Families are often overwhelmed by the enormous task of moving family members from the family home to a Residential Aged Care Home, including such tasks as clearing out a home and possessions, to preparing the home for a sale or rental.

This is especially applicable for those family members who live long distances away, or whose commitments leave them with little time to assist with such work.

Seniors Relocation Services – are businesses that provide a wide range of services which may include the options below.

They offer a customised service depending on the level of involvement required by the family:

  • Provide an inventory of goods with photos
  • Sorting and packing of items to go to family members, charities or to be sold
  • Selling of unwanted furniture and goods
  • Organise collection of items to be auctioned
  • Organise collection of items to be donated to charity
  • Pack and organise freighting of items
  • Engage the services of valuers to assess the commercial value of items and properties
  • Arranging rubbish removal
  • Attend to garden maintenance
  • Arrange painters and handymen
  • Arrange disconnection of all utilities
  • Cleaning the property for sale or rental
  • Arranging removalists and storage
  • Liaise with Real Estate Agents for the sale or rental of a property

Removals – Moving house can be a stressful event, so it’s important to put your removal in the hands of professionals. According to the Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA), a good removalist will know how to minimise the risk of damage to your property and take due care.

They advise that it is unwise to proceed with any removal if you do not have a contract.  You should obtain a written quote after a survey of the home and contents. Make sure all the details are correct and as discussed. You will be quoted on eitheran hourly rate or by cubic volume depending on the arrangements made (and this should be clearly stated on your documentation).

Under Australian law, removal companies do not have to carry insurance and in most cases, because your goods have not been packed by the removalist, they take no responsibility for your contents in the event of damages.

You’ll need to check to see if there is a current contents insurance policy which covers the goods in transit or storage. If not, you might want to consider taking out transit insurance which will cover the goods while they are being transferred between locations or kept in storage.

Storage – It’s always best to remember that you’re planning to come back to the stored items at some stage, and you want them to be in the condition you left them in.

With this in mind, don’t settle on a storage facility just because it is the closest to you or the cheapest.

There are many things to consider before making a selection:

  • Check to see if both short term or long term storage is available (some facilities may only offer short term stays)
  • Take a look at the things you plan to put into storage and remember you need to fit yourself inside with a little room to work. You don’t want to empty half of it to get to a box that’s in the back, unless you know you’ll never need anything you’re putting inside ahead of time
  • The self-storage facility has put in place adequate security measures
  • You can access your self-storage unit when you want to.
  • The units on offer in the self-storage facility are the right size for you and could cope with any future needs you might have to increase or decrease the space you rent.
  • The climate control is suitable for your needs, which is particularly important if you’re looking to store upholstered items, business goods or archive documents. A few months in a damp self-storage environment will cause damage.
  • Check with the facility as to what types of pest control measures they take. If you’re planning on storing a large amount, check that the facility has adequate access for the removal vehicle you’ve chosen, as some sites don’t have the space or access for large removal trucks

Please use our Business Directory Search facility if you require assistance in finding ‘Seniors Relocation Services’ or ‘Removals and Storage’ in your local area.

When you feel it is the right time for the move into a Residential Aged Care Home, there are important questions you can ask that will make your decision an easier one.

Please see our downloadable checklists on Aged Care Facility Questions’ and ‘Your Moving Checklist’ for further information.

Please use our Business Directory Search facility if you require assistance in finding ‘Aged Care Homes‘ in your local area.