How to Make a Move Less Stressful: Mike Wherley on Planning Early
Bodacious Estate Conversations | Episode 113
Featuring Mike Wherley, Owner | Wherley Generations Moving & Storage
Moving can be demanding under ordinary circumstances. When it happens during downsizing, a home sale, or the loss of a family member, it can bring emotional decisions and many practical details at once. Planning early and finding the right support can make the transition easier to manage.
In Episode 113 of Bodacious Estate Conversations, host Kasey King speaks with Mike Wherley, Owner of Wherley Generations Moving & Storage. They discuss the company’s family history, how movers can support families through difficult transitions, and practical steps people can take before moving day.
A family business built around moving
Wherley describes his family’s moving business as dating back to 1920. As he recounts it, the company began with his great-grandfather delivering furniture from York’s train station by horse and wagon. The business later added trucks and expanded into long-distance moving.
Wherley credits the company’s employees as an important part of its longevity. He says the business has focused on paying employees wages they can live on and build from. That commitment, along with a family tradition of moving work, has shaped the company over generations.
Moving during a life transition calls for care
A move after a death, during a downsize, or while transitioning to a different kind of home may involve more than transporting belongings. Families may still be deciding what each person will keep, where items will go, and how to manage the home.
Wherley says his approach is to first understand the family’s situation and explain available options. He describes the goal as helping ease the pressure rather than pushing a service before understanding what the family needs. When customers ask, his team may also help connect them with other local service providers.
Families can make these conversations more manageable by identifying what is already decided and what still needs attention. It may help to separate belongings into broad groups: items going to the next home, items for relatives, donations or sale, and items that need another plan. In an estate situation, it can also help to clarify who is making decisions and how costs will be handled.
Start with small steps instead of a last-minute rush
One of Wherley’s central recommendations is to start early. Rather than trying to sort and pack the entire home in a short period, families can make progress a little at a time. For example, they can move an item upstairs when they are already going that way, or take a donation box along on an errand.
He also recommends thinking ahead about everyday essentials. Prescription medication, important papers, chargers, and items needed immediately after the move should be set aside so they do not end up sealed in a moving box. Families may also want to keep manuals and other items they know they will need accessible.
When deciding whether to keep a sentimental item, Wherley suggests that people who are unsure can pack it and make the decision later, once they see how it fits in the new space. That can give families more time to consider an item without leaving the decision until the busiest part of the move.
Choose a mover carefully and ask for a clear estimate
Wherley prefers in-home estimates because a walk-through can reveal belongings that are easy to overlook, such as items in a shed, basement, storage area, or beneath a porch. The conversation can help the moving company understand the job and prepare an estimate based on the actual home and its contents. He says estimates may also be handled by photos or video calls.
He advises people to be cautious when a quote seems unusually low or when they feel pressured to book immediately. He recommends looking for a local company with a visible local presence and asking questions before committing. Families can compare estimates, understand what the quoted service includes, and ask how changes to the move may affect the final cost.
An estimate is also a useful time to explain uncertainty. If the family has not yet decided where everything will go, say so. A mover may be able to explain what options are available while the family continues to sort through the home.
Storage can provide flexibility
Some moves do not have a single destination or a fixed schedule. In an estate transition, belongings may be divided among relatives living in different places. Wherley describes using storage-in-transit for items that need to be held until delivery can be arranged. He says his company can also coordinate with storage facilities when needed.
In some situations, combining a delivery with another trip in the same direction may affect the cost, but timing and availability vary. Families should ask the mover to explain the storage, delivery, and billing arrangements in writing. If several relatives are receiving items, an item list and a clear agreement about who is responsible for each cost can help prevent confusion.
Coordinate sale, donation, and disposal plans
Moving out of a home may involve several destinations for its contents. In the conversation, Wherley describes coordinating with auctioneers and helping arrange for items to go to sale, donation, storage, or disposal. The right option depends on the item, the family’s preferences, timing, and the work involved.
Before the move, families can identify which items are intended for a new home, which may be offered to relatives, and which may need another destination. Some pieces may be valuable to a family member even if they are not likely to sell for much. Others may be useful to a donation center. Planning these categories early can reduce the number of decisions left for moving day.
For more guidance on preparing a home for a transition, see Helping an Aging Parent Downsize and Getting a House Ready to Sell.
The key is to begin before everything feels urgent
A less stressful move rarely depends on one perfect moving day. It is more often the result of small decisions made ahead of time: contacting movers early, sorting belongings gradually, keeping essentials accessible, and asking clear questions about estimates and storage.
For families navigating a move after a loss or while preparing a home for sale, having a dependable team can help make the next steps easier to see. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
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