Envisioning Your New Space

As the planning and moving consultant at Linden Ponds, an Erickson Senior Living community in Hingham, Mass., I work closely with retirees planning a move to our vibrant community.

Often, people share with me the fear that their new residence will feel too "new." Luckily, there's many ways in which future residents can incorporate their favorite pieces of furniture and beloved items, producing a feeling of calm and comfort in their new space.

It's my job to help put everything together in a way that best meets their needs and unique tastes!

Picturing the future
If you've ever said, "I just can't picture it," while renovating or redecorating your house, you're not alone.

For future residents who find it difficult to walk into an empty space and imagine how it will all come together, I extend an invitation to visit a current, furnished residence at Linden Ponds. I also encourage them to bring a family member or friend on the visit.

Just the other day, I was with a couple who brought their daughter with them. Together, they shared an aha moment. By seeing how someone else arranged furniture in their living space, the prospective residents could envision how their own belongings would look.

In my experience, these kinds of visits eliminate any worry about how it will all work out.

Tooling it together
Another aspect of my role as a planning and moving consultant is scheduling home visits.

Whenever I visit a prospective resident in their house, I bring a floor planning tool where--using exact measurements down to scale--we can place furniture and personal items into the floor plan of their future residence and move them around in different configurations.

In addition, many planning and moving consultants at Erickson Senior Living communities across the country are starting to utilize a new 3D space planning app, similar to what you might see on popular TV shows.

This new tool provides an in-the-moment virtual picture of what a future residence may look like.

Make it your own
Once a future resident can "see" what their new residence will look like, we work together to make sure that their cherished pieces are incorporated into the design.

Often, I work outside of the box when it comes to space planning and designing. For instance, I recently worked with a couple who were moving their baby grand piano and wanted a special sanctuary for reflection and music. (Even after they moved in, I came back and helped tweak the design once they had a chance to live with it.)

Sometimes, it is as easy as moving around furniture or selecting window treatments. Other times, I work with people to make a wide variety of customizations, including a fresh coat of paint and adding additional recessed lighting.

Larger customizations include cutting down part of a wall to open up the kitchen or adding built-in shelving.

I recently worked with a woman who added built-in shelving in her dining room for photos and memorabilia. I've also worked with artists and painters to create art studios in their residences.  

Erickson Senior Living planning and moving consultants are here to help you create a beautiful, new residence that reflects the most important part of that new home--you!

Find an Erickson Senior Living community near you to learn more about the realty and moving services that can help you plan for a future move.