When Nana and Gramps Decide To Move…

When Nana and Gramps decide to move into a "community of active seniors," they may not be willing to downsize everything - just yet. That is why self storage is an ideal option for "newly-relocating" seniors. It provides them with the flexibility to resettle and s l o w l y sort through a lifetime of memories.

Anyone who has moved knows how traumatic the process can be; sifting through and evaluating all of the things you want/need to take with you, and parting with the things that you know you no longer need, but may still be associated with fond memories. Now, imagine doing all of this very late in life. It can be overwhelming!

For seniors, this is an inevitable occurrence. Hopefully, Nana and Gramps will recognize for themselves that they require a "little more help" around the house than they use to, and will choose to move to that "community of active seniors" on their own; that is the first hurdle. The second is helping them realize that they cannot take all of their "stuff" with them! Even in the largest retirement communities with ample storage (which are few and far between,) the entire contents of the "family home" would be a tight fit. The best option is to help Nana and Gramps decide what is immediately necessary in their new digs (i.e. beds, some living room and kitchen furniture, clothes, etc.) and go from there.

Ideally, on moving day, partitioning off a section for "new home" delivery and another section for "storage" will make the transition a bit easier on them. As long as Nana and Gramps know their "stuff" is still accessible and retrievable, they will be less panic-stricken, enjoy greater peace of mind, and the transition will go more smoothly for all involved.

Once settled, suggest that one day each week, you jointly visit their self storage unit with them, offering to assist them in assessing collectibles/pictures/souvenirs - whatever it is that Nana and Gramps wanted to store - and decide what makes it back to the new place, and what makes its way to the church bazaar, the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

It may be months, or even years, before Nana and Gramps choose to "let go" of some of those things, and that is okay. After all, it took them a lifetime to collect all of those trinkets…it may take them a little while to detach. But in the meantime, they are settled and happy…and looking forward to next week's trip to their self storage nook!

Tony Gonzalez enjoyed a career in general contracting but decided to complete his degree in sociology. He's interest in the shifting economy and how society reacts to downsizing changes, not only in the "contracting" world, but in the areas of moving/storage/rental, etc.
Tony has an interest in all things storage. Tony is an expert on self storage in
Houston.