Greenspring's Planning and Moving Consultant Provides Invaluable Resources

After researching several retirement communities near their children, Jim and Michele McDaniel knew that Greenspring, an Erickson Senior Living community in Springfield, Va., was the place for them. 

"The range of on-campus amenities was impressive! We were so excited to embrace an active lifestyle," says Jim. "But we had lived in our house for 40 years. There was a lot of work to be done before we would be ready to move."

By working with Planning and Moving Consultant Lauren Askey, the couple's planning, selling, and moving process was a breeze. 

"It felt like we were at Greenspring in the blink of an eye," recalls Jim, who's proudly called the community home since December 2022. "Lauren's help made all the difference in our stress-free move."

Priority List perks

The couple was first introduced to Askey at an on-campus event for Priority List members, who are able to take advantage of the community's realty and moving services. 

"Even though it was a few years before our move, we asked Lauren to come out to our house," says Jim. 

During complimentary house visits, Askey takes the time to get to know future residents, understand what their goals for retirement are, and see how they use rooms and spaces in their house. 

"After chatting about our goals and doing a walkthrough of the house, she suggested some apartment homes we should consider and provided a list of preferred real estate agents--all longtime, trusted partners of Greenspring," recalls Jim. 

"It's a big decision to move from a house you've lived in for so long, and Lauren helped make that easier for us," adds Michele.

Taking Askey's advice, the couple previewed floor plans that would fit their desired lifestyle and interviewed a few real estate agents. 

"Making these decisions early on was reassuring. We knew that we'd be ready when it came time to move," says Jim. "More importantly, that visit helped us establish a solid relationship with Lauren that we built upon during the entire process. From that point on, we felt comfortable calling her with any questions."

Real estate resources

After the McDaniels selected their apartment home, Lauren once again, visited the couple in their house. 

"This time, Lauren brought a mini version of the floor plan we chose," says Jim. "With that, we worked together to identify furniture and personal items that would work best in our new home. We found this to be an important step in the process, as it took some of the pressure off downsizing." 

Once they knew what items would come with them, Jim and Michele were ready to work with their real estate agent to sell their house.

"To our surprise, our agent said, 'The market is really good right now, so let's list without staging,'" recalls Jim. 

Following that advice, the couple's house sold quickly--over asking price. "We saved thousands of dollars! All we did was some touch-up painting," he notes. 

A smooth move

Once the sale was finalized, Jim and Michele knew it was go time, so they reached out to Greenspring's preferred downsizing and moving companies. 

"The movers were excellent," says Michele. "They even thought of the little things! They left out just enough items for us to cook dinner, sleep, and take showers before the big day."

"They were also really good at marking things, identifying what was going where based on the floor plan we worked out with Lauren," says Jim. 

On move-in day, Jim and Michele were joined by their children and grandchildren.

"The movers knew exactly where to place the boxes, so we could get started on unpacking," says Jim. "Everyone worked so well together! By the end of the day, almost everything was in place. And we had a good time. There were lots of laughs that day."

"To be honest, I was nervous to move--mostly because we hadn't done it in so long. But it was a piece of cake!" says Michele. "Looking back, I had nothing to be nervous about."

New adventures

Now, settled in their apartment home, Jim and Michele are out and about enjoying the amenities and activities on campus. 

"Thanks to our stress-free move, our life is now less stressful, with so many opportunities to get involved and meet new people," says Michele. "We are grateful for all the help we received in making this all a reality."

To learn more about affordable, independent senior living at Greenspring, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and so much more.