Senior move managers on Long Island help pack up a lifetime of memories
Couples James Robertson and Maureen Dwyer-Robertson, left, and Denise Ortell-Sievers and Phil Sievers pose on the pier in front of their building in Port Washington. Both couples used the same mover, Barbara Feldman. Credit: Linda Rosier
When James Robertson, 88, became legally blind last summer, his wife knew they couldn’t stay in their home.
The five-bedroom Gustav Stickley house, built in the early 1900s, was special — but it was also full of hazards.
“I was worried about him and the stairs, afraid of him tripping around the pool,” said Maureen Dwyer-Robertson, who is in her 70s.
But the process of moving decades’ worth of accumulated belongings, from cards from nieces and grandchildren to shoeboxes full of photos, was too much to tackle alone.
That’s where Barbara Feldman came in.
Feldman, owner of A Nu Start NY Inc. in Manhasset, is a senior move manager — a professional who caters to the challenges of older adults who find themselves needing to leave their homes of many decades, perhaps due to declining health or to be closer to adult children, sometimes after losing a spouse.
Saying goodbye to one chapter of life and starting another is no small matter. Even the best DIYers may need help if the move requires downsizing.
Dwyer-Robertson said Feldman helped her wade through the couple’s belongings and decide what to keep, sell or donate.
“Barbara has a great bedside manner. I had to understand that I couldn’t keep three sets of china,” said Dwyer-Robertson, who moved with her husband from their home in Douglas Manor, Queens, into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Port Washington last year. “She and her staff sorted, labeled, handled unpacking. I don’t know how we would have done it without her.”
There are about 1,000 members in the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers, a nonprofit trade association based in Hinsdale, Illinois, with 27 members on Long Island, according to co-executive director Mary Kay Buysse.
Members must meet several requirements, including having general business liability insurance, completing a four-part certification course, signing and abiding by the group’s code of ethics, and submitting to oversight and guidance from the association’s Ethics Compliance Commission.
Senior move managers are essential, said Buysse, because “many families are geographically dispersed.
“Adult children are often unable to help with the moving process due to distance, career or family obligations. Some older adults may have no surviving children or, increasingly, their children are older adults themselves.”
In addition, Buysse said, “Downsizing or moving requires extensive planning. Deciding what to do with a lifetime of possessions poses a multitude of questions and can trigger emotions. A home is a sacred space in someone’s life. Moving can also be physically daunting.”
Senior move managers can help with sorting through belongings to determine what to keep, sell, donate, or discard. They’ll pack and, if local, unpack; assist with an estate or tag sale; draw up floor plans; and measure to figure out what will and won’t fit in the client’s new home. Their network often includes moving companies they’ve vetted, appraisers, disposal and clean-out professionals, dealers, auction houses, charities and organizations for donations.
They typically charge between $75 and $150 per hour depending on factors such as the scope of the project.
Here are the stories of Long Island seniors on the move and two move managers association members — Feldman and Diane Landau, owner of Memories on the Move in North Bellmore — who describe their work as mostly logistics, with a bit of love:
In 2007, Feldman — who spent decades in sales for technology companies — quit her job. When a friend told her about senior move managers, she was intrigued, especially since she had moved more than 20 times herself.
“I saw this business as a way to do good deeds and make a living. Growing up, I volunteered with my mother to help seniors and the disabled, taking them bowling and bringing them meals,” she said. “Seniors feel like this is their last move, some can’t pack boxes. The move can feel like a loss of independence and control. It’s a big deal.”
Most of her clients move to 55+ or continuous care communities; not many go to nursing homes.
A Nu Start NY helps with every aspect of moving. “We gently go through things and organize,” said Feldman. “It’s hard for everybody. I ask them, ‘In your next life will you wear this, will you have room for it?’ I try to get them to focus on the future, not the past.”
Feldman has a staff of 10 packers, organizers and unpackers. They’ll go to seniors’ new homes to take measurements and get the lay of the land, so they can assess what will fit. If someone is moving out of state, they connect them to someone in their network.
Feldman tries to recreate aspects of the client’s former home in their new digs. For example, if there was a wall of photos in the living room, she might put up a new wall of photos at the new place.
There can be challenges, like the client who completely unpacked everything that had been packed the day before. “I had to redo what I did. This takes patience,” said Feldman.
And this is no ordinary client relationship — “I’m sorting through underwear,” she said. She said she and her team have found a piece of art bought for $200 that sold for $7,000, as well as Interview magazines signed by Andy Warhol and Truman Capote.
Feldman said with a smile, “This is a wonderful business for the right person. I am grateful to do this work.”
Landau, who is also a Realtor, was inspired to start her North Bellmore business in 2008 after moving her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom lived in Albany for 60 years on seven acres, and she had a big house full of furniture and “stuff.” Landau and her nephews sorted out her belongings the best they could and moved her to Long Island.
Now, Landau and her eight staffers team up to make the transition easier for others. They sort belongings, coordinate the move, pack and unpack. She works with dealers and auction houses, a clean-out pro, movers and cleaners.
What’s the hardest part? “They don’t want to let go of anything. It’s emotional,” said Landau. “You will get yelled at, told no. One lady had 30 to 40 comforters on hangers in the basement. She was moving to a one-bedroom apartment and wanted to take them all — and everything else. Sometimes I give in — I’m not the police.”
Her work is never dull. “You find Playboy, naked pictures,” she said. “Do you give them to the kids or the person? I’ve tucked photos in a book.”
And Landau has built relationships that not only lead to referrals but friendships. “I’m happy every time I get someone into their new home without problems,” she said.
Landau recently has been working with Phyllis Rapoport, 80, who plans to move in September with her dog Carma from her North Merrick home of 25 years to be near her brother and sister-in-law in Rhode Island.
Rapoport has lived alone for years and had accumulated a large number of belongings that she had difficulty parting with. Two dumpsters and many hours later, Rapoport said she found the moving process to be eye-opening, as she hadn’t realized just how many possessions she had.
“They were extremely helpful with every aspect of the move, from organizing to packing,” said Rapoport of Landau and her team.
For Michael Wiplich, who is facing an impending move, working with a mover dedicated to seniors has relieved some of the tension.
Wiplich, 82, recently signed a contract to sell his three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot Babylon Village home, where he had lived with his wife, Carolynn, for more than 30 years.
With his wife now in a nursing home in Commack, Wiplich is downsizing to a 1,100-square-foot, one-bedroom home in an independent living retirement community, Fountaingate Gardens in Commack, to be closer to her.
Wiplich hired Feldman’s team to sort through the couple’s belongings.
“It’s very painful. I need help figuring out what to do with everything,” said Wiplich, who added that he feels less stressed with Feldman’s assistance.
And the move has its own reward.
“It will be much easier for me to spend time with my wife in the nursing home,” he said.
Barbara Samuels, 72, also hired Feldman for her move.
In 2021, Samuels decided she was done with the five-bedroom house she had lived in for 40 years in Atlantic Beach, and she moved into a two-bedroom co-op at North Shore Towers in Floral Park.
After picking up Feldman’s business card in the management office at North Shore Towers, Samuels hired Feldman to help her downsize.
“We connected immediately,” said Samuels. “She sent people to buy things, found a mover, packed and unpacked me, helped me do donations.”
Samuels says it was not easy leaving her home and neighborhood but has no regrets. There’s a diner in her building, a movie theater, a country club, a golf course and pickleball.
“Moving can be a scary time,” said Samuels. “Barbara made me feel comfortable. She’s like a best friend for seniors.”
When James Robertson, 88, became legally blind last summer, his wife knew they couldn’t stay in their home.
The five-bedroom Gustav Stickley house, built in the early 1900s, was special — but it was also full of hazards.
“I was worried about him and the stairs, afraid of him tripping around the pool,” said Maureen Dwyer-Robertson, who is in her 70s.
But the process of moving decades’ worth of accumulated belongings, from cards from nieces and grandchildren to shoeboxes full of photos, was too much to tackle alone.
That’s where Barbara Feldman came in.
Feldman, owner of A Nu Start NY Inc. in Manhasset, is a senior move manager — a professional who caters to the challenges of older adults who find themselves needing to leave their homes of many decades, perhaps due to declining health or to be closer to adult children, sometimes after losing a spouse.
Saying goodbye to one chapter of life and starting another is no small matter. Even the best DIYers may need help if the move requires downsizing.
Dwyer-Robertson said Feldman helped her wade through the couple’s belongings and decide what to keep, sell or donate.
“Barbara has a great bedside manner. I had to understand that I couldn’t keep three sets of china,” said Dwyer-Robertson, who moved with her husband from their home in Douglas Manor, Queens, into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Port Washington last year. “She and her staff sorted, labeled, handled unpacking. I don’t know how we would have done it without her.”
‘Sacred space’
There are about 1,000 members in the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers, a nonprofit trade association based in Hinsdale, Illinois, with 27 members on Long Island, according to co-executive director Mary Kay Buysse.
Members must meet several requirements, including having general business liability insurance, completing a four-part certification course, signing and abiding by the group’s code of ethics, and submitting to oversight and guidance from the association’s Ethics Compliance Commission.
Senior move managers are essential, said Buysse, because “many families are geographically dispersed.
“Adult children are often unable to help with the moving process due to distance, career or family obligations. Some older adults may have no surviving children or, increasingly, their children are older adults themselves.”
In addition, Buysse said, “Downsizing or moving requires extensive planning. Deciding what to do with a lifetime of possessions poses a multitude of questions and can trigger emotions. A home is a sacred space in someone’s life. Moving can also be physically daunting.”
Senior move managers can help with sorting through belongings to determine what to keep, sell, donate, or discard. They’ll pack and, if local, unpack; assist with an estate or tag sale; draw up floor plans; and measure to figure out what will and won’t fit in the client’s new home. Their network often includes moving companies they’ve vetted, appraisers, disposal and clean-out professionals, dealers, auction houses, charities and organizations for donations.
They typically charge between $75 and $150 per hour depending on factors such as the scope of the project.
Here are the stories of Long Island seniors on the move and two move managers association members — Feldman and Diane Landau, owner of Memories on the Move in North Bellmore — who describe their work as mostly logistics, with a bit of love:
A Nu Start
Michael Wiplich, 82, got help with his move to a smaller place from Barbara Feldman, right, and Alessandra Belfiore. Credit: James Carbone
In 2007, Feldman — who spent decades in sales for technology companies — quit her job. When a friend told her about senior move managers, she was intrigued, especially since she had moved more than 20 times herself.
“I saw this business as a way to do good deeds and make a living. Growing up, I volunteered with my mother to help seniors and the disabled, taking them bowling and bringing them meals,” she said. “Seniors feel like this is their last move, some can’t pack boxes. The move can feel like a loss of independence and control. It’s a big deal.”
Most of her clients move to 55+ or continuous care communities; not many go to nursing homes.
A Nu Start NY helps with every aspect of moving. “We gently go through things and organize,” said Feldman. “It’s hard for everybody. I ask them, ‘In your next life will you wear this, will you have room for it?’ I try to get them to focus on the future, not the past.”
Feldman has a staff of 10 packers, organizers and unpackers. They’ll go to seniors’ new homes to take measurements and get the lay of the land, so they can assess what will fit. If someone is moving out of state, they connect them to someone in their network.
Feldman tries to recreate aspects of the client’s former home in their new digs. For example, if there was a wall of photos in the living room, she might put up a new wall of photos at the new place.
There can be challenges, like the client who completely unpacked everything that had been packed the day before. “I had to redo what I did. This takes patience,” said Feldman.
And this is no ordinary client relationship — “I’m sorting through underwear,” she said. She said she and her team have found a piece of art bought for $200 that sold for $7,000, as well as Interview magazines signed by Andy Warhol and Truman Capote.
Feldman said with a smile, “This is a wonderful business for the right person. I am grateful to do this work.”
Memories on the Move
Diane Landau, left, works with client Phyllis Rapoport at her home in North Merrick. Credit: Jeff Bachner
Landau, who is also a Realtor, was inspired to start her North Bellmore business in 2008 after moving her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom lived in Albany for 60 years on seven acres, and she had a big house full of furniture and “stuff.” Landau and her nephews sorted out her belongings the best they could and moved her to Long Island.
Now, Landau and her eight staffers team up to make the transition easier for others. They sort belongings, coordinate the move, pack and unpack. She works with dealers and auction houses, a clean-out pro, movers and cleaners.
What’s the hardest part? “They don’t want to let go of anything. It’s emotional,” said Landau. “You will get yelled at, told no. One lady had 30 to 40 comforters on hangers in the basement. She was moving to a one-bedroom apartment and wanted to take them all — and everything else. Sometimes I give in — I’m not the police.”
Her work is never dull. “You find Playboy, naked pictures,” she said. “Do you give them to the kids or the person? I’ve tucked photos in a book.”
And Landau has built relationships that not only lead to referrals but friendships. “I’m happy every time I get someone into their new home without problems,” she said.
‘I need help’
Landau recently has been working with Phyllis Rapoport, 80, who plans to move in September with her dog Carma from her North Merrick home of 25 years to be near her brother and sister-in-law in Rhode Island.
Rapoport has lived alone for years and had accumulated a large number of belongings that she had difficulty parting with. Two dumpsters and many hours later, Rapoport said she found the moving process to be eye-opening, as she hadn’t realized just how many possessions she had.
“They were extremely helpful with every aspect of the move, from organizing to packing,” said Rapoport of Landau and her team.
Barbara Feldman, left, and Alessandra Belfiore help Michael Wiplich go through books that he will keep for his new move. Credit: James Carbone
For Michael Wiplich, who is facing an impending move, working with a mover dedicated to seniors has relieved some of the tension.
Wiplich, 82, recently signed a contract to sell his three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot Babylon Village home, where he had lived with his wife, Carolynn, for more than 30 years.
With his wife now in a nursing home in Commack, Wiplich is downsizing to a 1,100-square-foot, one-bedroom home in an independent living retirement community, Fountaingate Gardens in Commack, to be closer to her.
Wiplich hired Feldman’s team to sort through the couple’s belongings.
“It’s very painful. I need help figuring out what to do with everything,” said Wiplich, who added that he feels less stressed with Feldman’s assistance.
And the move has its own reward.
“It will be much easier for me to spend time with my wife in the nursing home,” he said.
Barbara Samuels, 72, also hired Feldman for her move.
In 2021, Samuels decided she was done with the five-bedroom house she had lived in for 40 years in Atlantic Beach, and she moved into a two-bedroom co-op at North Shore Towers in Floral Park.
After picking up Feldman’s business card in the management office at North Shore Towers, Samuels hired Feldman to help her downsize.
“We connected immediately,” said Samuels. “She sent people to buy things, found a mover, packed and unpacked me, helped me do donations.”
Samuels says it was not easy leaving her home and neighborhood but has no regrets. There’s a diner in her building, a movie theater, a country club, a golf course and pickleball.
“Moving can be a scary time,” said Samuels. “Barbara made me feel comfortable. She’s like a best friend for seniors.”
