Local Expert Offers Stress-Free Tips to Seniors on how to Downsize and Sell Their Homes

There are ways to simplify and streamline everything in your life today with phones, computers and other electronics. But what about streamlining your possessions? There are specific approaches to purging and organizing your home, like the celebrity-endorsed konmari method explained in the New York Times bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” But what about people with more than 50 years of memories to go through? As seniors age and need to downsize their homes due to changes in health, home maintenance or other reasons, tackling this process isn’t easy, and it’s important to seek advice from experts in that field. To help simplify what can seem like an overwhelming task for Rochester Hills families, Waltonwood at University is hosting an informational talk all about downsizing and how to sell a home to create a happier lifestyle. The seminar, entitled “Downsizing Made Easy,” will be held Saturday, November 21st from 11 a.m. to noon at Waltonwood at University senior living community, located at 3250 Walton Boulevard. It will be led by Brad Amiot, owner of H.O.M.E Senior Moving Services. This local company specializes in varying aspects of downsizing, like real estate, estate sales, finances and moving, and will offer advice to seniors and their families on how to make the process less stressful.

Resident Betty Gazzarari moved to the community just two months ago from a spacious condo. She relied heavily upon her family for help in sorting, donating and selling items in her home before moving into Waltonwood.

“I never thought about where I was going to live in my later years, but the steps in my condo were difficult for me to go up and down, so I talked with my family and we started looking at senior living communities,” said Gazzarari. “After that we put my house up for sale and started the process. I think I ended up giving away more than I brought to Waltonwood, but I have everything I need in my apartment.”

Amiot has been working with seniors for over 25 years. Previously, when he was helping manage their finances through his financial company, he would receive questions from his clients about moving into senior living communities. He would do his best to help them negotiate the process, even spending some weekends helping his clients pack up their homes. In going through this process with multiple clients, he began to think that he could help others through the gamut of moving questions, and H.O.M.E Senior Moving Services was created to fulfill that need.

“My main objective is to decrease the overwhelmed feeling many seniors and their families have when they’re preparing to move into a senior living community,” said Amiot. “We do that by creating a plan personalized for each situation and tackling it a little bit at a time. This seminar will outline the first steps families can take together–what questions to ask or information to consider, depending on the situation. Our expertise is truly in helping people negotiate the process of moving.”

“Brad has given talks at our community on this subject before, and I know that his tips for getting the moving process started will be invaluable for these seniors and their families,” said Jeff Madak, Waltonwood at University executive director. “With it being the weekend before Thanksgiving, we hope that visiting relatives will get a chance to check it out and gather some helpful information that will put their minds at ease as they think about planning for a move for themselves or their parents.”

If you would like to attend “Downsizing Made Easy,” please RSVP by calling 248-331-9990.