12 Questions to Ask a Senior Move Manager Before Hiring
The best Senior Move Manager for your family is not simply the one with the lowest hourly rate or the nearest office. You need to know who will enter the home, what the company will perform directly, what outside vendors will do, how decisions are protected, and what the total project could include. Use the same questions with each provider so the answers are comparable.
Quick answers
- Verify current NASMM membership and ask which individual holds SMM-C or which company holds A+ accreditation.
- Ask for insurance details that apply to the proposed team and work, including any subcontractors.
- Get the scope, fees, team assumptions, exclusions, payment schedule, and change process in writing.
- Ask who has decision authority and how the provider protects the older adult's preferences, property, and privacy.
- Compare experience and references from genuinely similar projects, not just the number of years in business.
Local directories
Compare Senior Move Managers by Location
Costs, availability, and service areas vary by market. These directory pages show current listed providers with direct phone, email, website, and service-area details.
The 12 Questions to Ask
Check the current NASMM directory. Ask the company to explain the status if the listing name differs from the contract name. Membership is a useful starting point, not a substitute for the remaining checks.
SMM-C belongs to an individual and A+ applies to an organization. Ask who holds the status, whether it is current, and whether the credentialed person will work on or supervise your project.
Describe the home, destination, deadline, mobility needs, family situation, and amount of downsizing. Ask for relevant examples rather than relying on a generic job count.
Ask for current documentation and an explanation of what covers employees, subcontractors, property handling, vehicles, and injuries. Requirements and policies vary, so confirm the coverage that applies to the proposed scope.
Get the names or roles of the project lead, employees, movers, packers, estate-sale staff, organizers, haulers, and other vendors. Ask who hires, pays, supervises, and insures each one.
Clarify sorting, floor planning, packing, transportation, sales, donation, waste removal, cleaning, unpacking, and setup. The estimate should separate direct work from outside-vendor work.
Ask how the team identifies the client, records decisions, handles family disagreement, protects documents and valuables, controls keys and access, and avoids removing items without authorization.
Ask whether fees are hourly, by project, or a mix. Request the expected team size and hours, minimums, travel, supplies, vendor markups or referral arrangements, deposits, cancellation terms, and taxes.
NASMM advises consumers to get fees in writing and asks members to provide written estimates. The contract should identify the scope, schedule, responsibilities, payment terms, exclusions, insurance, and process for approving changes.
Ask what happens when the volume, access, destination, or deadline differs from the estimate. Decide who can approve added hours or vendor costs and whether approval must be written.
Ask recent clients about communication, respect for the person moving, protection of belongings, estimate accuracy, outside vendors, problem handling, and whether the home was ready when promised.
Ask how issues are documented, who receives a claim, which policy or vendor contract applies, and how billing disputes are handled. Read the limits and deadlines in every relevant contract.
How to Compare the Answers
Give every provider the same project brief
Include the addresses, approximate home size, destination, deadline, access limits, rooms or storage areas, services wanted, and who can make decisions.
Normalize the estimates
Put direct labor, outside vendors, supplies, travel, minimums, deposits, exclusions, and taxes into the same comparison. A lower hourly rate can still produce a higher expected total.
Check the proposed team
Evaluate the people assigned to your project, not only the owner who conducts the sales call. Confirm who will supervise and who will be present during sensitive sorting.
Choose the clearest accountable plan
A strong proposal identifies who does what, how the client remains involved, when decisions are needed, how changes are approved, and what completion looks like.
Credential and Membership Checks
NASMM membership, SMM-C certification, and NASMM A+ accreditation are separate. Review what each NASMM status means, then verify any claim in NASMM's current directory. Credentials add context, but the assigned team, insurance, scope, estimate, contract, and references still determine the fit.
What to Bring to the First Conversation
Bring the destination floor plan if available, key dates, a list of decision-makers, photos of the home and storage areas, building or community rules, known high-value or sensitive items, and the services you want help with. Do not clean out drawers or discard possible sale items before an estate-sale company or appraiser has advised you.
If cost is the main question, read How Much Does a Senior Move Manager Cost? before comparing proposals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Senior Move Managers should I interview?
There is no required number. Interview enough available providers to compare the proposed team, scope, written price, schedule, outside vendors, and fit. Use the same project brief and questions for each conversation.
How do I verify a Senior Move Manager's credentials?
Search NASMM's current directory. SMM-C is an individual certification and NASMM A+ is a company accreditation. Match the claim to the person or legal business, then confirm current insurance and project details directly.
Should a Senior Move Manager provide a written estimate?
Yes. NASMM says members outline job costs through a written estimate before payment is required. Ask the estimate to show scope, pricing method, team assumptions, outside vendors, exclusions, payment schedule, and change approvals.
Is the cheapest Senior Move Manager the best choice?
Not necessarily. Compare the expected total and what it includes, plus the assigned team, relevant experience, insurance, vendor arrangements, references, and change process. Hourly rates alone do not make proposals equivalent.
Sources
- NASMM FAQs - Official hiring questions, service scope, written estimates, and pricing methods
- NASMM Find a Move Manager - Current directory, status filters, training, and insurance confirmation guidance
- NASMM Code of Ethics - Client self-determination, privacy, integrity, and accountability standards
- NASMM SMM-C Certification - Current individual certification requirements
- NASMM A+ Accreditation - Current organizational accreditation information
What is a Senior Move Manager? A Senior Move Manager helps older adults and families plan, downsize, coordinate, pack, move, unpack, and set up a new home.
Use Senior Move Guide to identify listed Senior Move Managers, then apply the same membership, credential, insurance, staffing, estimate, contract, and reference checks to every provider.
✓ 556 listed Senior Move Managers · ✓ Coverage in 46 states and DC