What does a senior move manager cost in Atlanta?

By Zach Peterson · Updated October 22, 2026

If you’re pricing help for a parent’s move, you’ve probably noticed that most senior move managers don’t list prices. Every move is different, and the hours depend on how much of the work your family wants to hand over. Here is what the numbers look like, where they come from, and how to get a quote you can trust.

What a senior move manager does

A senior move manager plans and runs the whole move for an older adult, not just moving day. According to the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (NASMM), typical services include:

• A move plan and timeline
• Sorting and downsizing, room by room
• A floor plan for the new home, so you know what will fit
• Arranging the sale, donation or disposal of what doesn’t move
• Hiring, scheduling and overseeing the movers
• Packing, unpacking and resettling the new home

Not every firm offers every service, so ask which ones are included in your quote.

Hourly rates

Our Atlanta estimate is about $60 to $125 an hour. Atlanta is a large metro, but it isn’t one of the higher-cost regions AARP names, so we use NASMM’s national survey figure for the low end and its large-city figure for the high end. We haven’t yet found an Atlanta move manager that posts its rates online. As Atlanta firms share their rates with us, we’ll update this range.

One question changes the math more than any other: is the rate per person? Ask whether the hourly rate covers one worker or the whole team, and how many people the estimate assumes.

What a whole move usually costs

The total depends mostly on hours. Published estimates for a full move fall in a similar band:

To put that in Atlanta terms: one full move described by Next Avenue took about 40 hours. At $60 to $125 an hour, 40 hours comes to $2,400 to $5,000 before movers. A small apartment-to-apartment move can take far fewer hours. A large house with decades of belongings can take many more.

How move managers bill

• By the hour. This is the most common approach, according to AARP and Care.com.
• By the project. One price for the whole job.
• Time packages. A set number of hours for a set price. NASMM’s Mary Kay Buysse gave Care.com the example of $1,000 for a block of hours. Packages help when you have a fixed budget.

NASMM members are required to put their fees in a written estimate and to use a written contract. Read both before anyone starts work.

What usually isn’t in the price

• Movers and the truck. These are usually a separate bill.
• Estate sale commissions, if an estate sale company sells what doesn’t move.
• Junk hauling, cleaning, storage, appraisals and shipping. Ask which outside vendors are included and which you’ll pay directly.
• Supplies, travel time, minimums, deposits and cancellation fees. Ask about each one before you sign.

What makes the price go up or down

• How much is in the house. More belongings mean more sorting hours.
• How much your family does itself. Every room you sort yourselves is time you don’t pay for.
• How many decisions are still open. Disagreements about keepsakes stretch the schedule.
• How much you hand over. A Place for Mom notes that families who want help with every step pay more than families who want help only with downsizing or organizing.
• Distance. For a long-distance move, AARP reports that some families hire one move manager at each end, which can cost less than one firm handling both.

Five ways to keep the cost down

1. Settle family keepsakes first. Get family claims in writing before the move manager starts. Our guide to cleaning out a parent’s house walks through how.
2. Do the easy sorting yourselves. Clear obvious trash and duplicates, but leave paperwork and anything that might have value for a closer look.
3. Buy a time package for the hardest parts. For many families that means the plan, the floor plan and move day.
4. For a long-distance move, ask about a move manager at each end.
5. Ask the senior living community whether it works with move managers or offers any move-in help.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Are you a member of NASMM, and how long have you done this work?
• Are you insured for liability and workers' compensation?
• Is your rate per person or for the team, and how many people does this estimate assume?
• Will you give me a written estimate and a written contract?
• Do you pack, or do the movers? How are the movers billed?
• Which outside vendors do you use, and why those?
• Is there a minimum, a deposit or a cancellation fee?
• Can I speak with two or three recent clients?

You can also read how we verify providers, including what we check for move managers.

Is a move manager worth it?

A move manager is usually worth considering when you’re coordinating from out of state, when the house holds decades of belongings, when a senior living move-in date sets a hard deadline, or when the family can’t agree on what to keep. For a small move with family nearby and time to spare, movers alone may be enough.

This guide is general information for Georgia families, not legal, tax, or financial advice. For probate, tax, or benefits questions, consult a Georgia attorney or other qualified professional. Read how we write our guides.