Senior Move Management in the East Bay: What It Is and When You Need It

The Short Answer

A senior move manager handles the planning side of a move. A mover handles the physical side. Most families going through a big downsizing end up needing both.

We are JH Moving, a licensed mover based in the East Bay. We are not a move management company. Our senior moving service covers the packing, moving, and setup. We work with senior move managers often, so we see what they do up close. This page explains it plainly, so you can decide if your family needs one.

What a Senior Move Manager Does

The national trade group for this field, the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers (NASMM), describes its members as people who help older adults and families "organize, declutter, downsize, relocate or age in place."

In practice, a move manager usually:

• Meets with the person moving and the family to understand the goals and the timeline
• Helps sort belongings and decide what stays, what goes to family, and what gets sold or donated
• Makes a floor plan of the new home showing where each piece will go
• Arranges estate sales, consignment, auctions, donations, and haul-away for items not making the move
• Gets moving estimates, books the mover, and directs the crew on move day
• Unpacks, hangs clothes, puts the kitchen in order, and makes the new place feel like home
• Works with the retirement community on move-in rules

Some move managers also help people who are not moving at all. They clear out clutter and rearrange the home so an older adult can stay safely where they are.

Every company is different. Some are one person. Some have teams. Ask for a written list of services before you sign.

How a Move Manager Differs From a Mover

A senior move manager:

• Plans, sorts, and makes decisions with the family
• Usually does not own a truck or employ a moving crew
• Does not do the heavy lifting
• Is not licensed as a mover, unless they also haul goods themselves

A licensed mover:

• Packs, loads, drives, unloads, and sets up furniture
• Brings the truck, the crew, and the equipment
• Is licensed by the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services (ours is Cal-T201700)
• Carries cargo coverage for your things while they are in our care

If a move manager offers to move your belongings in their own truck, ask for their mover license number and check it.

When a Family Needs One

A move manager is usually worth it when:

• A large family home is going into a small apartment, such as a 3-bedroom house into a 1-bedroom unit
• The adult children live out of state or can't take weeks off work
• A health change or hospital stay has turned a slow plan into a fast one
• The person moving can't handle the sorting physically or emotionally
• The family disagrees, and a neutral person would help keep things moving
• The house needs to be fully emptied for a sale

When a Full-Service Mover Is Enough

You may not need a move manager when:

• The new home is about the same size as the old one
• The downsizing is modest, like a few rooms of furniture
• The family has the time and energy to sort together

In that case, a good mover plus a family plan works well. Our full-service packing crew packs room by room, labels each box for its new room, and unpacks at the new home. Our free guide to senior downsizing in the Bay Area walks a family through the sorting step by step.

There is also a middle path. Some families hire a move manager only for the sorting and floor plan, then let the mover handle packing and setup.

How a Move Manager and a Mover Work Together

Here is how a typical move goes when we work with a move manager:

1. The move manager makes the plan. They sort with the family, make the floor plan, and tag what is moving.
2. We give the estimate. The move manager shares the inventory and the community's move-in rules. We quote the job with a written Not to Exceed price.
3. Packing day. Either our crew packs, or the move manager's team does. For anything larger than a 1-bedroom, we pack on a separate day from the move.
4. Move day. The move manager directs. We load only what is tagged to move. We take apart and rebuild beds and tables through our furniture assembly service, which is included with every move. Each piece goes where the floor plan says.
5. Leftovers. Anything marked for haul-away can leave on the same trip with our junk removal service. Sales and donations stay with the move manager.
6. Settling in. The move manager unpacks and finishes the details after our crew leaves.

Families can pick one point of contact. Some want the move manager to talk to us. Others want to deal with us directly. Either way works.

Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Interview at least two or three move managers. Ask each one:

• What do you do, and what do you not do?
• How do you charge: by the hour or by the project? Can I get a written estimate?
• Do you carry general liability insurance? Can I see the certificate?
• Are you a NASMM member? Does anyone on your team hold the SMM-C certification?
• Who will actually be in the home: you or your staff? Are staff background checked?
• Can I call three families you helped in the last year?
• If you sell items for us, how do you track sales, and when do we get paid?
• Do you take referral fees from estate sale companies, movers, or other vendors you recommend?
• Have you worked in our new community before?

A good move manager will answer each of these without hesitation.

What NASMM Membership and Certification Mean

NASMM is a professional group, not a state license. Membership is voluntary. Still, it tells you something.

• Membership. Everyone joins as a provisional member. Full membership requires passing four courses (Safety, Ethics, The Moving Industry 101, and Understanding Contracts and Liability) and keeping general liability insurance on file.
• SMM-C. This is an individual certification. A person must log 40 senior move management projects and finish the required courses. It lasts three years and renews with continuing education.
• A+ Accreditation. This is a separate award for companies, not individuals.

You can search for members near you with the NASMM Find a Move Manager tool. NASMM itself reminds families to confirm that any move manager they hire has proper insurance. Membership is a good start, but references matter more.

East Bay Senior Resources

Both East Bay counties run free information lines for seniors and family caregivers. They don't run moves, but they can connect you with in-home help, housing lists, caregiver support, and more.

Contra Costa County. The county's Information & Assistance line is staffed by social workers, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (800) 510-2020 or (925) 229-8434. Interpreters are available in any language. The office is in Pleasant Hill, and the county publishes a Senior Resource Directory. If your family is moving in central Contra Costa, our Pleasant Hill moving page covers the local details.

Alameda County. Senior Information & Assistance can be reached at 1-800-510-2020 or 510-577-3530. They offer referrals and resource guides for older adults and caregivers. Many families we help are moving out of longtime homes in Oakland. Our Oakland moving page covers hills, stairs, and parking there.

Your new community. Retirement communities and assisted living facilities often know which move managers and movers do good work in their buildings. Ask for names and for the move-in rules in writing.

Where We Fit

We don't sort, appraise, run estate sales, or organize. That is move manager work. We do the physical move, and we do it with patience. We pack, move, rebuild furniture, place every piece, make the bed, and set up the bathroom and kitchen so the first night feels settled.

Call (510) 495-1884 for a free estimate, whether you have a move manager or not. We are licensed under Cal-T201700, family-owned, and backed by 300+ five-star reviews. Hablamos Español.

Have other questions? Visit our moving FAQ page or learn more about our senior moving service.