Operating since 1995, Moving Station has helped more than 40,000 people as they make the transition to living in a senior community. The company initially provided relocation services for corporate executives and veterans, then used that expertise to meet the demand for senior moving services.
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Bottom Line
Moving Station provides seniors with real estate management services like relocating to a senior-specific community. It manages the sale of your home, the move and getting you settled into your new home. It works with a nationwide network of senior communities.
Moving Station offers a range of senior moving services to retirees relocating to a senior living community. With over two decades specializing in helping people transition to their retirement homes, we chose to include Moving Station in our Best Senior Moving Services Guide. The company offers three prongs of senior moving services: selling your home, sorting and organizing belongings and moving, and discounted financial consulting. Moving Station’s goal is to ease the transition from home to assisted living community during a commonly stressful time for families. With over 835,000 Americans choosing to move to assisted living facilities, senior moving companies like Moving Station provide a much-needed service.
Simplifies the process of selling a home and moving to a senior community
Personal Relocation Manager assists with every phase of your move
Years of experience lends a better understanding of what retirees’ needs are
Cons
Some program features like the Quick Buy Program limit the profit on the home sale
How Does Moving Station Work?
A significant amount of time, thought and effort goes into coordinating moving from a house you’ve been in for many years to a smaller property like a condo or an assisted living community. Before you start packing, the process involves wading through countless online reviews and recommendations from friends to find a reliable moving company, real estate agent and a certified professional organizer. Moving Station is a senior moving service with trained employees who will manage your move by staying focused on your goals and refer you to reliable, trustworthy moving-related companies and contractors.
Senior living communities around the country partner with Moving Station to assist incoming residents. The senior community manager will pass your contact information on to Moving Station if you want to learn how the service can ease the burden of moving from your home to an assisted living apartment.
Moving Phase
Senior Moving Services
Before Moving
You are assigned a Personal Relocation Manager (PRM)Discuss your needs for downsizing, preparing to move and selling your homePRM ensures you understand facility entrance fees and assists with a personal loan if neededPRM provides options and resources, and you choose which to use
Preparing to Move
Establish moving timeline with PRMPRM ensures your moving project continues as plannedPRM breaks down decisions into simple choices and provides information and adviceHelp sorting belongings and giving away, donating, disposing of themSelect a mover and packing services
Moving In & More
Help with selecting short-term and long-term storage optionsAssistance with VA benefitsAssistance with long-term care insurance choices and financial planning
Working with Moving Station Moving services you use may vary
Moving Station acts as a real estate advocate, meaning they work with a real estate agent on your behalf to ensure you don’t pay any unnecessary selling costs. The company has three options for selling your home, usually with only a one percent difference in the predicted and actual selling price.
Home Sale Program: A Moving Station professional helps you determine how much your home can sell for, recommends real estate agents and negotiate offers. Of the three home sale services, you have the most control with the Home Sale Program, and homes sell in half the time on average compared to national statistics.
Quick Buy Program: If your property qualifies, Moving Station gives you an offer to buy your home. An independent appraiser lets you know what your home is worth before Moving Station makes an offer, and you have no obligation to accept the offer. We found some testimonials from individuals who were very happy with the Quick Buy Program because they didn’t have to prepare their house for sale or wait for a buyer. They could move to their new location on their timeline. You will pay for the appraisal, and if you accept the offer closing can happen as soon as 30 days.
Home Purchase Program: This option is a hybrid of the Home Sale and Quick Buy programs. Qualified homeowners put their home up for sale, and if they don’t sell their house by a set date, Moving Station buys it. While this program provides the most flexibility, the company may reduce the offer to purchase compared to the Quick Buy Program. However, the Home Purchase Program guarantees a sale, so it’s a popular option with many people.
How Much Does Moving Station Cost?
If your senior living community offers Moving Station’s services, there’s no cost to you for using the company’s services and to get advice on selling your home and the moving process. Of course, you pay for any organizing, moving and financial services you choose to use from the companies Moving Station recommends to you. Quotes are based on the services you choose.
Moving Station Assists with Moving Services
Moving Station’s senior moving services are highly individualized, depending on what each client needs to make relocating as stress-free as possible. If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of sorting through belongings and packing for your move, your Personal Relocation Manager will put you in touch with services to assist you. If you can handle downsizing your belongings yourself, Moving Station still helps manage your move with tips for getting organized and to get the highest tax deduction for donations. Your Personal Relocation Manager provides you with some reliable and trusted moving companies you can contact to discuss their services and get quotes.
Source: Getty
Financial Solutions from Moving Station
Moving Station recently added their financial solutions after many clients expressed a need for this type of assistance. The company arranges for discounts on senior financial advising, which includes getting help with understanding and applying for veteran’s benefits and looking into long-term care insurance. The financial adviser helps you sort out the costs of assisted living, and personal loans are available if you need some help with the upfront costs of moving in. Later on, your family will receive assistance with entrance fee refunds that may be owed to an estate.
Moving Station Complaints
Moving Station has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau with no complaints filed. Customers give the company a 5-star rating on Moving Station’s Facebook page, and we found a cumulative 5-star rating on Google Reviews as well. A search of several consumer review sites revealed no complaints.
Can Moving Station move me from my home in one state to a community in another state?
Yes. Moving Station conducts intrastate moves all the time and provides services across the country. It also works with a nationwide network of senior living communities.
I know a real estate agent, why would I use Moving Station?
You are free to use anyone you wish to sell your home if you don’t use a Moving Station real estate package. If you do use this service, you get to choose between two agents. Moving Station doesn’t employ any real estate agents. The company provides trained advocates to help you determine the realistic value of your home and to be at your disposal to ensure you accept a fair offer.
What fees do Moving Station charge?
Moving Station’s guidance comes at no cost to people who are moving to the senior communities partnering with the company.
If I work with Moving Station, do I have to use their organizers?
No. Moving Station is what’s known as a concierge senior moving service, so you choose the services you need, and there’s no pressure to use assistance unless you feel comfortable. For example, if you have sufficient help with going through your belongings and packing, your Personal Relocation Manager will be very hands-off in this area but will be happy to find reliable movers to transport your household to your new home.
When should I talk to someone at Moving Station?
Talk to a Personal Relocation Manager from Moving Station as soon as you are thinking about moving. This discussion will make coming up with a relocation timeline easier so you don’t feel rushed later and can move on your own terms. You will also learn a variety of tips for preparing to move and getting your home ready to sell.
Conclusion
Moving Station’s senior moving services are a great resource at a time that can be stressful and filled with decisions. The company seems very well-versed in the relocation market and specializes in moving services for retirees moving to senior communities. Consumer reviews reflect Moving Station’s tagline: Serving is our passion, moving is our business.
