Personal Concierge NZ / Seniors Concierge have moved numerous people into retirement villages – it’s just one of the many areas that our team love to work in and it’s very rewarding to settle people into their new home and see what a positive move it can be. It can often be a sensitive and emotional time, particularly if the person has lived most of their life in the family home and the decision to move into a retirement village has been made for them. Regardless of whether it’s independent living in a villa or apartment or dependent living in a serviced apartment, it’s a big adjustment and one we enjoy being part of, to ensure it’s a special time, managed with compassion, kindness and patience. It is true that the lead up to the move is stressful and that’s where we try to help our clients – managing as much of this as we can for them, so that they focus on the exciting journey ahead, rather than the selling of a house/de-cluttering/pack/unpack, etc. The right moving support can make the world of difference.

We like to spend time with our clients to understand what’s important to them and can help them decide what stays and what doesn’t. Even if it doesn’t stay it can still mean enjoying the disposal of the item – you might elect to give the item it to a family member, donate it to your favourite charity or sell it and make a little bit of money from it.

With these sort of items it’s important to not rush the decision, to take your time to consider whether you have used it, you will use it, and whether it actually fits in the physical space of your new home, but also with your new lifestyle. It’s really important to start this process early and in our experience, it’s often best that someone other than a daughter or son, works with a parent(s) on downsizing, as tensions can often flare.

Move day should be enjoyable and we often recommend to our client, that they spend the morning with friends or family, while we manage the move in. We will have already developed a floor plan and know what items are being moved, so it’s nice to leave us to get that all done and for our client to come back and enjoy the finished result. Equally however, if our clients prefers to be hands on, we are more than happy to work with them but we will insist they take a tea break or two!

Post move we always check back in with our clients and with every move we have made, we are pleased to report that people are so happy once they’ve moved in and really love the security, companionship, activities and peace of mind that comes with retirement village living. Often there is a deep concern that this is their last move and something to either avoid or not enjoy, but in fact it can be a very pleasurable experience if managed well. Retirement Villages nowadays have so much to offer and our clients love the activities and the ability to attend things on location, make new friends and learn new skills.

So if we can help your family to talk through the logistics of a move, and support you with a shift, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.