You've had the conversation. Your parent is ready, or nearly ready, to move to a smaller place or a senior living community. Now you're staring at a house full of decades' worth of furniture, keepsakes, paperwork, and kitchen gadgets, wondering how any of it will get sorted, sold, donated, or moved in time.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. And you don't have to do this by yourself. A whole industry of professionals exists to help families navigate a senior downsizing move, from the first closet cleanout to the moment your parent sits down in a fully arranged new living space. Most families just don't know these services exist.
This guide walks through who does what so you can build the right team and keep your sanity intact.
A senior move manager is a professional who specializes in helping older adults and their families through the entire moving process. Unlike a traditional moving company that shows up, loads boxes, and leaves, a senior move manager handles the logistics that make the move feel manageable.
Here's what they typically take on:
Sorting and decluttering. Working alongside your parent to decide what goes to the new place, what gets sold or donated, and what gets discarded.
Floor-planning the new space. Measuring the new apartment and mapping out where existing furniture will fit, so nothing arrives that won't work.
Coordinating movers. Hiring and overseeing a licensed moving crew on moving day.
Unpacking and setting up. Arranging the new space so it's livable on night one, down to hanging pictures and making the bed.
The goal is that your parent walks into their new space and it already feels like theirs.
Most senior move managers charge by the hour, with price depending on your area. Some offer flat-rate packages for full-service moves. In the Naperville, IL, area and throughout DuPage County, rates tend to fall in the mid-range of national averages.
Always ask upfront how they bill (hourly, by project, or a combination) and get an estimate in writing.
To find a credentialed professional, start with the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM). Their directory lets you search by zip code, and members must carry liability insurance and follow a code of ethics.
Downsizing is usually just one piece of a bigger conversation. If you haven't yet talked with your parent about senior living, this guide can help you start.
Once sorting begins, families quickly realize they need different solutions for different categories of stuff. Here's a practical breakdown.
If the household is full of furniture, décor, tools, and kitchenware, an estate sale company can price and sell items directly from the house over a weekend. They handle staging, advertising, pricing, staffing, and cleanup.
Most work on commission, typically 30–40 percent of total sales. Get the commission structure in writing before signing anything, and ask whether unsold items will be donated, hauled away, or left for you to deal with.
For genuinely valuable individual pieces like fine art, antiques, or rare collectibles, a reputable auction house may get better results than an estate sale. They'll often provide a free initial assessment to determine whether an item merits auction.
Furniture and goods in good condition can go to local consignment stores. The shop sells on your behalf and takes a percentage. This works well when you have time, since items may sit for weeks or months before selling.
Smaller items with a known market (vintage kitchenware, brand-name clothing, vinyl records) often do well on platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Poshmark. If your family doesn't have time for this, some senior move managers or personal organizers will handle online listings for a fee.
When the goal is speed over financial return, organizations like Habitat for Humanity ReStore, the Salvation Army, and local charities in the Naperville, Wheaton, and Lisle areas offer free pickup for furniture and household goods in usable condition. You'll receive a tax-deductible receipt.
Beyond the furniture and kitchenware, certain tasks tend to fall through the cracks. Plan for these early:
Photo and slide digitizing. Boxes of old photos and carousels of slides can be scanned and saved digitally. Local shops and mail-in services both handle this, and many families in Naperville and surrounding communities like Glen Ellyn and Warrenville find it's worth the investment to preserve memories without keeping the physical bulk.
Document shredding. Bank statements, tax returns, medical records, and old insurance paperwork all need secure disposal. Mobile shredding services will come to the house with an industrial shredder.
Appraisers for jewelry and collectibles. Before selling or giving away jewelry, coins, or collectibles, get a professional appraisal. This protects your parent from undervaluing items and helps if multiple family members need to divide assets fairly.
Junk removal. After the estate sale, the donations, and the consignment drop-offs, there's almost always a pile of things nobody wants. Junk removal companies will haul it all in a single trip.
When you're hiring people to handle a loved one's belongings, and often to work inside their residence, due diligence matters. Here's what to check:
Ask for references. Any reputable professional will have them. Call at least two.
Verify insurance. Movers, estate sale companies, and senior move managers should all carry liability coverage. Ask for a copy of their certificate of insurance.
Get commission and fee structures in writing. This is especially important for estate sale companies. Know exactly what percentage they keep and what happens with unsold items.
Be cautious of bulk-buy offers. If someone offers to purchase the entire contents of a residence before items have been appraised, that's a red flag. An honest professional will encourage you to get fair-market assessments first.
Scams targeting seniors aren't limited to phone calls and emails. Learn how to spot red flags in any transaction.
Also keep in mind that disagreements about what to keep, sell, or donate are extremely common among siblings. Possessions carry emotional weight, and two family members can look at the same china cabinet and see completely different things. If your family is struggling to agree, here's how to find common ground with siblings.
An open web search can turn up dozens of options, but there's a faster path. County aging offices and local senior centers often maintain vetted vendor lists for senior move managers, estate sale companies, and other downsizing services.
In DuPage County, the DuPage County Senior Services division and senior centers in Naperville, Plainfield, and Woodridge can point you toward professionals who've already been screened. Area hospitals and senior living communities are another good source of referrals, since their staff regularly helps families through this same process.
Helping a parent downsize is one of the most emotionally complex tasks a family caregiver can face. Every drawer you open holds memories, and every decision about what stays and what goes can feel loaded. The right professionals don't just save you time; they bring experience, compassion, and a structure that keeps the process moving even on the hard days.
Start by identifying which services your family needs most, then build your team one vendor at a time. A single phone call to a senior move manager or your local area agency on aging can set the whole process in motion.
Once you've assembled your team of professionals, pair their work with a complete moving checklist so nothing falls through the cracks.