Senior Hoarding Game Plan

We wanted to share with you an often confounding yet common situation when dealing with transitioning an elderly loved one from their home of many years into a senior care community, or perhaps your home or even settling their estate. We are specifically referring to senior hoarding. This is real and the condition is known as Diogenes syndrome, and it is more common than most people realize.

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This is part of our 2024 best in class continuing series of helpful articles from Joe Santoro and Nick Santoro of Personal Property Managers to assist you in home downsizing, content liquidation and full service discount real estate services. Personal Property Managers services clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

During this challenging time in the Corona Virus and COVID-19 era, we help families that are unable travel or tend to their property needs by providing a true one-stop resource. We are focused on making life just a little easier for families during often difficult times. With Personal Property Managers, one call does it all.

Our senior loved ones are certainly part of the ‘greatest generation’ for sure. They have sacrificed for our nation, fought our wars, defended our freedom, were hard working Americans who put in long hours at work, saved and accumulated things over their lifetime. Now, as their caregiver, you may be faced with dealing with the task of trying to clean-up or sort through what they have accumulated over their lifetime. In many cases, the mass accumulation of things turns out to be senior hoarding. We often find homes with 4 or 5 blenders, toasters, lawnmowers, ladders, boxes of things that have never been opened or things never used and the list goes on and on…

Times have changed. Items that were valuable years ago are no longer desirable. Family members often have no use or desire to bring Grandma’s things to their home. Change can be hard, and sorting through a lifetime accumulation of possessions can be overwhelming to a senior who is already struggling with a loss of independence and to family members who are stressed out.

It is perfectly normal for an individual who has lived for many years in one location to acquire a lot of stuff, and for some individuals, letting go of the things they no longer need can be extremely difficult. Experts say seniors are prone to cluttering for a variety of reasons, including fear of loss, anxiety, and depression. Research also suggests that pre-Alzheimer’s personalities may trigger hoarding behavior, further complicating the issue for those already pre-disposed to this obsessive habit.

For families dealing with loved ones and parents who have slipped into a pattern of hoarding, it can be difficult to develop strategies for the kind of downsizing that is necessary to accommodate a move to senior housing. The individual may be ashamed of their living conditions, and reluctant to accept the help they need. They also may be fearful of being forced to let go of the items to which they have become attached and resist their family’s attempts at getting the clutter under control.

Of course, securing the homeowner’s consent and cooperation is only half the battle. Once you have the go-ahead to begin sorting through the collection, it is important to have a strategy for completing the task at hand. Here are a few suggestions for getting through the cleanup:

Call a professional. At Personal Property Managers, we specialize in helping families take stock of what they have, what is valuable or not and how to declutter. Often, going through an entire household after years of accumulation is simply too much for one person to undertake. Far better to work as a team with a common goal.

Set a date to start the project. Block off a section of your calendar when you can truly focus on the task at hand. Determine how long you will work, and then stick to the plan. You may not make it through the process entirely, but knowing you have a starting time, and a plan to wrap up the day’s work at a specific time, can help keep you on track.

Do it in chunks. Work room by room. Although you may have an entire house to wade through, you will do your best work by focusing on one room at a time. Besides, any large project is easier to complete if you divide it into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Use a system. Focus on the most used items. As you go through each room, set aside a place for each of the following: donations, keepsakes, items to be organized and put away, and trash. At the end of each workday, take time to put away the items you have chosen to keep. Be selective. Remember that you are downsizing, so make your selections carefully. You may actually need to go through this process twice as it is often difficult to make emotional decisions the first pass through.

Think about digitizing boxes and boxes of photos and photo albums.

Have donations and trash picked up promptly to prevent second guessing your selections. The sooner you have temptation removed, the better.

Once the cleanup is complete, check in often to make sure that day-to-day clutter is not getting out of control. Staying on top of the problem is far easier than wading through a year’s worth of accumulation, and maintaining a tidy living space will relieve stress for you and your loved one, as well as make the home safer for its inhabitants.

The good news is that we can help clean-out your house, help downsize family’s homes and liquidate your contents for items that are saleable and in demand. We offer on-site estate sale services and can remove contents and sell them via our array of proprietary resources. With Personal Property Managers…one call does it all.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

For more information on real estate or home downsizing please contact Nick Santoro or Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers at 215-485-9272 or 908-368-1909. Personal Property Managers specializes in helping home owners transition from their home of many years into a new community. Personal Property Managers services Pennsylvania and New Jersey and offers downsizing services, estate sales services, home staging, discount full service real estate services via its association with EveryHome Realty. Learn more about Personal Property Managers from our recent News Stories.

How to keep your house safe when selling it

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Securing is top of mind today. This is especially true for homeowners or it should be. With this in mind we have taken the time to share with you our top 6 things you can do to keep you home safe when putting it on the market for sale in 2024. This is part of our 2024 best in class series of real estate articles by Nick Santoro and Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers who service Pennsylvania and New Jersey and specialize in real estate, home content downsizing, property management and estate sales. These tips and insights are especially important and true in the environment we are in today, with the global economy turned upside down, massive job losses, and the need for extreme social distancing due to the Corona Virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. Additionally, during this challenging time in the Corona Virus and COVID-19 era, we help families that are unable travel or tend to their property needs by providing a true one-stop resource. We are focused on making life just a little easier for families during often difficult times. With Personal Property Managers, one call does it all.

1. Stow away valuables. This includes everything from mail left on your kitchen counter (which may contain personal information and bank statements) to such items as jewelry, artwork, cellphones, and gaming systems. Real estate agents can’t protect valuables and likely won’t be following prospective buyers all around the house, especially during a busy open house. You should walk through your house before a showing or open house to make sure everything of value is out of sight.

2. Remove or lock up prescription medications prior to showings. Similar to removing valuables prior to a showing or open house, prescription drugs are another key item to protect.

3. Remove family photos for your safety. Many real estate agents advise sellers to remove family photos as part of the staging process, but removing photos can also help protect your family’s privacy.

4. Make your house safe for buyers and agents. Turn on the lights prior to showings — whether it’s daytime or evening — so that agents and buyers can move safely through the home. It’s important to remove obvious weapons (like guns) before showings, but also not-so-obvious weapons. For example, many homeowners may have a block of knives on their kitchen counter which should be removed for everyone’s safety.

5. Keep the house locked and consider extra monitoring. Doors need to be kept locked at all times. Consider adding deadbolt locks, securing sliding glass doors with bars and extra locks, installing motion-sensor lights for outdoor areas, and check that all windows are locked securely. Look into installing a wireless security system, maybe one that alerts you if motion is detected.

6. Beware of unexpected visitors. When your house is for sale, should you get unexpected visitors at your front door and you weren’t expecting any showings, don’t let them in. This is not the proper procedure for showings. Only real estate professionals who have made an appointment and use the lockbox should gain access to your home.

As a follow-up to this last tip, if something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut. You and your realtor have the right to decline any showing request.

When returning home after a showing or an open house, don’t assume that everyone has left and that the house has been secured. Walk through the entire house, checking each room, as well as all door locks and windows – even on upper levels. If you notice anything that’s missing or possibly damaged, call your realtor immediately.

Nick Santoro, co-founder of Personal Property Managers and a decorated Marine points out that this information is certainly not meant to create fear and mistrust, or to scare homeowners away from selling, but rather to help them and their realtors think practically about the ways to secure homes and valuables, and to maintain everyone’s personal safety.

More information can be found on who we are and lessons for home selling experts via these brief video links

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

Trying to sell your stuff? How come no one wants it?

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As home cleanout and content liquidation specialists, we are contacted multiple times each day from people who are either moving, downsizing, settling an estate or handling the affairs of an elderly loved and want to clean out their house and sell their home contents in 2024. Most of the people who call, begin by telling us they have a variety of items ranging from kitchen sets, living room sets, bedroom sets, china cabinets filled with all kinds of things and believe that buyers will want to flock to their home for a chance to buy their contents.

Let’s face it, we all think our home is worth a million bucks and the things that we have accumulated over the years are beautiful and everyone will them…right? Wrong.

This is part of our 2024 best in class series of articles by Nick Santoro and Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers, who service Pennsylvania and New Jersey and specialize in real estate, property management, home content downsizing and estate sale services. These tips and insights are especially important in the environment we are in today, with the global economy turned upside down, massive job losses, and the need for extreme social distancing due to the Corona Virus. Additionally, during this challenging time we help families that are unable travel or tend to their property needs by providing a true one-stop resource. We are focused on making life just a little easier for families during often difficult times. With Personal Property Managers, one call does it all.

These four 90 second videos will give you further insight into trying to sell you home contents or considering an estate sale.

Estate Sale and Content Liquidation Services

Trying to Sell my Home Contents….Do they have any value?

We sell and liquidate the contents of your home

How to sell the contents of your home

In addition to the challenges of trying to sell your home contents as noted in this article and in our videos, we are now dealing with the Corona Virus and extreme social distancing. So ask yourself, in this day and age, would you want to go to a strangers home and buy pre-owned furniture? Probably not. Then on top of that, what most sellers never think of is the logistics and cost of simply moving an item from a sellers home to a buyers home? Who pays for that? This has to be factored into the selling price, if there is even a demand or interest in todays environment.

So does this mean you can not sell your pre-owned home contents? No. Absolutely not. You may be able to sell your older unwanted items, but understand that todays buyers tend to want more updated and contemporary items reflective of todays styles. Additionally, todays home owners tend to want a more simplified look and feel and not want many items that were popular years ago. So be realistic. When we conduct an on-site estate sale and content liquidation sale, we need to have a sufficient amount of quality and quantity of items to sell to justify the time and effort that goes into promoting a successful estate sale. This will give you an example of how we design special web marketing specificially to promote your estate sale (click here). This will give you a good feel for the effort and expertise that we put into every estate sale we do. In addition, we also provide signage, security, staffing and so much more. Additional info is found on our estate sale and content liquidation page (click here). So, please consider these facts and insights when you are contemplating your deisire to sell your contents.

How about trying to sell your household items on your own?

Are we saying that you cannot sell items in your home? No. Absolutely not. We are just trying to share with you insights into what is most desirable to buyers today and the dynamics of the market today. Naturally, you can trying to sell your household contents yourself, but be aware of the challenges you will face. Do you want strangers in your house? Be prepared for people who express interest to just not show up even when you feel you have a confirmed appointment. Be prepared for people who may show up, for them not to have the money to pay for the item that you agreed to over the phone or online. Be prepared for people to cancel appointments multiple times while you are on your way to meet them. So, it is not easy, but it is not impossible. Just be prepared.

OK, so if you cannot sell your stuff most people will say they will just contact a local charity and they will come over and pick it up; right? Wrong. Sorry. With the COVID environment we are in, charities are hesitant to come into your home. Then you have put yourself in the shoes of the buyer. Would you want to buy someone else items in this COVID era? Lastly, keep in mind that charities have a limited amount of physical space, so it is highly unlikely that they will come over and remove items that your own family did not want or that you could not sell. We know this may sound harsh, but it is true. On a worse case scenario, we can remove all your unwanted contents and help you cleanout and downsize your home and or get it market ready for sale.

Further information and perspective, especially in these changing times is noted below.

Things have really changed over the last few years. Items that people thought were valuable years ago, such as collectable figurines or china cabinets filled with plates and glassware are no longer in style. Furniture that is still functional but is 20 years old is just not in style or in demand today. We have found that 50 is the magic age. People over the age of 50 already have many of the things that people want to sell and do not want any more of it. People under age 50 simply do not have interest in many of the things that people want to sell. It all boils down to style, age, condition and desirability. We always tell people that it does not matter what you paid for it…something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. The simple test we ask people to do is invite friends and family over to let them take what they want. You’ll be surprised by the reaction you get. The majority of folks will say thanks but no thanks and will take nothing. Yes, it’s sad but true.

This is part of a continuing series of helpful articles from Joe Santoro and Nick Santoro of Personal Property Managers to assist you in home downsizing, content liquidation and full service discount real estate services. Personal Property Managers services clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These tips and insights are especially important and true in the environment we are in today, with the global economy turned upside down, massive job losses, and the need for extreme social distancing due to the Corona Virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. Additionally, during this challenging time in the Corona Virus and COVID-19 era, we help families that are unable travel or tend to their property needs by providing a true one-stop resource. We are focused on making life just a little easier for families during often difficult times. With Personal Property Managers, one call does it all.

Our clients are often shocked to find out that no one in their family wants their china or old dining room set, but they still believe that someone else will certainly want it. Doesn’t it tell you something when your own family or friends don’t want your stuff?

Millennials and Gen Xers are resistant to the influx of furniture, kitchenware, and general stuff that comes with their parents’ downsizing.

Parents are often frustrated that they cannot even donate it. Then there is the challenge of content disposal and the transportation of it. When folks tell us their stuff is 20 or 30 years old, we have to tell them that there is little to no value to it. They often then get frustrated and don’t want to pay for the transportation costs associated with loading, driving and unloading their stuff just to get rid of it.

What about antiques? Unfortunately, the antique market has dropped off dramatically for all the same reasons. The younger generation just does not have the interest that there was some 15 to 20 years ago with antiques. So what is hot? Its furniture and items that are more contemporary in style and age. Items that are 3 – 7 years old and in great condition still have a market. This is typically called transitional furniture. We always ask people, how much would you pay for a 20 year old couch? If the answer is, I would not…or maybe $20…well then you really have your answer…don’t you?

It’s not all that surprising when you think about it. For one thing, younger generations might not have the space to store table service for 12. The average age of homeownership has been pushed back, and the number of millennials who own homes is at a record low.

Experts say it’s partly economic — 20- and 30-somethings buckling under student-loan debt and having trouble securing work right out of school don’t have the disposable income for many of the traditional life markers, like buying a home or getting married — but these grown kids may also have different value systems. On top of this 40 and 50-year-old parents are struggling with trying to figure out how to pay for their kids’ college and are nervous with today’s ever changing job market.

Consider some of the movements of the past few years:

Tiny houses. Tiny houses are less costly and have extremely limited storage. But that’s not deterring the people flocking to more-limited living space.
Scaled down capsule wardrobes. One of the hottest trends in the fashion blogosphere in the past few years is the capsule wardrobe, in which you wear only a fraction of the clothes you own, ultimately aiming to isolate those you no longer need.

Early retirement. The way people retire is changing, and some people are doing it earlier than ever through a combination of aggressive frugality and extreme saving.

Renting everything. Many younger adults see the appeal of renting everything, including homes phones and cars; and companies are happy to help them do it.
Experiences over things. Psychological research has repeatedly found that spending money on experiences rather than tangible things makes people happier, a concept embraced by 20- and 30-somethings, some of whom even cast aside traditional jobs and lifestyles to travel the world.

Large expenses – College bills and Credit card debt. Both parents and younger adults do not have the disposable income that was available years ago due to large college loans and ever-growing credit card debt

Low cost new furniture. The market place is flooded with new and lower priced furniture that is more in line with today’s style and preferences. It may not last as long as the well-made furniture of the past, but today’s buyers get bored with their furniture after 7 to 10 years and would rather buy new furniture and change the look of their home more frequently.

The younger adult generations simply want something different from their parents.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

Home Selling Tips for Pet Owners

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News flash…although you may love your pet and feel that it’s a part of the family, not everyone may feel the same way, especially prospective home buyers who may be turned off by pet odors, worn yards and scratches on floors and walls. So, what is a home seller with pets to do?

We are sharing insights to pet owners who are trying to sell your home. In fact, we advise animal-owning sellers to rid their home of any evidence of pet damage or animal scents before opening their doors to potential buyers.

Appealing to buyers who may not love pets as much as you do can boost your chances of getting top dollar for your house.

This is part of our 2024 best in class continuing series of articles by Nick Santoro and Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers, who service Pennsylvania and New Jersey and specialize in real estate, property management, home content downsizing and estate sale services.

Addressing Outside Pet Needs
While a spacious backyard is a plus in the eyes of most buyers, pet-related landmines and holes typically aren’t on a buyer’s list of wants. To get your yard visitor-ready, we recommend filling in any doggy-dug holes and scooping the poop.

Additionally, be sure to check your fencing, deck, and porch for any marks from scratching or chewing. Most pet-related scratches and damage can be easily repaired with a little sandpaper and stain.

Addressing Inside Pet Needs
First impressions are everything, but dog toys and pet odors don’t exactly enhance a home’s initial appeal. Get your home ready by ousting any evidence of pets, including:
• Pet belongings. Collect toys, bowls, beds, crates, cat trees, and litter boxes and keep them out of sight. We even recommend hiding pet photos.
• Scents. Get rid of potentially off-putting animal scents by lighting candles, opening windows, or hiring a professional carpet cleaning crew to deodorize your domicile.
• Scratches. If your hardwood floors have a few battle scars to show for their years of being trodden upon by pets, consider having them resurfaced.
• Remove Your Pet(s). Leaving your pet in the house during showings isn’t the best idea. They could dart out an open door or pose a liability issue if they behave in a less-than-friendly manner toward strangers. If you can’t take your pets with you, let a friend or relative care for them or board them at a kennel.

Please remember that you only have one time to make a good first impression, be that a buyer or with other realtors, so please keep this in mind if you are a home seller with pets. You do not want to sabotage your chances of success by not being mindful of other people’s opinions of pets.

More information can be found on who we are and look through the eyes of the buyer via these brief video links.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

How to begin downsizing your home

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The vast majority of the clients who contact us are simply overwhelmed trying to tackle downsizing their home or the home of a loved one. It is physically and mentally draining. Often it entails going through possessions that have been in the house for 40 plus years. Where do you begin?

This is part of our 2024 best in class continuing series of articles and helpful tips and insights into helping you move forward and sell your home and clean out your contents by Nick Santoro and Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers. Personal Property Managers specializes in real estate sales and marketing, home downsizing, content clean out and removal and estate sales, and services Pennsylvania and New Jersey. These tips and insights are especially important and true in the environment we are in today, with the global economy turned upside down, massive job losses, and the need for extreme social distancing due to the Corona Virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.

Moving from your home of 20, 30 or 40 years is a daunting task. Often our client tell us it’s an “oh my gosh moment” – where do I begin? This is where we can help you.

Did you know that downsizing and moving ranks as one of lifes most difficult events, along with loss of a spouse, divorce and job change. People feel overwhelmed, and wonder; where do they even start?

At Personal Property Managers, we understand the emotional toll downsizing and moving can take on our clients and their families. If you are moving from your home of many years into a senior care community or just relocating, our goal is to help you transition seamlessly to this exciting new chapter in life.

Nick Santoro says that of the many challenges of moving, downsizing is the most difficult. Nick says the reason for this is that you have to make decisions about every personal possession in your home. Personal Property Managers is at your side helping you every step of the way.

Santoro suggests viewing downsizing as a process. We suggest that you start with small goals, and plan on sorting for just a few hours at a time.

Sorting through the easiest and obvious first. Choose a room where what needs to go or stay is the most obvious – like your bedroom or a room that’s rarely used.
Using colored stickers, labels or Post-It notes to identify where items will go. More efficient than writing out a list, movers and family members can use the stickers as guidance on moving day.
Assessing practicality and sentimentality. Items that are both practical and sentimental should move with you. Items that are neither should be left for family, sale or charity.
Eliminating duplicate items or items that are the wrong size. Chances are, you only need three sets of towels, not six. If clothing does not fit, do not bring it with you.

Before the move, Santoro recommends creating a floor plan and determining the practicality of existing furniture. Nick says, do not go out and buy new furniture. Instead, be open to using furniture in new ways.”

Taking measurements of available space is also important. Virginia, a recent client said, “We had large paintings that we really loved, but did not think we could bring with us. Nick had our floor plan and measurements and said, “Oh, yes we can. I know just where those paintings can go!’”

“It’s the sentimental items that make a house a home,” Nick reminds our clients. “Those are just as important as packing up your sensible shoes and kitchenware.”

What about selling some of your home contents?

As you approach the downsizing process, many of our clients contact us about wanting to sell their household items.

Most of the people who call, begin by telling us they have a variety of items ranging from kitchen sets, living room sets, bedroom sets, china cabinets filled with all kinds of things and believe that buyers will want to flock to their home for a chance to buy their contents.
Let’s face it, we all think the things that we have accumulated over the years are beautiful and everyone will them; right? Wrong.

So in this day and age of the Corona Virus, you have to ask yourself would you want to go to a strangers home and buy pre-owned furniture? Probably not. Then on top of that, what most sellers never think of is the logistics and cost of simply moving an item from a seller’s home to a buyer’s home? Who pays for that? This has to be factored into the selling price, if there is even a demand or interest in today’s environment.So, does this mean you cannot sell your pre-owned home contents? No. Absolutely not. You may be able to sell your older unwanted items, but understand that today’s buyers tend to want more updated and contemporary items reflective of today’s styles. Additionally, todays home owners tend to want a more simplified look and feel and not want many items that were popular years ago. So be realistic.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

Tips for having an Aging Parent Move In

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We often work with families where children are caregivers for their aging parents. Often time medical conditions and sometimes financial decisions necessitate change. This change may mean that your elderly loved one may need to move in to their children’s home.

This is a decision that adult children and caregivers should think though carefully. There’s so much that’s involved. If you move mom or dad in and don’t have discussions on ground rules and space then it’s going to be chaos. If you make a plan and if you have conversations up front and define your boundaries, it can be a very pleasant and very productive addition to your life.

This is part of our 2024 best in class continuing series of articles and helpful tips and insights into senior care and senior transition services by Nick Santoro and Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers. Personal Property Managers specializes in senior transition services such as downsizing, content clean out and removal, estate sales, full service real estate and property sale and moving and services PA and NJ.

No matter how prepared you are to have an elderly loved one move in to your home and no matter how pleasant your relationship is, expect the unexpected. You need to be prepared for the role reversal. You need to be prepared for the things that are going to happen so that you don’t blow up so you don’t have an incident that you can’t take back. The only way that this new relationship works is if you find a way to have a real relationship with mom or dad and get rid of those old parent to child roles.

Lastly, if mom or dad are moving in, getting their finances together is the first and most important thing. In addition, plan in advance for absentee care giving when you go on vacation. Having ‘alone’ time with your spouse is important. There are services [and] people you can pay hourly, but the one thing a lot of people miss is that there may be members of your own family who are actually out looking for employment while you’re struggling trying to figure out who’s going to watch mom or dad. One thing that’s worked out very well is having family members come in and have them get compensated instead of paying an outside professional. You want to get creative with your solutions.

We have learned that these discussions [between parent and adult children] aren’t always easy, but they are extremely important at many levels.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

The Cost of Senior Care and your Options

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Are you the caregiver of a senior loved one? Have you ever wondered how expensive the cost of long term senior care is for your elderly loved? Do you have any idea how much the average cost is for a nursing home or an assisted living community or the cost of in-home care services?

This is part of our 2024 best in class continuing series of article and helpful tips and insights into senior care and senior transition services by Nick Santoro and Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers. Personal Property Managers specializes in senior transition services such as downsizing, content clean out and removal, estate sales, full service real estate and property sale and moving.

During this challenging time in the Corona Virus and COVID-19 era, we help families that are unable travel or tend to their property needs by providing a true one-stop resource. Additionally, we help family transition elderly loved ones from independent living to senior care communities and help them pay for a loved ones long term care with our full line of services. We are focused on making life just a little easier for families during often difficult times. With Personal Property Managers, one call does it all.

We’d like to share with you some recent information conducted by Genworth Financial about the cost of caring for our seniors. We think this will not only be informative but a real eye opener.

This year’s annual cost-of-care survey by Genworth Financial shows that the national, median annual cost for care in an assisted-living facility is about $54,000, or $4,500 per month.

The average cost of an assisted-living facility nationwide has increased 6.29% annually over the past five years, according to the study.

Nationwide, the cost for a private nursing home room rose about 6.4% annually over the past five years to $108,405 or $9,034 per month.

This is part of a 14 year study surveying about 15,000 providers of long-term care services nationwide.

About 70% of people older than 65 will need some form of long-term care services, but costs for those services have been rising for years. The average length of a long-term care claim is about three years.

The world’s population is aging at a faster rate than ever before and people are living longer. Every day until 2030, 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65, and 7 out of 10 people will require long term care in their lifetime.

Nationally, the 2021 median hourly cost for the services of a homemaker or in-home health aide hired from a home care agency is $27.

The real challenge is how to pay for the long term care of our elderly.

There are several options. One is to secure a long term care insurance policy. However, the cost for this type of insurance is often very expensive and will depend on the age of the client. The older the client is the more costly it is on an annualized basis.

Often times families are forced to pay for the cost of their loved ones long term care by liquidating their assets. This means selling the home of their loved one and liquidating their financial assets such as stocks and bonds and other holdings. Then depending upon the state you live in, Medicaid will step in, but they use a 5 year look back to determine eligibility and need. In other words, virtually all assets must be exhausted before the state Medicaid system will step in again, this depends upon the state in which you live in.

At Personal Property Managers, we can help families pay for a loved ones long term care. How? We take care of everything relating to a loved ones home and their contents. We help liquidate the contents of a loved ones home. Then we get a home market ready for sale and then can help sell the property to help free up funds to pay for a loved ones long term care. This can be a exhausting and emotional process. We help move the process along with our one stop services. With one call, Personal Property Managers does it all.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

How to begin Downsizing you Home

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Moving from your home of 20, 30 or 40 years is a daunting task. Often our client tell us it’s an “oh my gosh moment” – where do I begin? This is where we can help you.

Santoro suggests viewing downsizing as a process. We suggest that you start with small goals, and plan on sorting for just a few hours at a time.

Sorting through the easiest and obvious first. Choose a room where what needs to go or stay is the most obvious – like your bedroom or a room that’s rarely used.
Using colored stickers, labels or Post-It notes to identify where items will go. More efficient than writing out a list, movers and family members can use the stickers as guidance on moving day.
Assessing practicality and sentimentality. Items that are both practical and sentimental should move with you. Items that are neither should be left for family, sale or charity.
Eliminating duplicate items or items that are the wrong size. Chances are, you only need three sets of towels, not six. If clothing does not fit, do not bring it with you.

“It’s the sentimental items that make a house a home,” Nick reminds our clients. “Those are just as important as packing up your sensible shoes and kitchenware.”

What about selling some of your home contents?

As you approach the downsizing process, many of our clients contact us about wanting to sell their household items.

So in this day and age of the Corona Virus, you have to ask yourself would you want to go to a strangers home and buy pre-owned furniture? Probably not. Then on top of that, what most sellers never think of is the logistics and cost of simply moving an item from a seller’s home to a buyer’s home? Who pays for that? This has to be factored into the selling price, if there is even a demand or interest in today’s environment. So, does this mean you cannot sell your pre-owned home contents? No. Absolutely not. You may be able to sell your older unwanted items, but understand that today’s buyers tend to want more updated and contemporary items reflective of today’s styles. Additionally, todays home owners tend to want a more simplified look and feel and not want many items that were popular years ago. So be realistic.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

How to begin Downsizing you Home

Leave a reply

Moving from your home of 20, 30 or 40 years is a daunting task. Often our client tell us it’s an “oh my gosh moment” – where do I begin? This is where we can help you.

Santoro suggests viewing downsizing as a process. We suggest that you start with small goals, and plan on sorting for just a few hours at a time.

Sorting through the easiest and obvious first. Choose a room where what needs to go or stay is the most obvious – like your bedroom or a room that’s rarely used.
Using colored stickers, labels or Post-It notes to identify where items will go. More efficient than writing out a list, movers and family members can use the stickers as guidance on moving day.
Assessing practicality and sentimentality. Items that are both practical and sentimental should move with you. Items that are neither should be left for family, sale or charity.
Eliminating duplicate items or items that are the wrong size. Chances are, you only need three sets of towels, not six. If clothing does not fit, do not bring it with you.

“It’s the sentimental items that make a house a home,” Nick reminds our clients. “Those are just as important as packing up your sensible shoes and kitchenware.”

What about selling some of your home contents?

As you approach the downsizing process, many of our clients contact us about wanting to sell their household items.

So in this day and age of the Corona Virus, you have to ask yourself would you want to go to a strangers home and buy pre-owned furniture? Probably not. Then on top of that, what most sellers never think of is the logistics and cost of simply moving an item from a seller’s home to a buyer’s home? Who pays for that? This has to be factored into the selling price, if there is even a demand or interest in today’s environment. So, does this mean you cannot sell your pre-owned home contents? No. Absolutely not. You may be able to sell your older unwanted items, but understand that today’s buyers tend to want more updated and contemporary items reflective of today’s styles. Additionally, todays home owners tend to want a more simplified look and feel and not want many items that were popular years ago. So be realistic.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

Getting your home ready for an aging loved one to move in

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Home Modifications When Moving In an Elderly Loved One

Home modifications tips for elderly parents moving in with caregivers

Helping Seniors Move in PA NJ With Americans living longer and longer, and with the baby boomer retirement population exploding, and expecting to almost double in the next few years, one option that many families are taking is having elderly parents move in with their adult caregiver children.

We have found that it’s very important to consider certain home modifications so you can accommodate elderly loved ones moving in with you.

This is part of our 2023 best in class continuing series of articles and helpful tips and insights into senior care and senior transition services by Nick Santoro and Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers. Personal Property Managers specializes in senior transition services such as downsizing, content clean out and removal, estate sales, full service real estate and property sale and moving and services PA and NJ.

Some general safety and room-by-room details to consider include:
Make sure to have study handrails on all indoor and outdoor steps
Install nonskid strips on or near steps and near the edges.
For those with visual impairments, the strips should be a color that contrasts with the color of the steps.
Light switches should be located near all entrances to each room, at each end of hallways, and at the top and bottom of stairwells.
Lighting should be sufficiently throughout the home.
Consider replacing traditional door knobs with lever handles which are easier to operate than doorknobs.
Interior doors should have locks that can be opened from either side.
Hallways and doorways should be wide enough to accommodate a walker or wheelchair.
The water heater should be set at 120 degrees to reduce the risk of scalding.
Solid color carpeting with dense pile will lower fall risks. Deep pile carpeting can be more difficult to walk on, and patterned carpeting may cause optical illusions for those who have difficulty with depth perception.
To lower fall risks with hardwood floors, avoid wax or high gloss polishes or throw rugs.
Avoid room entrances with raised door thresholds.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors should be present near all sleeping areas.
Check that kitchen cabinets and countertops are a comfortable height, and that there is space to roll a wheelchair under a counter, if needed.
A side-by-side refrigerator/freezer will be easier to use than a top-bottom model.
Electric or gas stoves should not be positioned under a window because the presence of curtains will increase the risk of fire.
Sinks should have a single-lever mixing faucet.
The touch pad of a microwave should be large and easy to read, and the device should be in a convenient location.
There should be one bathroom located on the main floor of the home, as well as near the bedroom (if the home is multi-level).
Grab bars should be present or can be installed near the toilet and tub/shower.
Check that the toilet is a comfortable height.
It is recommended that the tub/shower has a hand-held spray unit, and a built-in seat or space to utilize a shower chair (chairs are available which extend over the side of a tub if a stall shower is not present, however you will need a curtain instead of shower doors to minimize water escaping from the shower.)
A pedestal sink may be needed if a wheelchair or regular chair will be used in front of the sink.
The size of the bathroom should be adequate for wheelchair maneuverability
Avoid throw rugs and bathmats. The floor should be carpeted (low pile), or matte-finished, textured tile instead of a smooth, potentially slippery surface.
Towel racks and built-in soap dishes should be secure and not located where they might be used as a grab bar.
One Bedroom should be available on the main floor of the home.

We have learned over the years that these modifications can make a world of difference for your elderly loved one.

For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.

We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:

Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.

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