By Beverly O’Shea
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Seabrook recently added Erickson Realty & Moving Services, a new national program developed by Erickson Retirement Communities to help people sell their houses and navigate through the moving process with ease.

“We are putting the pieces in place to help people attain the retirement lifestyle they want without having to worry about finances and moving logistics,” says Tom Neubauer, senior vice president of sales for Erickson Retirement Communities.

Angela Garofolo, who leads the program at Seabrook, says the new operation is similar to what the community has been doing to help its new and prospective residents for years. The difference, Garofolo says, is that now a personal moving consultant visits people’s houses to help them stage their homes and prepare to move, offering a very individualized service.

“They’re mine [to assist] until they move in,” she says.

Recommending resources
Aside from Garofolo, Erickson Realty & Moving Services involves a team of retirement counselors and a comprehensive resource network that encompasses specially selected Realtors, downsizers, stagers, contractors, and movers.

The three contractors Seabrook recommends most often are interior designer Cheryl Fiolek, owner of Fiolek Design Associates, Inc., in Shrewsbury; Senior Moves owner Alicia Banks, of Bogota; and Dina Blackwood and CinDee Giannotti, owners of Finding Spaces, in Ocean Township. “Fiolek Design specializes in residential relocation design; Senior Moves supervises the move and then unpacks everything on move-in day; and Finding Spaces provides comprehensive home staging, moving, and interior design services,” Garofolo says. “They have all been with us for years.”

Satisfied customer
Frederica Hammer, who recently moved from Shrewsbury after waiting for an apartment with a balcony, calls the assistance “fabulous.” She says Alicia Banks from Senior Moves helped her sell furniture, decide what to donate and where, and pick out what to take with her to her new home.