A senior move manager plans and runs an older adult's move: sorting and downsizing, a floor plan for the new apartment, selling or donating what stays behind, hiring and supervising movers, and unpacking. AARP reported in 2025 that NASMM's member survey puts typical rates at $60 to $120 an hour. It is most worth it when family lives far away, time is short, or decisions keep stalling.
Key facts
- AARP reported in 2025 that NASMM's most recent member survey puts typical senior move manager rates at $60 to $120 an hour, with higher rates in the Northeast and California. (AARP, 2025)
- A Place for Mom gives its own estimate of $1,500 to $5,000 for a senior move manager's total cost, depending on location and scope. (A Place for Mom, 2024)
- NASMM, the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers, says its members outline the cost of a job in a written estimate before asking for payment. (NASMM, n.d.)
- NASMM's list of typical services runs from an overall move plan and customized floor plans to coordinating movers and unpacking in the new home. (NASMM, n.d.)
You live three states away, you have used your vacation days, and your parent's house still has 40 years of belongings in it. Or you live nearby but every sorting session ends in tears. At some point the question changes from "can we do this ourselves" to "should we."
This post explains what a senior move manager does and what it costs. It also covers when one makes sense and how to hire one. Hiring the movers themselves is covered in hiring movers for an assisted living move.
What does a senior move manager do?
A senior move manager coordinates the whole move, from the first sorting session to the last unpacked box. NASMM is now called the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers. It describes the profession as helping older adults and families with downsizing, relocation or simplifying their homes. Its list of typical services includes:
- Developing an overall move plan
- Organizing, sorting and downsizing
- Customized floor plans for the new home
- Arranging the disposal of unwanted items through auction, estate sale, consignment or donation
- Coordinating movers and shipments, and supervising packing
- Unpacking and setting up the new home
- Related services such as cleaning, waste removal and realtor selection
AARP's 2025 article on move managers adds a detail families like. They place items where they belong in the new apartment, so clothes are in the dresser and dishes in the cabinet on the first night. AARP also quotes a move manager who warns that things go worst for clients when the family hires only a mover and the boxes show up.
Move managers are also a neutral third party. A Place for Mom's article on move managers notes they can help calm family disagreements about what to keep. A parent who won't take advice from a daughter may take the same advice from a professional.
How much does a senior move manager cost?
AARP reported in March 2025 on NASMM's most recent association-wide demographic survey. According to that survey, move managers typically charge $60 to $120 an hour. Rates are higher in the Northeast and California. Some bill by the project instead of the hour.
For a total, A Place for Mom (2024) gives its own estimate of $1,500 to $5,000, depending on location and scope. That range is A Place for Mom's own figure, and a large house with a full estate sale can go beyond it. NASMM's FAQ gives no typical total. It says costs vary by region and by the services requested. It does say its members outline the cost of a job in a written estimate before asking for payment.
To compare quotes fairly, ask each move manager to price the same scope. That means sorting, floor plan, packing, move-in day supervision, unpacking, and handling what stays behind. Then compare everything each quote includes as well as the hourly rate.
When is a senior move manager worth it?
A move manager replaces family hours with paid hours. That trade makes most sense in these situations:
| Situation | Why a move manager helps |
|---|---|
| Family lives far away | Someone local handles sorting, vendors and move-in day without repeated flights |
| The move date is only weeks away | A crew can sort and pack in days what family would do over many weekends |
| Sorting sessions keep stalling or turning into arguments | A neutral professional keeps decisions moving |
| A large house with decades of belongings | They already know local estate sale, donation and hauling options |
| The family caregiver is exhausted | One person stops being responsible for every step |
A move manager is less necessary when your parent is moving from a small apartment and is ready to decide. The same goes when family lives nearby and has time to help. A middle path is to do the sorting as a family. Then hire a move manager only for move-in day and the unpacking. If you are the only person handling everything, read moving a parent into assisted living from far away before you decide. Caregiver burnout during a parent's move is worth reading too.
Do it yourselves, with a plan
If you decide not to hire a move manager, Parent Move Plan gives your family the structure one would. It puts 79 tasks on real dates counted back from move-in. The plan also has a floor plan grid, a furniture fit calculator, five house clearing tabs and a Team tab. That tab splits the work by hours and by who lives nearby.
Get your first 3 days freeWho does what among move managers, movers, estate sale companies and family
These roles overlap. That's why families sometimes pay twice for the same work, or leave a gap no one covers.
- Movers pack (if you pay for it), load, transport and unload. They don't decide what goes.
- Estate sale or clean-out companies handle what stays behind, and setting up the new apartment isn't part of their job.
- A senior move manager connects both ends: what goes, where it goes in the new apartment, and what happens to the rest. Coordinating the movers and arranging sales or donations is part of the service NASMM describes.
- Family still decides with your parent, signs contracts, and handles legal and financial matters.
The Family Caregiver Alliance's downsizing checklist lists a professional move manager or senior relocation specialist as one option. They can help with sorting, packing, logistics and unpacking. For choosing between sale, donation and hauling for what's left, see estate sale, donation or junk removal. If you handle the house as a family, our guide to downsizing a parent's home for assisted living covers the room-by-room order.
Questions to ask before you hire one
Interview at least two. NASMM suggests asking about experience, membership, certifications and insurance. It also suggests asking for a written contract, fee disclosure and references. AARP adds questions about scope and vendor recommendations. Taken together, they make this list:
- How long have you been doing senior moves, and how many assisted living moves have you handled?
- Are you a NASMM member? Do you hold any certification?
- Are you insured for liability and workers' compensation? Can I see the certificate?
- Exactly which services are included: sorting, floor plan, packing, move-in day, unpacking, handling what stays behind?
- Do you charge hourly or by project? What is not included?
- Which vendors do you use for moving, estate sales and hauling, and why? Do you receive anything from them?
- Can you give me a written estimate and contract before we start, and references from recent clients?
When you call a move manager, you might start like this: "My mother is moving into assisted living on [date]. I live out of state. I'd like a quote for sorting, a floor plan for her new apartment, move-in day supervision and unpacking. Could you send a written estimate after a walk-through?"
Working with a move manager and your parent
Hiring a professional doesn't take your parent out of the decisions. Introduce the move manager as someone working for your parent, not for you. Ask them to meet your parent before any sorting starts. They should confirm the comfort items and the floor plan with your parent directly.
Agree on how you'll stay informed. Ask for a short update after each working day, plus photos of the floor plan and the finished apartment. Also ask for a list of what went to family, sale and donation. Keep your own copy of that list. It helps later, when siblings have questions.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a senior move manager cost?
AARP reported in 2025 that NASMM's most recent member survey puts typical rates at $60 to $120 per hour. Rates are higher in the Northeast and California. Some charge by the project instead of the hour. The total depends on the size of the house, the services and the region, so get a written estimate.
Is a senior move manager the same as a mover?
No. A mover transports belongings. A senior move manager plans and coordinates the whole move: sorting and downsizing, floor plans, selling or donating what stays behind, supervising the movers, and unpacking and setting up the new apartment. Coordinating the movers is part of the job.
Who pays for a senior move manager?
Don't assume anyone else will. Move managers bill the client under a written contract, and NASMM says its members give a written estimate before asking for payment. If your parent has long-term care insurance, ask the insurer whether any moving help is covered, and ask your local Area Agency on Aging about programs in your area.
How do I find a senior move manager near me?
NASMM, the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers, has a member directory on its website. You can also ask the assisted living community whether it keeps a list of local move managers. Interview two or three, check references, and compare written estimates for the same scope.
What is a senior move manager?
A senior move manager is a professional who coordinates an older adult's whole move, from the first sorting session to the last unpacked box. NASMM, the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers, describes the work as helping older adults and families with downsizing, relocation or simplifying their homes. Typical services include a move plan, sorting, a floor plan for the new home, selling or donating what stays behind, coordinating movers and unpacking.
Who can help organize a parent's move to assisted living?
A senior move manager can organize the whole move, and the Family Caregiver Alliance's downsizing checklist lists a move manager or senior relocation specialist as one option for sorting, packing, logistics and unpacking. If the family organizes it instead, movers pack (if you pay for it), load and transport, and an estate sale or clean-out company handles what stays behind. Family still decides with your parent, signs contracts, and handles legal and financial matters.
Sources
- NASMM: FAQs (accessed Sept 2026)
- AARP: Moving as an Older Adult? A Move Manager Can Ease the Process (accessed Sept 2026)
- A Place for Mom: Senior Move Managers (accessed Sept 2026)
- Family Caregiver Alliance: Downsizing a Home: A Checklist for Caregivers (accessed Sept 2026)