What continent. There is a company but I think only regional in the Midwest called the "Betty Brigade" that specializes in just that, helping seniors downsize who are moving to assisted living places, etc. I'm sure there are other such companies all across the globe but that's one I know of.

https://bettybrigade.com/

Estate online auctions are available to help sell items and then you can pay a haul away fee for what does not sell. My parents used such a service recently and it was very easy but it does come with a large fee. The company came to the house assessed what would sell. Categorize items. Took pictures and held a online auction arranged for item pick up and than they paid extra to empty the house of all that did not sell or was not moving with my parents.

Good luck

This company has numerous locations, maybe they can help? (Beware, I follow some of the local auctions- sellers don’t make very much.)

Caring Transitions

https://www.caringtransitions.com/locations

Try looking for a "senior move manager." Here's an organization that will give you a starting point.

National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers

I googled senior downsizing services and found a bunch of things including this

https://www.nasmm.org

A friend sent this to me. Haven’t had the estate sale yet, but finding this useful.

What Services Do You Provide?

The answer to this isn't as obvious as you think.

Do they sort, clean, price, and stage the merchandise? Do they provide tables and display cases? Note: We have never seen any company clean anything. Meaning, if it is dirty, they will sell it that way. If it is dirty – clean it. You will get a better price for it. Yellowed linens? Use Oxyclean. Can you save money by doing work ahead of time like sorting, organizing and displaying household items? Can you take the pictures and send it to them?

Do they maintain the strictest confidentiality for their clients?

Do they take care of advertising and any required permits? Do they obtain any/all required permits and put up all necessary signs? Do they find out all rules regarding holding an estate sale in my community – such as parking rules, etc

How many staffers do they provide, and what do those staffers do? If local laws require sales tax, do they keep track and make sure it gets paid? Do they staff the event with a qualified, uniformed staff?

Do they clean up and clear out property after the estate sale ends?

If you want to reduce the costs. Are there things you can do up front to reduce the cost? Things such as prestaging, emptying cabinets, moving all items you don’t want sold into a room you can lock (tape on doors doesn’t deter everyone).

Remember that this is not a retail sale. If you want more value for an item, it might be better to put have it appraised, put it on consignment, sell it at auction or on eBay.

What and How Do You Charge?

Don't settle for any estate sale company without understanding what and how they charge.
Common methods include:

• percentage of gross sales
• flat rate
• flat rate plus a percentage of sales
• a minimum or a percentage of sales, whichever is greater

However, they charge, does that method include everything? Does it cover permits, advertising costs, and credit card processing fees?

Do they charge extra for optional services such as clearing out unsold goods? Finally, ask if you're required to pay a deposit.

Do they accept credit cards or local checks? How do you feel about local checks?

How Do You Determine Prices on the Merchandise?

Pricing the merchandise appropriately is one of the most important services an estate sale pro should provide. Do they price each item? Do they put up signs for like items? This could include kitchen utensils, books, DVDs, etc. If you know something is truly of value it might be good to have a second appraisal. Note: it is unethical to appraise an item and then try to buy it.

Ask if anyone at the company is a professional appraiser. Are they accredited appraisers? Whether the answer is yes or no, ask about any areas of pricing expertise.

How does the liquidator set prices and research items outside of her expertise? Does she rely on price guides? Completed item searches on eBay or other online sales sites? Does she hire an appraiser for unknown items that are potentially valuable? Do they research, inspect, evaluate and price items? Do they label items “As is” if broken or not in working condition?

Are You Insured? What Does the Insurance Cover?

You need to know if the estate liquidator carries insurance that covers your sale. How do they handle breakage or theft during the sale? If so, are you covered if:

• the house gets robbed while under the company's control
• merchandise gets stolen during the sale
• a shopper slips and falls during the sale
• a shopper is injured by defective merchandise after taking it home
• a staffer gets injured loading merchandise in a shopper's car
• a staffer damages a shopper’s car while loading merchandise

Are You Bonded?

Will they be purchasing a surety bond to protect your losses if the company doesn't perform as agreed?

How Will You Keep the Property Secure?

What precautions does the estate sale company take to protect the premises and the merchandise?

Do they hire security staff to patrol back rooms, outbuildings, and the exit door?
How do they handle crowd control?
Do they limit the number of shoppers allowed inside at any given time?
Do they prohibit shoppers from entering with large bags and backpacks to limit pilfering?
Do they check your windows and doors during and at the end of the sale? We were told by one estate sale company that a trick that thieves use is to unlock doors and windows as they go through the house.
Do you have an alarm system?

How do they handle security and valuable items?

When and How Do You Discount the Merchandise?

How many days will the sale last? Do they discount on a daily basis? One estate sale company that generally has a minimum of three sales a weekend does just that. They are full price on day one, 25% off on day two, 50% on day three and 75% on day four. Does the company let shoppers haggle for lower prices from the start? Or ever? If so, do they take up to a certain percentage off the tag price? Or do they call you, the owner, with offers?

If the estate sale company doesn't allow haggling, do they offer scheduled discounts? With a two-day sale, for example, they might say no discounts the first day, 25 percent off from 9 a.m. to noon on the second day, and then 50 percent off from noon until they close.

Scheduled discounts usually make the most sense for estate sales. You're not lowering prices the minute the sale starts -- and you aren't tying up staffers with constant negotiations. Additionally, offering the biggest discounts during the final hours of the sale encourages shoppers to come back.

Do You Allow Yourself or Your Staff to Make Purchases?

It's a conflict of interest to purchase merchandise you've been hired to price and sell. Even if the company is scrupulously honest, it gives you a reason to doubt -- especially if they buy to resell online or at a flea market or antique mall.

How do you know they aren't setting the prices too low on things they want? How do you know they aren't tucking things away until the big discounts are offered at the end of the sale? If they are also clearing out the leftovers after your estate sale, how can you be sure they'll put those things out during the sale at all? Just like appraising an item and then offering to buy it, it is unethical to buy from an estate sale that they are conducting.

Do You Allow Anyone to Buy Before the Estate Sale Starts?

If the company does buy from its estate sales, are they allowed to make a purchase before the sale starts? This is called “Pre-sales”.

What about dealers? Do they get the first look? If so, how can you be sure they're not partnered up with the estate liquidator on an antique mall booth?

What if a potential shopper falls for something she sees in one of your advertising photos? Can she buy it now so nobody else gets to it first?

What about a friend or relative of yours? Let's say your cousin decides he'd really like to have your dining table? Can he buy it early if he pays full price?

When Will You Schedule My Estate Sale?

Some estate sale companies are booked months in advance. If a company can't get to you for three months and you must have the property empty in one, move on to the next liquidator on your list.

What Happens Before the Sale and How Long Does It Take?

An estate sale requires lots of prep, including time for sorting, pricing, and staging. How much time will the company need to do all of that? What else will they need to do? They'll need access to the house, but do they require exclusive access? That's probably not a problem if you're liquidating a deceased person's estate, but what if it's your sale and you still live there? Will you have to get out? When? What if you can do the staging and sorting yourself and just let them in for pricing? Will that reduce the price? Do they price individual items or put up signs with set prices or do they do a combination of price setting and marking items? Some estate sale companies don’t price anything. The more organized the sale is, the better the results.

What Do You Require Me to Do?

Does the estate sale company require you to move all merchandise you're not selling out of the house before the initial walk through? Or, is it okay if you just point out the excluded goods? How

Has your mother chosen a senior community to move into? When my mother moved from her 3/2 home of more than 30 years, the independent living facility where she chose an apartment had moving companies, downsizing specialists, and people to sell the excess that they had worked with and recommended when asked.

It wasn't across a continent, but she was already living 2 hours south of me and moving yet another hour. I knew no professionals in the area.

In my area there is a business called Elderwerks, they specialize in helping people decide on the living arrangement that is right for them, and assist with as much of the process and move as you like. Their employees are called Community Resource Consultants. Many areas have booklets of resources for senior living communities and other services, including services like Elderwerks. My aunt is working with one now, because the search is daunting when you need the perfect Venn diagram of location, services, and price.

Thank you all for the leads. This is a great bunch of resources to get me going. My mother has narrowed it down to three communities.

Am back to report I’ve already found several companies in her area using “senior move manager” I’ll call some of them today, time allowing. I also need to write down the names of her three finalists, honestly she has been considering this so long and I am so happy she is ready, but the names all sound the same to me.

We used an NASMM move manger (as mentioned by Moxie and 2katz4me) five years ago when my mother moved to an independent living facility. She moved from her home of 60 years to a two-bedroom apartment. The move manager went through the house with us and tagged all the items we wanted to move to the apartment, and she helped us make some of the decisions on what to take. She oversaw the packing of the items going to the new apartment. And what was really wonderful was that she did the unpacking and set up the entire apartment, including the kitchen and closets. It was wonderful to go to the apartment the night of the move and be all settled in. The only thing we had to do was hang her artwork.