Senior moves and downsizing in Gardnerville

At roughly 5,500 residents, Gardnerville is bigger than Minden next door, and its median age of about 55.7 is high for a town its size. The town has a distinct mix of older owners and renters, about 52 percent owning and 48 percent renting.

Two kinds of senior move

A homeowner in Gardnerville is usually emptying a house built around 2001, the town's median year built, so garages and storage closets full of tools and holiday gear. An older renter is more likely to move between apartments or into a care setting, with a fixed lease end and a short list of furniture.

The crew handles both, and the estimator sorts out which one you are during the call. About 17 percent of residents moved in the past year, more than in the towns around it.

Reaching you from the warehouse

The drive from our Glendale Avenue warehouse is about 49 miles and 63 minutes by I-580 and US 395. Crews bring the truck, pads and boxes for a same-day load. If you plan to store part of the household, the vaults are loaded and stacked in Sparks.

When the smaller place is an apartment

Apartment managers often want a certificate of insurance, a reserved elevator or a loading time. Give the estimator the manager's name and number and ask what is required. For ideas on how to choose what fits, see the senior moving checklist.

Spreading the work over weeks

A senior move does not have to be one hard day. A common plan is a packing day, then a moving day a week or two later, with a vault holding what is not needed yet. Stored goods ship with about 2 to 3 weeks notice. Learn more about vault storage.

What a Gardnerville estimator looks for

The visit covers every room, the garage and any storage space, and the estimator records furniture that needs to be taken apart, heavy items such as a safe or a freezer, and anything that needs special wrapping. For a renter, the estimator also asks about the building's elevator, stairs and parking, because those decide how long the crew needs. You receive an itemized written estimate, and an inventory and condition report is made before packing begins.

Keeping the household connected

Gardnerville sits in the middle of the Carson Valley, so family may live in Minden, Carson City or Reno. The crew can move you to any of them, and moves within Nevada run under the Nevada Transportation Authority approval, CPCN 1070. If a care community is the destination, ask its staff about move-in times and share them with the estimator.

Resources for older residents

Nevada's Aging and Disability Services Division and the national Eldercare Locator list local help for older adults and their families, from transportation to housing counseling.