By Mary Holmes Integrated Move Management (IMM) is proud to be a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), the professional organization that guides the industry of Senior Move Managers. This group was formed in the early 2000’s when it became clear that seniors quite often needed help when they are transition from their large and often well lived in family home to a smaller retirement community or condo. NASMM ensures that their members are proper

By Mary Holmes I often reflect on my business in terms of what is working and what is not and what are the biggest challenges and rewards. Certainly one of the most challenging parts of working with seniors as they are downsizing in preparation for a move is watching the anxiety they feel about letting go of their cherished possessions. A senior transition is extremely stressful for many reasons, e.g. there is a lot to do, there are deadlines to meet, there is the prospect

By Mary Holmes Whether a senior decides to stay in their home as long as possible (age in place) or move to a smaller home or retirement community (downsize), there may come a time when they need some help with activities that have become more difficult for them. The senior may realize themselves that they need some assistance or a family member may make that assessment. The deficiency may be a physical issue or a cognitive impairment. Fortunately, there are many companie

By Mary Holmes I was recently asked why I don’t always use the same process and the same vendors with each one of my clients. Within the conversation, I realized that why this person was asking me this question was because they felt I would be more profitable if I created a formula and stuck with it for every client. Although this is a business for me, my primary objective is to ease the stress my clients are feeling during a very emotional and difficult time in their lives

By Mary Holmes As Professional Move Managers, Integrated Move Management is involved in many different types of home transitions. The majority of the time, the homes we work in have already been sold or will be put on the market at the end of our project. What is the best way to get your home sold quickly? There are debates about whether a house should remain full of the owner’s furnishings, emptied of all items, or staged by a professional; whether the time of year a home

By Mary Holmes Quite often, a home will need to be emptied in order to put it on the market for sale. This typically happens when a senior has either passed away or moved into a retirement community or other similar living situation and an adult child is charged with dispersing the possessions in the home. This can be an overwhelming task; therefore, many people hire a professional to assist them. Integrated Move Management offers home clean-out services. When we do this

By Mary Holmes On the surface, packing boxes seems like a pretty simple task. Buy some boxes, put your stuff in them, and tape them up – right? In reality, if you want your possessions to stay safe, there is much more to it. If you pack your own boxes and use a professional moving company, the issue of who is responsible for damage can get messy. The best way to avoid this situation is to prevent it - by packing your boxes safely. Here are five tips to help you get it ri

By Mary Holmes Our goal at Integrated Move Management is to make professional move management services affordable to those that can benefit from them. In addition to keeping our hourly rate at a reasonable and competitive level, there are many other ways to reduce the overall cost of downsizing, moving or cleaning out an estate. This is the second part of a two part blog on this topic. If you haven’t read the first part yet, you can read it here: Can I “Afford” Professi

By Mary Holmes We all want to make sure we are getting a good value for the money we spend – no matter the product or service. I often get asked “How much do your services cost?” or “Are your services expensive?” Just like any other service, not everyone needs the services of a Professional Move Manager. For example, if you have lived a simple life or have kept up with the declutter process, you would not need our downsizing services. Or if a senior has children that are

By Mary Holmes In my last blog, “Retirement Living – So Many Options”, I discussed the various options for retirement living, including 55+ communities, independent living, assisted living and nursing homes. Although having options is typically a good thing, it can also be overwhelming and breed indecision. So where do you start narrowing in on what’s best for you? Please keep reading to see five steps to make this decision a little easier. Location, Location, Location Det