Riderwood's Planning and Moving Services Helped This Couple Move Stress-Free

Bernard "Bernie" and Janet Freiland were confident that an Erickson Senior Living community would be their next home, after seeing the vibrant lifestyle Janet's parents enjoyed at Charlestown, an Erickson Senior Living community in Catonsville, Md.

"Charlestown staff members provided tremendous support to Janet's parents and family. That stuck with us," says Bernie. "When we were thinking about where we wanted to move, we quickly narrowed our list down to Riderwood."

Riderwood, the Erickson Senior Living community in Silver Spring, Md., was closest to their family. 

"We were living in a single-family house in Columbia, Md., at the time," he recalls. "Family is everything to us. Moving to Riderwood meant that we would be able to see our loved ones as much as we wanted!"

With their sights set on Riderwood, Bernie and Janet joined the Priority List to learn more about the community's offerings. 

Priority List perks

By joining the Priority List, the Freilands received exclusive invites to informational and social events, had access to Riderwood's amenities, and gained right of first refusal on their desired apartment home. 

"All the events we attended were very helpful," says Bernie. "The sales team was wonderful, scheduling tours of a variety of apartment homes and answering questions--while giving us the time we needed to make our decision." 

He adds, "We decided that Riderwood was the community for us!"

The couple chose the Hastings floor plan--a popular two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath apartment home, planning to use the second bedroom as an office.

During one of their campus visits, Bernie and Janet were introduced to Planning and Moving Consultant Kara Wells, who shared the many ways she and her team could provide help throughout the moving process.

"So, we arranged for Kara to come out to our house," says Bernie. "That really set our move in motion."

Powerful partnership

During the home visit, Wells walked through each room in the couple's house to see what items they wanted to bring to their apartment home.

"Then, she laid everything out on a magnetic board that was a scale version of the Hastings. It was a wonderful visual aid," explains Bernie. "When needed, she made thoughtful suggestions. She also helped us determine what to do with the items we couldn't bring."

Once the layout of their furniture was nailed down, Wells provided a list of Riderwood's preferred real estate agents. 

"The husband and wife team we chose were marvelous," says Bernie. "They suggested only a few minor painting projects before placing our house on the market. They told us not to waste our money making renovations that new owners would probably change anyway. That was definitely a relief!"

He continues, "Not only did they offer suggestions that helped us save money, but their knowledge of the Columbia real estate market helped us get a higher-than-expected price for our house."

A smooth move

With the sale of their house in order, the Freilands began working with one of Riderwood's preferred moving companies.

"After living in our house for thirty years, we had no idea how to choose a moving company," says Bernie, with a laugh. "The company Kara suggested was exceptional. It was important to us to pack some things ourselves, so we did what we wanted and the movers did the rest. They saved us so much time with their knowledge of how to organize, pack, and move." 

He adds, "In fact, by the time we walked into our apartment home, all of our furniture was in place, the kitchen was unpacked, and our bed was made!"

Expert help makes the difference

Bernie and Janet highly recommend working with Wells when preparing for a move to Riderwood.

"She saved us a lot of worrying and running around," says Bernie. "Kara not only made our move easier, she also removed stress from the entire process."

It's a wonderful life

Since their move, the Freilands have enjoyed meeting new people and participating in a wide variety of activities.

"In such a short time, we've made so many new friends. There are lots of movies, concerts, and local trips to entertain and educate. We are impressed with the number of organized clubs and activities designed to help us explore our interests."

Bernie also finds that their move to Riderwood provides unmatched peace of mind. 

"There is huge comfort knowing that we now live in a community surrounded by friendly, helpful people," he says. "That's the main thing I wanted with our move. Riderwood is a safe, welcoming place!"

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