Case Study 5: “Mrs H” Downsizing property after the death of her husband . Case Study by Cheryl Carter Every Home Matters

About the Client

“Mrs H” is an elderly lady, who is looking to downsize her property after the death of her husband. She contacted Every Home Matters for emotional support as she had to give up some of the family possessions as well as the logistics required in moving.

Their Challenge

Mrs H and her husband had lived in the family home for several decades but her husband’s passing had motivated her to move on. Their children, who were now grown up with children of their own, had busy lifestyles and demanding careers so sorting through Mr H’s possessions was not only painful but very inconvenient for them.

Mrs H had not moved house for many years, so there were a lot of possessions to sort through, and she was also not aware of many of the procedures involved in moving home or how much their possessions were worth. 

Mrs H’s financial consultant, accredited by the Society Of Later Life Advisors (SOLLA), had recommended the services of Every Home Matters, as Mrs H had found a new property to move into and needed assistance with facilitating the move.

How Every Home Matters helped

Before the move, Every Home Matters worked on a one-to-one basis with Mrs H, first ascertaining items of value via an auctioneer before decluttering and selling the items at auction or donating them to charity shops.

EHM viewed the new property and conducted room plans to ascertain which items of furniture could be taken to the new property and which could be disposed of. The possessions of her late husband were then sympathetically and respectfully managed out of the property. EHM then arranged notifications of change of address to services and organizations including medical professionals, utilities and media services.

EHM then project managed the entire day of the move, including final readings of utilities, organising packing, exit and entry cleaning (including curtain and oven cleaning), and the services of a gardener for the new property.

Every Home Matters provided a complete home-to-home service, including unpacking in the new house, so that the client feels at home straight away. This service means that clients are not moving to a property with too many possessions, unpacked boxes and clutter. By organising and managing the move, avoids undue anxiety, stress to the client, and prevents clutter, trip, and fire hazards. On the day, emergency facilities were put in place, including telephones, and personal alarms and informed Mrs H of the relevant closest social services and other nearby support services, such as bereavement counselling.

Outcome

Moving from the family home due to the loss of a partner is an incredibly stressful and painful experience, that needs to be dealt with sensitively. Every Home Matters ensured the smooth, stress-free move of an elderly client, providing the emotional support of letting go of family possessions, whilst ensuring that any high-value items were dealt with appropriately. Every Home Matters also provided a complete home moving service, ensuring that all practical requirements were catered for and that the client could move safely and securely into her new home.