12 Questions to Ask a Senior Move Manager Before You Hire

NASMM (National Association of Senior Move Managers) is the professional association for this field. Members agree to a code of ethics and have access to training specific to senior transitions. It's a baseline filter. Someone who isn't a member is working without professional accountability. Ask for their membership number if you want to verify.

The SMM-C (Senior Move Manager Certified) designation requires coursework, documented case experience, and continuing education. It's a higher bar than basic membership. Not every good move manager has it, but it signals investment in the profession. Ask, and weigh the answer alongside their references and experience.

You want two things: general liability insurance (covers damage to property) and workers' compensation (covers their team if someone gets injured in your parent's home). Ask for certificates of insurance, not just their word. If they can't produce documentation, walk away.

Volume matters. A manager doing 50+ moves a year has seen edge cases, difficult clients, and complex logistics. Someone doing 10 a year may be newer or part-time. Neither disqualifies them, but volume gives you a sense of their depth of experience. Follow up: what size homes and what types of destinations are most common for them?

Some senior move managers handle sorting and coordination themselves but subcontract the physical packing, moving, or cleanout to other companies. That's not automatically a problem, but you need to know who's coming into the home. Ask: who specifically will be in the house, are they your employees, and are they covered under your insurance?

Verbal estimates are worth nothing. A written estimate should detail the hourly rate, how many people will be on the crew, which services are included, and what triggers additional charges. If they won't put it in writing before you commit, that's a red flag.

A good senior move manager has a clear process: initial assessment, sorting plan, floor plan for the new space, packing, moving day coordination, and unpacking setup. They should be able to walk you through it without hesitation. Vagueness here usually means inexperience.

Ask for 2-3 references from moves that are comparable to yours: similar home size, similar destination (assisted living, independent living, family member's home), similar level of complexity. Call the references. Ask specifically whether the manager was patient with their parent, whether the estimate matched the final bill, and whether they'd hire them again.

Things break. Disputes happen. Ask what their process is if something gets damaged or if you have a disagreement about billing. A professional manager has a clear answer. Someone who's never thought about this is not prepared.

Some senior move managers have minimum engagement requirements: a minimum number of hours billed, or a minimum scope (they won't do just packing, they require full-service). Understanding this upfront prevents surprises. It also helps you compare quotes accurately.

This is the most important question on the list for emotionally sensitive moves. A skilled senior move manager knows how to work with older adults who may be grief-stricken, resistant, or cognitively slower than they once were. Ask how they handle a parent who wants to keep everything, or who gets upset during sorting. Their answer tells you everything about their experience with the human side of this work.

Cleanouts almost always take longer than expected. Ask how they handle scope creep. Do they alert you before adding hours? Is there a not-to-exceed cap on the estimate? Understanding this protects you from a bill that doubles because the attic turned out to be packed.