house we all grew up in, and she absolutely needed to be in a safer place. We agreed on that, but when it came to actually doing it, we weren’t sure where to start. 

Brian We often hear the word ‘overwhelmed’ from the families. There is a lot to do, and it relies on some degree of family involvement and coordination. That can be a tall order.  

Stuffed to the Rafters

Rachel  Mom’s house was jammed with stuff going back to the 1970s and earlier. At Dad’s funeral, we kids agreed to get this going. Before we could even think about listing the house, we had to get rid of the mountains of stuff they had. 

Brian Most of the time, that’s the biggest challenge: dealing with all that stuff. No one looks forward to it, and it happens in phases. The first cut is family, then friends. Usually that takes away about 10%. Then you try to sell what you can. That’s usually another 20% or so. After that it’s moving, shipping, donations and disposal. 

Rachel That sounds about right. We got started sorting things, and whammo -- the house looked like a bomb had exploded. Everybody had their own pile somewhere. We were digging in them,  moving them around, trying to find lost mementos … making sure my brother’s stuff wasn’t given away. The walls were dingy and full of holes. Dad’s electrical box looked like a science experiment. At one point, I found myself hawking Mom’s old jewelry to some vintage gold guys. 

Brian It comes at you from all angles. People hang on to thousands of items. Most have no market value, but some have deep personal connections worth a fortune to that person. It’s an emotional minefield. 

Financial Pressures

Rachel  Our real estate agent tried to impose some order. She was laser focused on getting the house on the market, all business. She started setting deadlines, which we needed, but it caused problems. She was my sister’s friend, and somewhere along the way, she and my brother got into it, and he just left. Now we’re still not talking, two years later. 

Brian Unfortunately, that’s all too common. It’s hard to put a dollar value on family estrangement, but it’s steep. That’s not to say, money issues aren’t important.

Rachel  We talked a lot about money. It got real about halfway through the project when a whopper of a property tax bill had to be paid.

Brian  Out of pocket expenses like property tax and insurance can be shockers. Be glad the mortgage was paid. Folks also overlook another big one. Depreciation. Every month a house sits empty its selling price goes down. Houses were meant to be lived in, and empty houses start falling apart. The rubber seals dry. The batteries in the alarms expire. Food in the pantry rots. Cold weather comes, and the critters get in.

Rachel I can see how things might snowball into big problems. What’s the biggest mistake people make?

Brian The biggest financial mistake is to focus on the stuff instead of the house.  That’s the tail wagging the dog.

Rachel My sister had sold some of her stuff on eBay, and she already knew prices were coming down. Nobody wants China sets anymore, but there was  whole house of stuff left. It would cost a lot of money to replace all that.

Brian Replacement value is a lot higher than market value for these things. Potential buyers are afraid that used items may be contaminated in some way. They shy away from old clothes and anything with upholstery. Dealing with each and every item adds up to many, many hours to prepare a sale and gets a high enough price.  Think of the home as one big item on that list – and it’s more than 10x larger than all the other items combined. That’s where the focus should be.

Rachel Still, I feel like I ought to make sure I know what we’ve got, and at least try to find a buyer. Can’t I do both?

Brian Yes, if you have the time. Don’t get me wrong. A lot of people have great fun with tag sales. It’s your little Antiques Roadshow, but it’s rarely a cash bonanza. Conducting a good sale takes time and money. If you only have time for one -- an estate sale or some light repairs, like painting the walls, buffing the floors, maybe some landscaping -- do the house repairs. After it’s all over, the tag sale may put a few hundred dollars in your pocket, but having your  house in good shape could put tens-of-thousands of dollars into your bank account. 

Elder Hospitality

Rachel How do most families go about finding a new place? I suppose they start with nursing homes. They have a bit of a pall, but they’re changing.

Brian  Yes, they’re evolving … and fast.  Strictly speaking, a nursing home was just that. A home with nurses, without the full-time doctors or the fancy equipment. It freed up hospital beds. But that industry is reimagining itself. They go by Assisted Living, and they come with lots of activities and levels of care. The new ones are these swank facilities, often built on bucolic campuses. They look like senior Club Meds. I think the industry should be called Elder Hospitality.

Rachel We didn’t come across those in our city, but I believe you. Still even in a Club Med, some elders really do want to stay in their home.

Brian  Of course. It’s a very personal choice.  If they do want to stay in the old family home or somewhere else that’s not supervised, safety is the primary concern. Often, an in-home care company is a big part of the answer. These companies recruit and manage health aids who watch over things in the home and assist with daily living activities.

Several really innovative companies are professionalizing what had been a cottage industry, and they’ve got venture money behind them.  In order to scale, they’ve begun focusing on managing the caregivers. These caregivers work odd hours. They’re mostly part time, and they usually work multiple jobs with their own complicated family commitments. There are a lot of moving pieces, and turnover is extremely high.

Rachel Caregiving isn’t a 9 to 5 job. I suppose a lot would depend on the type of house they’re working in.

Brian With some clients, the professional caregiver’s workday is an absolute pleasure, an oasis of quiet. With others, it’s like stepping into a nightmare, and the caregiver quits. The in-home care companies can’t offer extravagant pay packages – the market won’t allow it -- but they do offer flexible hours, which are great, but hard to manage. Sensitivity to the unusual nature of client and worker needs is crucial, and nimble scheduling skills will be needed to win the day.

Rachel  I see where they can help in many situations, but sometimes the family home itself is the problem. It just doesn’t fit for that elder anymore.

Brian  Those old homes were bought to have enough bedrooms for kids. Nice big yards and basements that come along with maintenance and lots of steps.

Rachel  In our case, all of us kids had moved out of the old neighborhood.

Brian  After safety, proximity to a child is the next highest requirement, and there are options. A popular choice is a ranch or a condo near one of the kids. We’ve also seen elders move in together, like college days. Elders can also move in with one of the kids, but that can be a big strain on both the kid’s family and the senior. In-law suites are being taken to the next level with something called ADUs, for accessory dwelling units. Families are building standalone structures in the backyards, kind of like tiny homes for elders.

Rachel So ADUs are a thing?

Brian  Yes, they’re trending. The point being, there are a lot of options, and reliable in-home care makes some previously unrealistic options practical. That’s a big deal since families are planning for decades, not months. A 15 year planning horizon is pretty typical. Your senior may be moving a few more times … and that’ll be a good thing. It means you have the freedom to move when you want to.  

The Ethos of an Executor

Rachel How does Operation Relo fit into all this? 

Brian  Relo makes the world a better place by facilitating lifestyle transitions for families with elders. This gives them a lot more choices and good times together. We’re the connective tissue between the parts of the growing elder infrastructure. We’ve worked with thousands of families. We’ve even started using AI. And we’re profitable.   

Rachel  How did you come up with the idea?

Brian  I’ve always had an eye out for large, recurring problems that need solving. My family’s situation hit me front and center about the big need for downsizing.

Not so coincidentally, I also am straddling Relo’s two target age groups. This may be one of the many new jobs coming where being older will be an advantage. In any event, being on the cusp of elderhood puts me at an age where I’m a multidimensional pundit.

Rachel  What’s the biggest thing you bring from that personal experience into Relo?

Brian  The ethos of an executor. Relo has a “whatever it takes”  attitude, and when you’re an executor, all of the hairy details of the estate need to be settled, even the silly ones. Likewise, our clients need closure so they can move ahead with their lives.   

Rachel I’ll bet you’ve had some crazy requests over the years.

Brian  We have, but of course they’re not really crazy when you understand what’s behind them. It’s not for us to judge.  At Relo I say, if the client wants it, they’re willing to pay for it – and it’s legal – we get it done.

About Operation Relo
Operation Relo (Relo) provides a comprehensive downsizing services for families with elders. Relo gets willing families transitioned by conducting senior moves; preparing homes for sale; and relocating household possessions through cybermarkets, estate sales, donation, and disposal. Contact us at (877) 678 – 7356 (RELO), RELIEF@OperationRelo.com and www.OperationRelo.com

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