The honest answer: a full-service senior move manager for a 2-bedroom home usually runs $2,000-$4,500, not including the moving truck and crew. That number surprises people, until they see everything it covers. Here's exactly what you're paying for, what drives the price up or down, and how to make sure you're comparing quotes correctly.
Quick answers
- Most senior move manager engagements cost $1,500-$5,000+, with the average full-service job for a 2-3 bedroom home running $2,500-$4,000.
- Many SMMs charge by the hour ($50-$125/hr); others offer flat-project pricing.
- This does NOT include the moving company. That's a separate contract and a separate cost ($800-$2,500 for a local move).
- The biggest cost drivers: home size, years of accumulation, whether they handle sorting/downsizing, and your geographic market.
- You can reduce cost by doing some of the sorting yourself before the SMM arrives.
What Senior Move Managers Actually Charge
Pricing Models and What They Mean
There are two common pricing models:
Hourly rate: $50-$125/hour per person. Most SMMs work with a small team, so you're often paying for 2-3 people simultaneously. A 10-hour packing day with a 3-person crew at $75/hr each = $2,250 for that day alone.
Flat project fee: Some SMMs offer a fixed price after an initial assessment. This gives you cost certainty but requires them to see the home first. Flat fees for full-service jobs typically range from $2,000-$6,000+.
These are SMM fees only. Moving company costs are additional.
How to Read a Quote
Always ask: "Is this your fee only, or does this include movers?" Many families get a number that sounds complete and then discover moving day costs another $1,500-$2,000. A good SMM will be upfront about this. It's a yellow flag if they're vague.
What's Included (And What's Not)
Senior move manager pricing varies widely based on scope. Make sure you know exactly what's in the quote.
Typically included in full-service:
- Initial home assessment and floor plan planning
- Sorting and downsizing sessions with your parent
- Coordinating donation pickups, estate sale, or junk removal
- Packing (labor and often supplies)
- Moving company coordination and supervision on moving day
- Unpacking and full setup of the new space
- Hanging pictures, making beds, putting kitchen away
Usually NOT included:
- The moving company and truck (separate contract)
- Storage unit costs if needed
- Estate sale company fees (they take a commission, typically 30-40% of sales)
- Junk removal (average $300-$600 for a typical load)
- Donation haul-away (often free through nonprofits)
What Drives the Cost Up
High accumulation
A parent who's lived in a 3-bedroom house for 35 years and never thrown anything away will take 3-4x longer to sort than someone in a clean apartment. Some of that time is logistics; a lot of it is patience: walking through memories, making decisions gently, one item at a time.
Dementia or cognitive decline
Moves involving a parent with dementia are more complex. Decisions take longer, require more care, and often require coordination with the family on what to keep or let go. Most SMMs have experience here, but it adds time.
Geographic market
Rates in major metro areas (New York, LA, Chicago) run 20-40% higher than mid-size cities or rural areas. In Boston or San Francisco, expect the high end of every range. In Indianapolis or Raleigh, expect the middle.
Specialty services
If they're coordinating an estate sale, handling items of significant value (art, antiques), or doing multiple trips between the old home and new facility, costs increase.
Rushed timeline
Assisted living facilities sometimes give families 2-3 weeks notice. Expedited timelines cost more. Expect a 15-25% premium if you need a move done in under 3 weeks.
How to Reduce the Cost
You can meaningfully reduce SMM costs with some preparation:
Pre-sort before the SMM arrives. If you can spend 2-3 weekends going through closets, paperwork, and obvious junk before the SMM engagement starts, you save hours of billable time. Some families do the easy stuff themselves (old magazines, expired pantry items, clothes that clearly won't come) and let the SMM handle the hard stuff.
Decide what goes to family before the SMM arrives. The longer the family deliberation process, the more time the SMM spends waiting. If you can pre-decide which furniture or items go to which family members, you save that time.
Get multiple quotes. Two or three quotes from NASMM members in your area gives you a real sense of the market. Prices vary, and some SMMs are more competitive on certain types of jobs.
Consider partial service. Not everyone needs full-service. Some SMMs will do coordination-only (helping you plan but not doing the physical labor), or packing-only, or setup-only. A partial engagement can run $500-$1,500 and handle just the piece that's hardest for you.
Is It Worth It?
For most families dealing with a significant move: a parent who's been in their home 20+ years, moving to memory care or assisted living. Yes. Here's the honest math:
A full-service SMM engagement at $3,500 buys you:
- 30-50 hours of professional time you don't have to spend
- A parent who walks into their new room and sees their things set up the way they've always been
- A move that gets done without the family implosion that often happens when adult siblings try to sort a lifetime of belongings
- Someone who's done this hundreds of times and knows how to handle the hard moments
The families who say it wasn't worth it usually hired an SMM for a simple move that didn't need one. The families who say they wish they'd hired one sooner are the ones who tried to manage it themselves and burned out.
If the math feels tight, start with a consultation. Most SMMs offer a free or low-cost initial assessment. That conversation will tell you whether you actually need the full service.
To get a real quote for your situation, start by finding certified senior move managers in your area. Our directory lists verified NASMM members by state, with their service areas and direct contact info: Find Senior Move Managers Near You. Most offer a free initial consultation where they'll assess the home and give you an actual number.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a senior move manager cost per hour?
Most senior move managers charge $50-$125 per hour per person on their team. Since they typically work in teams of 2-3, you're often paying $100-$375/hr for the crew. A full packing day for a 2-bedroom home might run 8-12 crew-hours, which works out to $800-$1,500 for that day's labor alone. Some SMMs offer flat project pricing. Always ask which model they use.
Does a senior move manager fee include the moving company?
No. The senior move manager fee covers their planning, sorting, packing, coordination, and setup work. The moving company (truck and crew) is a separate contract. Budget an additional $800-$2,500 for a local move depending on distance, number of movers, and how long the job takes. Your SMM will typically coordinate the movers. They just won't absorb that cost.
Can I use my parent's long-term care insurance to pay for a senior move manager?
Possibly, but don't assume. Some long-term care insurance policies include coverage for transition or relocation assistance. Check the exact policy language. Medicare and standard health insurance do not cover senior move management. If your parent has an LTC policy, call the insurer directly and ask whether 'transition assistance' or 'relocation services' are included benefits.
Is a senior move manager cheaper than doing it ourselves?
In dollar terms, yes: doing it yourselves costs less. But the real cost calculation includes your time, travel, stress, and the family friction that often comes with sorting a lifetime of belongings. For many adult children, the $2,500-$4,000 is the best money they spend in the entire transition. For others with simpler situations and more local support, DIY with a standard mover works fine. It depends on the complexity of the move and the capacity of your family.