure to know where each box goes when it is filled. 

Yes or No The four-box method doesn’t work for everyone. It involves making decisions about items that aren’t being even being kept. That can rattle some people. A quicker, easier way is to take a couple of options out of the equation. Ask simply, “Do you want to take this with you? Yes or no.” Items either get packed to move or set aside. All the items that aren’t being moved can get sorted at a later time. It may not be as efficient as the four-box method, but at least decisions get made and boxes get packed. 

The Quick Sweep Sometimes people just need to get one simple thing done. In this method, we forget about categories. Instead, grab a box, a bag or a trash bin, and sweep through one area, only grabbing one type of item. It can be items that are being donated, items that are being kept, or flat-out trash/recycling. The goal is to get something done. That way your client can see that a short burst of activity does help them make headway.

What Matters Most Home organizing guru, Marie Kondo, advises people to surround themselves with things that “spark joy.” That’s not a bad place to start for senior moves. Your clients are losing a lot of square footage, so what they take with them should be what matters most. 

Use a Floor Plan

It’s helpful to refer to a floor plan of the new place if that’s possible. A floor plan can help clients visualize how their belongings will look—and more importantly, how they’ll fit—in their new home. When they see that there’s only so much room in the new place, it can make it easier to decide on which items to bring. It can also ease a client’s anxiety about moving.

Get to Know a Local Senior Move Manager

As a realtor, you can guide your clients to declutter in preparation for their move. You can’t hold their hand through all of it, though. That’s why it’s a good idea to connect with a certified Senior Move Manager (SMM). 

Certified SMMs are certified through their industry organization—the National Association of Specialty & Senior Move Managers (NASMM). They are required to take courses in safety, ethics, and industry best practices. 

Certified SMMs can help with all aspects of decluttering and preparing to move. Not only are they adept at the decluttering methods discussed above, but they are masters of finding the right place for all of the belongings that need a new home. They are connected with local donation centers and they can help arrange estate sales for valuables to be sold. 

Senior move managers understand the emotional aspects of moving later in life. They respect their clients right to self-determination, and have a client-centered approach to their work. Not everyone treats senior with the respect that’s due to them, but senior move managers make sure that they are heard and their wishes are honored. 

Family members appreciate the expertise of senior move managers. Often, adult children have been stuck in a quagmire with their parents, not getting anywhere with their move. Then, an SMM comes in, and presto! Suddenly the ball gets rolling. 

Senior move managers help not only with decluttering and packing but with creating a floor plan and setting up the new living space. 

So, the next time you work with a senior client who seems overwhelmed with their move, reach out to a local senior move manager. You and your client will be glad you did.

Are you a realtor working in the Cleveland area? Contact us to see how we can help with your clients’ senior moves.