How do you get ready to move?

[harbingerofdoom]

Didn't want to hijack bebe's thread as this is no new build but parent's in their late 80s.
They need to go into sheltered/assisted living within a year. The house is far too much for them now and is full of 'their life?'.
Where do we start as I'm four hours drive away?

What do you know about the property they will move into?

Size and number of bedrooms etc.

I would start by thinking about how much will go with them - bed/s, sofa, furniture etc. Then what will dress the room, which curtains, rugs, mirrors, pictures.

Then practical things, how much linen, towels, pot and pans, plates etc will they need.

Perhaps some kind of unit or chest to put special keepsakes in.

Once you know roughly what you have on your keep/go list then you need to decide what to do with the rest. Ask the family if anyone wants/can make use of the things.

Anything of value like nice furniture or art can be sold. If its not really worth anything then you can get house clearance companies who will literally come and take the lot.

Also ask if there are any charities who could use the stuff. There is one near me that will take anything in a house from coasters to sofas as they help set homeless people up when they get a house.

Are your parents still able to make these decisions for themselves? If so make sure you take their lead on whats what.

Once you (and your parents) have decided what is to be done with everything, I would make any relevant phone calls - removal company, auction house, house clearer, charity etc and make arrangements with them.

Then make a trip home and do the sorting and packing.

Do you have any family or friends who could help you with this as it will be a big job, and a pretty emotional one. Having a friend with me when I packed up my dads house, and my grandads helped me a lot, because I wasn't so inclined to get hung up on each item I picked up and dawdle over it, when I had a friend there giving up her time.

oreocrumbs Thanks for such a fantastic reply.
They will buy a two bedroom flat (down from six bedroom house,two beds in the attic are full of junk.
They are both compos mentis,their bodies are failing.
How do I/auction house decide what is valuable-mainly thinking of mahogany,that I had to polish as a child!
No helpers,too far away.

You can ring the local auction house and they will tell you if they are interested in what you have. They may send someone out to value the stuff, or they might do it on the phone. They will explain what their process is for auctions and fees etc.

Mahogany furniture is out of fashion. If it is antique there is a market for it, although sadly nothing like what it should be worth. If its 'nothing special', they might not sell it for you. In which case it would be a charity or house clearer.

I imagine that the furniture will be quite large if its in such a big house, in which case that should be desirable, but as I said it won't make a fortune.

If there is any furniture or art that you know to be collecable/valuable it might be worth searching a few auctioneers websites and see what that is going for. Also worth looking at a larger auction house. If you don't know, then a local one should be fine. You could also consider listing things on ebay but thats a lot more work, much easier to try and get rid of things in big chunks rather than dribs and drabs.

Once you know what/if/when the auction house will do you can then enquire about the next options. Just google charities or house clearers in the area. I found the ones I used in the classified ads in the local paper.

Will your parents be moving into the flat before the house is sold? If they could do it that way it might be easier, because everything that is left will be to go, so you can clearly identify what can go where.

I am aware that dark wood is out of fashion,as you say,but in the back of the Sunday Papers firms advertise this sort of furniture!
Totally unsuitable for a small flat!
Not sure if they can bridge or not.
Would rather both move than just one - obviously. It's getting very dicey though,health wise.
Just so upsetting

It must be very difficult, when we moved my DGF he had dementia and was past recognising what was happening, which in a way made it easier, we only had our own sadness to deal with - he was happy as a lark!

I think the only way to deal with things is to keep breaking it down and making lists. A lot can be done from your end by phone and email, and you will have to book a couple of days in to go up and do the physical stuff.

Oh,poor you,dementia to deal with. It's all so sad getting old.

:(