How to Prepare to Move Into Active Senior Living Communities

Transitioning from Your House to 55 and Over Apartments near Houston, TX

When you decide to embrace luxury living and select one of the best active adult communities in the Houston area, then it’s time to begin preparing for your move. While initially it may feel overwhelming to move out of a house that you’ve lived in and owned for years, you’ll soon see it as your next great adventure and a step forward toward a more fulfilling lifestyle.

Larkspur at Shadow Creek can’t help you get ready for your beautiful luxury apartment, but we will have it waiting for you when you arrive, along with our incredible menu of amenities for senior living like you’ve never imagined. To get started, follow our four tips for preparing to move into our active senior living community.

Get in touch with a realtor early in your process.

It’s likely a friend or family member can recommend a real estate agent to help you sell your house. When you involve them early in your process, you can get their advice on how to prepare your home to be listed for sale.

A trusted real estate professional will be able to guide you through the sales process and answer any questions you have along the way. Depending on the state of the housing market where our home is located, you may be surprised at how speedily your home will sell. Talk to the real estate agent about their expectations for the sale so you can conveniently time your relocation to your new 55 and over apartment.

Downsize your belongings.

For many people, paring down possessions is one of the most difficult parts of moving into a 55 and over apartment. Many of our residents are coming from larger homes in the area, and find that they have far too many pieces of furniture, collectibles, and household goods than they’ll need to enjoy living in our luxury apartments and cottages. For others, they are looking to simplify their lives and take only the necessities so they can devote their time and energy toward wellness, socializing, and engaging activities.

Step one is to go through all your belongings. Sort them into four categories: keep, throw away, sell, or donate, using the floorplan of your new apartment or cottage as inspiration.

• Keep: These are the items you intend to keep and move into your new luxury apartment.
• Throw Away: These are items you no longer need, nor are they in good enough shape to donate or sell. Consider recycling where appropriate.
• Sell: The items that are categorized as “Sell” are worth at least $15, that there is a demand for, that you do not intend to move into your apartment. The $15 minimum ensures it is worth your time to find a new home for these items. Of course, your minimum limit may be much higher, and that’s OK!
• Donate: Your donatable items are those in good condition and suitable to give to your favorite charity or thrift shop, that you no longer want or need.

We advise you to sort your possessions room-by-room, and never attempt to tackle your entire house in one go. It’s overwhelming enough without adding the stress of downsizing your possessions en masse. If you aren’t sure about what to do with certain items, err on the side of keeping them! You can always donate or sell them after you’ve moved into your apartment.

Step two of this process is actually donating, throwing away, selling, or packing the items you’ve already sorted. Call upon family members or friends to assist.

Carefully label moving boxes you’ll take to your Pearland luxury senior apartment.

As you pack up your possessions and carefully wrap them in bubble wrap, you’ll want to use sturdy boxes and strong packing tape. The most important part of packing, however, is labeling the boxes with a distinctive permanent marker. (A pencil or ballpoint pin simply isn’t bold enough to stand out against the cardboard.)

Be as specific as you can about what your box contains. For example, instead of writing “Kitchen Stuff,” you should write exactly what’s in the box: “Toaster oven, oven mitts, and spatulas.” Boxes that aren’t properly labeled will be harder to sort by room when you arrive at your tremendous new apartment at Larkspur at Shadow Creek.

Book your moving company in advance.

Especially during the spring and summer months, moving companies tend to be quite busy. When you know the date you’ll be moving into your apartment, it’s time to reserve your spot on the moving company’s schedule.

A good moving company is bonded and insured and will protect your property as if it is their own. Some will even pack your belongings for you, should you prefer that. They’ll also estimate the cost to relocate your household goods based on weight, and will charge you only for the actual weight of items they’ve loaded into their van or truck.

When you call for an estimate, you’ll need to tell the customer representative information like:

• How many bedrooms you’ll be relocating. Include only the number of bedrooms-worth of possessions you’ll be taking, even if you’re moving out of a six bedroom house and into a two-bedroom apartment. You won’t be moving six bedrooms-worth of furniture!
• The number of pieces of furniture you’ll be moving, as well as the kind and relative size. The company may need to send an expert out to see your furniture to estimate size and weight.
• Your anticipated move date and whether you have any flexibility in your schedule.
• Your current address and your destination address, and whether there are stairs at either location.

You don’t have to employ a professional moving company for your relocation, however. Remember that do-it-yourself options are available if you prefer to handle the details and heavy lifting yourself.

Take a Look at Our Active Adult Community near Sugar Land and Missouri City!

Larkspur at Shadow Creek in Pearland, Texas will give you everything you need to make new friends, participate in new activities, and embark on new adventures. Life is meant to be lived well, so we work to ensure our residents who are ready to be rid of the burdens of home ownership can trade it for a lifestyle of convenience, luxury, vitality, and community.

To see how great living at Larkspur at Shadow Creek will be, we invite you to take a tour of our well-appointed 55+ luxury apartments and our 18,000 square feet of amenities designed especially for active adults. Call us at 346-512-2182 to make an appointment.