Senior Downsizing and Transitions Services

Moving and downsizing can be one of the most stressful moments in life, especially for seniors. A relocation late in life leads to a number of difficult challenges – emotionally, mentally and physically.

In addition, this transition may include the need for a variety of services from an estate sale to moving services – all of which may seem overwhelming. That’s why it’s critical to turn to a trusted professional like the Estate Pros to make sure the process is as stress-free and smooth as possible.

The Estate Pros offer everything necessary to help you move from your old house to your new home. Our senior downsizing and transition services include estate sales, donation pick ups, clean out and junk removal, local moving services and more. Making the Estate Pros your one stop shop for everything you’ll need to complete your move.

Estate Sales for Senior Living Transitions

When hiring an estate sale company, you’ll want to work with experienced professionals you can trust. Estate sales can be emotional and stressful, especially if they come about unexpectedly. Choosing the Estate Pros as your family’s trusted partner will provide you and your family peace of mind, knowing we will expertly manage the entire estate liquidation process for you.

The Estate Pros have over 15 years of estate sale experience and our proven sales process ensures a smooth and successful transition while producing optimal results.

Call 248-266-9817 Free Consultation

We tailor every estate sale to fit the specific needs of each of our clients. Our process is comprehensive and easy:

Free estate consultation to determine goals, strategy and planning: We will discuss your needs & timeline, as well as, the specific services and logistical requirements necessary to complete your liquidation
Professional evaluation & appraisal: One of our qualified appraisal experts will review and evaluate your items for value, marketability, etc
Estate Sale set up & staging: The Estate Pros team will visit your home a few days prior to the estate sale in order to set up, merchandise and price all of your sale items using our boutique-style retail approach
Marketing & advertising: Your estate sale listing is posted to our national network of shoppers via the Estate Pros website, major estate sale industry websites, social media, etc.
Sale management & security: Your estate sale is managed and executed by our team of professionals over the course of a 1-3 day period (usually weekends). Our staff ensures your home and all your valuables are secure and protected throughout the event.
Final accounting & management: After the estate sale, your settlement payment and detailed estate sale transaction report are issued within 7-10 business days.
Post-sale donation & clean out: To finish up, the Pros will empty your home by donating and cleaning out the remaining unsold items (if requested). The house is empty, broom swept & vacuumed and you’re done – it’s that easy!

Maximizing Your Profit is a Top Priority

A Checklist for Success

Create a detailed inventory of what you want to sell
Strategically and thoughtfully price your items
Get professional appraisals for items of interest or great value
Clean and / or fix items when necessary to boost value
Make sure the items you wish to keep are stored properly – either securely on-site or moved off-site
Plan your estate sale for weekend days
Advertise as much as possible, using the right listing sites, etc and make sure you provide event details, item descriptions and pictures

Set up and stage the estate sale with purpose ensuring you highlight valuable items while also providing good foot traffic flow through the home
Make sure all of the off-limit areas of the home are clearly marked and secured
Make sure you have enough help to staff the sale by hiring a professional or recruiting family, friends, etc
Have a plan for leftovers – giveaways, donation, junk removal, etc
Make you understand your state’s estate tax laws

Best Selling Items that Will Boost Your Bottom Line

Art

Art will always be a best selling item at estate sales. You can find anything from standard decorator art to master works – all at a much more affordable price than a retail store or gallery. Plus, artwork at an estate sale usually comes ready to hang with a frame!

Collectibles

There’s something about unique, rare and collectible items that people love. They can add flare and interest to your home’s decor while also offering great topics for conversation for visitors.

Furniture

Buying new furniture can get expensive, that’s why many people will shop for used furniture at estate sales – it’s an affordable way to get high-quality, designer pieces. Pro tip: always make sure to inspect all furniture before purchasing for condition issues such as cigarette smoke, stains, pet hair, etc.

Jewelry

Jewelry… whether old, vintage or antique, is often worth more than you think these days due to the rise in metal prices. Rare, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces usually do well at estate sales, which can lead to more sales revenue in your pocket!

Assisting Seniors with the Relocation Process

Local Moving Services

The Estate Pros team is highly trained in assisting seniors with the relocation process, making the transition as smooth as possible. We specialize in all aspects of senior moving, including estate sales, donation services, estate cleanouts, and local moves.

Our senior relocation services are comprehensive, convenient and professional providing our senior clients a sense of ease while adjusting to their new environment.

When planning your senior move it’s important to have a well thought out timeline. Here’s a sample timeline that might provide a good outline for your move:

60 Days Before Move

Sort your items to decide what needs special packing or extra insurance when moving and what items you’re not taking so you can determine what to get rid of
Find a reputable moving company and request an on-site moving quote
Set a moving budget including hiring a moving company, moving boxes and supplies, vehicle or equipment rental, the cost of taking time off of work, etc
Create a moving folder to track all your quotes, receipts, inventories, etc

30 Days Before Move

Order supplies such as moving boxes, wrapping supplies, etc
Start using up things you don’t want to move including perishable foods, cleaning supplies, etc
Make sure family and friends are aware of your moving schedule if their involvement is necessary ,or even if you want to plan a get together at the old house before you move out
Measure the rooms at your new home to make sure all of the items you want to move will fit accordingly
Confirm your movers and make sure you are on their schedule
Start packing and clearly label everything
Separate any valuables you may want to personally move in your own vehicle to your new home
Complete a change of address with the post office, your utility companies and any other service providers
Forward all of your medical records
Set up internet and other utility providers for your new residence

14 Days Before Move

Make sure to plan and take the day off from work, etc. on your move date
Clean out your safe deposit box and make appropriate arrangements with your bank, etc
Return any borrowed or rented items to local vendors and/or friends and family
Confirm scheduling with your moving company

7 Days Before Move

Refill prescriptions
Pack suitcases

2 Days Before Move

Defrost freezers, refrigerators
Double check details with moving company
Have your payment method planned for the moving company, etc

Moving Day

Verify your mover
Make sure to have cash on hand for miscellaneous expenses, tips, etc
Check the weather
Verify the inventory of your move once on-site at your new residence

Once moved in, the Estate Pros will make sure everything is in its right place within your new home.

We will also move small items and packed boxes into the appropriate rooms for unpacking and placement. All of this can usually be accomplished on the same move in a day.

If you have any valuables including jewelry, artwork, etc that the Estate Pros will be moving for you, we will make sure these items are inventoried separately and specially packed to ensure a safe arrival at your new home. Consider getting extra insurance coverage on any valuables as well to make sure your specialty items are protected.

Moving into a senior living facility? The Estate Pros will make sure to coordinate with management at your new residence to coordinate move-in times, logistics with entrances, elevators, stairs, etc.

All of this can seem overwhelming, we know! Here’s a few tips that will help with a stress-free transition:

Make sure you have a to-do list and a timeline. Stick to it!
Give yourself enough time to get everything done
Unpack as quickly as possible so you can feel settled sooner
Take breaks often and treat yourself
Maintain your health by pacing yourself and not over exerting
Stay in touch with your friends and family as needed
Explore your new neighborhood and living facility
Make sure to keep your new home clean
Make friends at your new residence
Volunteer for activities in your new neighborhood and/or facility

Comprehensive junk removal services

Whole House Clean-Out Solutions

Moving and needing help clearing out your old house? The Estate Pros are a one stop shop for all your estate related clean out needs including junk removal, donation services, basic cleaning services and more!

The Estate Pros offer comprehensive junk removal services for all situations. Whether you’re just decluttering prior to your move out or needing a major full house clean out, our professional team can handle jobs of any size. We know that moving and dealing with junk and clutter can be stressful, so we offer customized solutions to meet your specific needs and goals. From old furniture, mattresses and appliances, to garage, attic, basements and even hazardous materials, we’ll help you achieve a stress-free clean out so you can leave your home tidy and ready for the new homeowners.

What about donating?

Yep, we can help coordinate charity donations as well! Estate donations are a great way to downsize your possessions quickly without the hassle of trying to sell everything. Donating allows you to dispose of your items quickly while guaranteeing the return value in the form of a tax deduction. Plus, just think of how many individuals and families you can help with much needed items! Not to mention, you will also be helping to protect the environment by keeping these useful items out of landfills. It’s a win for everyone!

After emptying your home, the Estate Pros will even clean up for you! Our dedicated team will broom sweep and vacuum your residence upon the completion of your home clean out. It’s the little touches that matter when you hire the Pros!

In a hurry?

No problem, the Estate Pros can get your clean out scheduled and handled within a couple of days from your initial consultation. We can generally get your items donated and your home cleaned out within 24-48 hours of reaching out to us.

Donation Management and Tax Benefits

If you have donated household items in the past then you probably know that you may qualify for a tax deduction, but how does it work? Let’s start by defining what charitable donations are:

A charitable donation, or charitable contribution, is a cash or non-cash (property) gift made to a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. The donor may receive a reduction on their taxable income through their tax return as a result of their contribution.

Your non-cash donations of clothing, household goods, etc that are in “good” condition or better are entitled to a tax deduction, according to Federal law. The IRS requires that all charitable donations be itemized and valued.

When donating it’s important to keep and maintain all associated documentation that supports your charitable contributions. This will likely include donation receipts, acknowledgment notices, bank statements, photographs of donated items, or any other proof or related documents of your donations such as qualified appraisals or an IRS form 8283.

Keeping records of all related donation documents is critical in being able to prove donations made to charitable organizations while enabling you the opportunity to claim a tax benefit. The IRS has different record-keeping requirements for donations depending on the amount and type of your donation.

When enlisting the Estate Pros to handle your charity pick up and tax related documents, you’ll receive everything your tax professional will need, including a qualified appraisal report. Your appraisal will be completed by an experienced, licensed & qualified appraiser. We carefully examine and review each of your items. Our appraisal reports conform to the most recent Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices (USPAP) and the stringent requirements of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) code of ethics and appraisal practices. Our credentials, procedures and documentation meet IRS standards. The Estate Pros will work with your tax professional to make sure you are able to maximize your tax deduction and meet all of the IRS requirements.

The Estate Pros work with a number of federally recognized and approved 501(c)(3) non-profit charity organizations including Habitat For Humanity, Furniture Bank, St. Vincent DePaul and others. Our strategic partnerships with these charities ensures you donated items will find a good home moving forward, helping those in need within your community.

Planning Your Transition

There’s a number of reasons seniors may decide to move from their current home including:

The current home is either unmanageable or too big for your current needs
Wanting to be free of maintenance and upkeep
Moving to be closer to family or friends

This transition can be overwhelming and very emotional, bringing up memories (perhaps good and bad) that can lead to distraction, stress or even guilt at the thought of parting with family mementos or heirlooms. The involvement of adult children or siblings can present even more challenging situations with grown children who may disagree over who gets what, etc.

With all this being said, it’s important to develop a thorough plan for your move and a timely schedule that caters to the needs of all involved parties. The Estate Pros will design a customized moving, donation and clean out plan in order to meet your specific needs and goals, providing a smooth and stress-free transition experience.

Once you’ve created a timeline, make a plan that moves along efficiently. Your transition plan might include the following:

Take inventory – Start with all of the larger items including furniture, etc and then focus on the smaller items like decor, accessories and personal items
Take pictures – Photographing all of your items including the room location will help you better keep track of everything
Go one room at a time – Going room-by-room will keeps things manageable so you don’t get overwhelmed
Sort, sort, sort – Categorize everything and separate things by piles or rooms, etc creating areas for what you want to keep, sell, donate, etc
Get appraisals on specialty items – High end or expensive items may require a professional appraiser so you can decide what you would like to do with them
Decide what you want to keep, sell, donate and throw out – making these decisions early in the process will make the entire move go a bit faster and more efficiently

Working with Estate Pros

Moving into a new home can be very stressful when you don’t have the right resources. And for seniors in particular, moves can be especially delicate situations. That’s why our company is here to equip you with the senior moving services you need to remove the stress from your move.

Do you need to declutter, upcycle, resettle, or space plan first? Our experts in providing senior moving assistance can determine what you need first and why. Caring Transition move management services employ caring professionals to provide comprehensive assistance from planning to packing and beyond. Head on over and book a senior moving assistance consultation now.

Organizing and packing smaller items into labeled boxes and only prioritizing the essentials you really need is essential. The Estate Pros can assist in simplifying the packing process, making sure you strategically box and pack the items you’ll need for your new home.

Estate Sales for Seniors & Their Families

Conducting an estate sale can be emotional, stressful and overwhelming, especially when trying to handle it on your own.

As a trusted authority with over 15 years of industry experience, the Estate Pros are here to provide an estate sale solution that is as seamless as possible – every aspect of the transition will be managed professionally and efficiently. We will handle all of the complexities of the senior estate liquidations process for you, guiding you through the entire journey from start to finish and allowing you the time to focus on what truly matters – you and your family.

With the Estate Pros, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing everything will be taken care of…

Your family’s trusted partner

How Our Senior Estate Sale Service Works

The Estate Pros are here as your family’s trusted partner and advocate, tailoring your estate sale to fit your individual & specific needs. Our process is professional, compassionate and carefully planned:

Pre Sale

Start by scheduling a free consultation to discuss you and your families specific needs, goals and timeline. When ready, choose a weekend to schedule your family’s estate sale.
Once scheduled, advertising begins and your estate sale listing is posted to our national network of shoppers via the Estate Pros website, major estate sale industry websites, social media, etc.

Week of Sale

Next, the Pros team will visit the home a few days prior to the estate sale in order to set up, merchandise and price all of your family’s cherished items using our boutique-style retail approach.
Your estate sale is then conducted, managed and executed by our team of professionals over the course of a 1-3 day period (usually weekends).

Post Sale

After the estate sale, your settlement payment and detailed estate sale transaction report are issued within 7-10 business days.
To finish up, the Pros will empty the home by donating and cleaning out the remaining unsold items (if requested). The house is empty, broom swept, vacuumed and ready to go. Leaving you and your family with the relief knowing you can now focus on the next steps of your transition.

Go With The Pros!

Senior Living Liquidations at Facilities & Communities

Perhaps you’re in a position where you need to clear out the former living space of a lost loved one. The handling of a loved one’s belongings in their former senior living facility or senior community residence can be emotional and difficult. Entrusting the right professionals in this sensitive moment can make all the difference. The Estate Pros are honored and proud to be here for you and your family in your time of need.

Our express services for senior living & senior community liquidations provide a ONE DAY solution to handle all of your loved one’s belongings. Yes, we will take care of everything in a single afternoon…

Call the Pros and get the assistance you need today: 248-266-9817

These senior living liquidations services include:

Free on-site consultation to discuss your family’s needs & timeline
Tailoring a customized plan to help you decide what to keep, donate, and discard
Full-service professional support to execute – packing & moving to storage, donation deliveries, and trash removal
Expedient & efficient – coordinating & executing the handling of your loved one’s belongings in a single afternoon, sometimes in just a matter of a couple of hours
All location types – residential homes, senior living facilities, senior community residences & more
Specialized donation and IRS tax programs to help relieve any financial burden that may arise – eliminating the need to have an estate sale in order to generate the potential income necessary to ease your family’s transition

Why our clients trust the Pros during their time of transition

We make the liquidation and/or clean out process as easy as possible handling all your items with utmost care, conducting our work with compassion and professionalism. When evaluating you or your loved one’s items for sale or donation, our appraisers rely on the standards and guidelines set forth in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), which contains Congressionally-authorized valuation standards – ensuring the accuracy and integrity of your donation documentation.

Our scheduling is flexible, and our senior living liquidations, donations & clean outs are completed quickly and safely. Our team will work with you from the initial free consultation to the complete execution of your downsize or clean out and everything in between. You don’t need to lift a finger, we take care of everything for you!

When should you complete your senior estate liquidation or clean out?

Timing is everything in life, and so is the scheduling of your senior living liquidations or senior estate clear out. Most people look to schedule their liquidations around the same time they are selling their home. These are the scheduling scenarios that usually work best:

Before listing the home for sale

Typically for overly cluttered or hoarder homes in which your realtor has suggested you empty.

Just before the sale closing

You have a buyer in place and have secured a purchase agreement. The Estate Pros conduct the estate donation and cleanout in a single day, emptying the home within a week or two before closing. The closing occurs and you turn the keys over to the new homeowner.

Just after the sale closing

The home is sold and closed on, you’ve secure a predetermined move out date post closing (leaseback or rental term). The Estate Pros conduct your single day estate donation and clean out within a week or two of your move out date. The house is vacuumed and broom swept. You can move out and turn the keys over to the new homeowner.

What about senior living situations?

Perhaps you’re in a position where you need to clear out the former living space of a lost loved one. The loss of a loved one can create some of life’s toughest moments. Knowing who to call to entrust with the safe relocation of their belongings from an assisted living facility, senior community, etc is an important and sensitive decision. The Estate Pros have handled thousands of senior living & community move / clean outs. Selling, re-homing, donating or recycling your family’s items in a manner that both respects and honors your family is our top priority. Call the Pros so we can walk you through the process and create a timeline that works for you and your family: 248-266-9817.

Things to consider when preparing for a move to a senior living community

Having a well thought out plan is important when moving from a residential home to a senior living facility or community. Here is a preliminary checklist to consider before moving.

DOWNSIZING & ORGANIZING: Assess the size and compatibility of your new space to know what items to bring with you (furniture, personal items, etc). Make a detailed list of what you’re bringing with you and what you are selling, donating or discarding.
MOVING LOGISTICS: Create a timeline for the move. Consider a senior move manager. Determine whether or not you need to hire movers and complete a search for reputable movers in your area.
HEALTH & MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Complete required medical forms and tests. Communicate needs and preferences to the staff at your new facility. Coordinate with health care providers. Transfer any medical records and prescriptions.
PAPERWORK, BILLS & UTILITIES: Complete pre-move documentation with the new community. Cancel or transfer current services and utilities. Fill out change of address forms.
LEGAL & FINANCIAL MATTERS: Update all important documents (medical & legal documents, etc). Financial considerations – make sure your financials are in order to ensure proper budgeting for all current and new expenses, etc.
SETTLING IN: Familiarize yourself with the new facility. Personalize your space. Locate all emergency call devices, etc.

A move to assisted living can be stressful for older adults and their caregivers. This kind of move typically involves downsizing and managing legal, financial, and medical documents. A checklist for moving to assisted living can help manage all of the details and keep you organized.

Southeast Michigan Estate Sale Service Area

The Estate Pros have been proudly serving Oakland, Macomb and parts of Livingston, Genesee, Lapeer & Wayne counties for the past 15 years. No matter what your situation calls for, the Estate Pros are here to help!

The Estate Pros Difference

Experience

Over 15 years of service with more than 5,000 successfully completed estate sales, liquidations, donations & clean outs.

Professional

Our team has the qualified appraisers and industry leading liquidation experts needed to get the job done right.

Safe

We are licensed, bonded & insured. You can feel confident knowing our services are private, safe and secure.

Results

Ranked in the top 50 estate sale companies in America, delivering millions of dollars in estate proceeds to our valued clients every year.

What Our Clients are Saying

Schedule Your House Clean Out & Donation Today!

The Estate Pros are here to help! No matter what your situation is – big or small estates, estates with older or outdated items, estates with location restrictions, etc.

We can handle any situation, location type, or size – GUARANTEED!