The National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) has declared May 12–18, 2024 National Senior & Specialty Move Managers Week. During this recognition week, NASMM and NASMM members around the world are promoting the value of Senior & Specialty Move Management and Move Managers’ commitment to assisting older adults and their families with later lifestyle transitions and individuals who have unique needs.  

Senior & Specialty Move Managers assist adults and their families with both downsizing to remain in their current home, as well as the entire process of moving to a new residence. Move Managers specialize in helping their clients with the emotional and physical aspects of sorting through a lifetime of memories in the transition process, while providing them with effective options and resources to increase efficiencies and reduce stress. The theme of this year’s celebration, “The Art of Moving Memories,” underscores the hallmark of move management — helping clients part with possessions without parting with memories; and the unique skills Senior & Specialty Move Managers® offer their clients and families throughout the downsizing, relocation, or aging-in-place process. 

“For adults who have lived in their homes for 30 or 40 years, it’s more than just a move. Most older adults making this type of transition need to downsize considerably,” said Cecilia Beisler, Owner, A Simpler Life Now.  “The organizational and physical tasks — whether you are moving or downsizing to stay in the home — can be overwhelming. Families need a professional to provide them with the necessary tools essential to reduce the stress that can accompany this type of move — and that’s exactly what we do!”

According to Jennifer Pickett, Co-Executive Director of NASMM, “Senior & Specialty Move Managers® have significant expertise, resources, and approaches to save time, money, reduce stress, and produce quality results. Services are client-centered and personalized to meet the client's needs, providing an expertly managed, compassionate, and affordable move.

A Simpler Life Now is a senior move management company serving seniors and their families in New Jersey and parts of the New York Metro area. They offer a full range of services to assist with the moving process. They help you downsize your space, organize your house, sort paperwork, plan the floor layout, coordinate with movers, pack up your home and even help you unpack and settle in. They take the hassle out of your move. A Simpler Life Now has been a member of NASMM since 2019.  For more information please contact us.

Founded in 2002, NASMM is a not-for-profit, professional association of organizations dedicated to assisting older adults and their families with the physical and emotional demands of downsizing, relocating, or modifying their homes. As the only professional association of its type devoted to helping the rapidly increasing 55+ population with middle and later lifestyle issues, NASMM’s 900-plus members are committed to maximizing the dignity and autonomy of all older adults.

NASMM is internationally recognized for its innovative programs, leadership, and expertise on issues related to Senior & Specialty Move Management, aging in place, and transition and relocation issues affecting older adults. Before achieving full general membership, all NASMM members must show proof of insurance and must pass four competency classes. Additionally, all NASMM members sign and adhere to the NASMM Code of Ethics, and agree to the guidance and oversight of NASMM’s Ethics Compliance Commission.

For more information on Move Management or NASMM, visit www.nasmm.org or contact NASMM directly at 877.606.2766 or info@nasmm.org.

10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Alleviate Some of the Stress of Moving

“It seems such a waste of time
If that’s what it’s all about
Mama if that’s movin’ up
Then I’m movin’ out
I’m movin’ out”

When I started this blog on moving, I decided to begin with a song. Billy Joel’s anthem immediately came to mind. I wanted to offer a selection of tunes to get you humming, and my Google search led me to so many songs about leaving home. 

Country songs about breakups and moving on; songs about kids growing up and leaving home; and songs about the bittersweet feeling you get looking back on a life well lived, they were all there. 

Moving is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life, even for the most organized among us. No wonder there are so many songs about it!

Finding a home; packing everything up; deciding what to keep, give away and discard; the actual move itself, and wondering how you will fit into your new place (physically and emotionally) are all factors that elevate our stress levels through the roof.

Lots of people are rushing to put their home on the market to take advantage of the dearth in residential real estate inventory. Once the decision is made, they panic, because they look around and can’t believe how much stuff they have accumulated over the years.

Where do I begin? — They ask themselves. 

They call me with great urgency as they need to figure out fast what they should take with them. 

With some forethought, there are ways that you can manage some of that stress and anxiety.

The first step is to figure out what fits into your new space. This is the expertise of A Simpler Life Now, down to determining the correct number of place settings from your dining sets that you should take. 

If you follow these 10 tips, you will be singing a happy tune throughout your move.

1. Contact family members to see what they might like to have.

2. Get to know your garbagemen and recycling providers. Once you make the decision to move, you should spend time each week tossing out the stuff that is unwanted. 

3. Decide if an estate sale or online auction is for you. Perhaps you have valuable sterling silver, artwork, or gold items that you can sell.

4. Think about repairs you should make to your home that will help it sell such as a new coat of paint, removing old carpeting, and some attractive landscaping. 

5. Declutter, declutter, declutter. And then declutter some more.

6. Call me to help you organize and stage your home for realtor photos.

7. Sort through junk drawers, closets, attics. Figure out what you have and start to clear it out.

8. Remove photos from their frames and keep just the photos. Our framed photos take up so much space!

9. Check your spices and cans to make sure they are not expired. Is your make-up old too?

10. Be on the lookout for days in your town when you can drop off old chemicals and cleaning products. Did you know that you can use cat litter to help dry up the paint in old paint cans? Once the can is empty, you can throw the can in your regular trash basin. 

    
    A Simpler Life Now can help you with any and all of the above, and get you singing with happiness again!

I’ll do the little things so you don’t have to

Perhaps you are busy homeschooling. Or Zoom meetings are weighing you down. You’re pregnant? You’re tired? You just don’t want to be bothered.

Enter, Cecilia!

The reason that you don’t want to deal with the not-really-difficult-but-oh-so-bothersome tasks of moving, doesn’t matter. The important thing is you can be assured that I will take care of all the details for you, making your move as smooth and trouble free as possible.

• I’ll buy new sippy cups and stock your new kitchen cabinets.

• I’ll measure your floor space and let you know what furniture will work in your new space.

• I’ll bring you boxes for the move, pack them up, then unpack them in your new home. Packing supplies, bubble wrap, tape, wardrobe and dish boxes. It’s all in a day’s work. 

• Pots and pans? Check.

• Closet organizers? Uh huh.

• Coffee center set up? Done.

• HomeGoods. Target. Bed Bath and Beyond. These are my playgrounds. I can navigate them quickly and efficiently, and buy you exactly what you need.

Bustle magazine reports that moving is more stressful than divorce. They say, “While you probably fully intend to prepare for your big move, the stress and anxiety that comes with finding a new home, putting things in boxes, deciding what to keep or toss, and organizing the actual move is enough to make even the most organized person want to take a nap.”

“Studies,” Bustle says, “Have consistently reported that moving is one of the most stressful life events because the amount of tiny details involved in moving to a new home makes a lot of people feel ‘hella bajiggity’.”

Well, I’m not sure that “hella bajiggity” is the technical term. 

I call it Move Management. You can call it stress-busting.

Whatever wording is used, the fact is that I know how to address every detail required to make the move to your new home seamless.  

Let’s chat, and design the plan you need to make your move easy. So you can concentrate on your kids’ algebra, your virtual Zoom background, or eating for two — anything that takes away that bajiggity feeling!