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Updated October 11, 2026
Moving from a family house to an apartment, a condo or a senior community is a big step. A clear plan makes the move easier for the person moving and for the family helping.
Start with the new floor plan
Get the floor plan of the new home, or measure each room. Measure the furniture you want to keep, and check that the bed, a favorite chair and a dresser fit with room to walk. Deciding what goes where before moving day saves time and avoids carrying pieces that do not fit.
Sort in small steps
Go room by room over several weeks, not in one weekend. Use four groups: keep, give to family, donate or sell, and recycle. Offer family pieces early so relatives can pick them up before the move. If some decisions can wait, short-term storage gives you time; ask us about storage.
Keep the important things close
Medicines, glasses, hearing aids, chargers, documents, checkbooks and valuables should travel with the person moving or a family member, not on the truck. Pack a first-night box with bedding, towels, toiletries and the TV remote, and set up the bed and the bathroom first at the new home.
Building rules
Senior communities, condos and co-ops often have move hours, elevator reservations and a certificate of insurance requirement. Ask the office for its rules early; we provide a COI on request.
County help on Long Island
Nassau County’s Office for the Aging advises the county on the needs of its about 300,000 residents age 60 and over and works to help older people stay independent as long as possible. Suffolk County’s Office for the Aging is the designated Area Agency on Aging and runs programs for people 60 and older. Both are good first calls for local services before and after a move.
Common questions
How early should we start planning a downsizing move?
Start sorting several weeks ahead and go room by room, so decisions are not rushed.
What should not go on the moving truck?
Medicines, documents, valuables, glasses, hearing aids and chargers should travel with the person moving.
Who helps older adults on Long Island?
The Nassau County and Suffolk County Offices for the Aging run programs for residents 60 and older.
What if we are not ready to decide about some furniture?
Short-term storage gives you time to decide after the move.
Get your free estimate
Call (516) 246-5901 or send the quote form on our home page with both addresses, the floors, elevator or stairs, your date and your main items. Moving Service By Two Guys is part of A & A Alliance Moving Inc, a family business since 1999, licensed and insured: NYSDOT 34875, NJPM 000930, U.S. DOT No. 967970. More on our company facts page.
Rules and services change. We checked the official links on this page on October 11, 2026; confirm on the linked page before you act.
Official sources
More Long Island moving guides
- How to declutter before moving
- 11 items to discard or rehome when moving
- Self storage
- Long Island movers guide: Nassau and Suffolk County
- Before a Long Island Move: What to Do With Old Electronics, Paint and Chemicals
- Moving to a Coastal Long Island Home: Flood Zones, Flood Insurance and Hurricane Season
