Parents finally downsizing? How to help with the big move — without the big costs

Your parents are finally downsizing after 40 years in the same house. You want to help, but where to even start? It’s a dramatically different world from the last time they moved, in terms of finding quality services, researching options and comparing prices.

It’s a dramatically different world from the last time they moved, in terms of finding quality services, researching options and comparing prices. This is where children can play a key role for their parents, especially those who may not be as internet-savvy, says Bill VanGorder, chief advocacy and education officer for the Canadian Association of Retired Persons.

“Often, adult children are more familiar with researching things online, have networks that they can check with, and are able to maybe dig a little deeper,” he says. 

“People get older, they don’t always access information (online), they may use the internet for email and for some entertainment, but they don’t understand the ways of finding good information.”