Small animal veterinarian Wim Sherman and wife Sharron were headed into their 80s in good physical shape. In their 58years together, they had biked the Ride the Rockies tour ten times and still skied regularly. And they might have held onto their home in Lakewood’s Westgate area for years to come.

But several years ago, they chose to start planning a move to a place with fewer steps to climb. The Steller Group’s Senior Solutions Division helped on all sides of that —decluttering, readying the house to sell (it goes to market next week), finding a good place to move to, and accomplishing the move itself.

“It takes a village to coordinate these types of moves,” says Steller broker Blair Bryant. Steller has many trusted partners, including Jan Peterson of Blossoms Senior Placement who helped find anew home at The Village at Belmar.

An unexpected event

But Wim has had to carry out this part alone. Sharron passed away last year following a rapid illness, just as they were looking forwardtotheir59thanniversary.

Senior move experts at Steller call that a “triggering event” — an emergency that takes away the chance to plan out a move and instead turns it to an imperative.

“In this case,” says Bryant, “Wim and Sharron had already started decluttering, had seen some communities, and had a good idea of what they wanted.

As a result, we still had time to do this right and bring the home to market in the spring, when many buyers are out looking.”

Wim says he could have held onto their two-story, but it was a home designed for a young family. “If that house could talk, it would be screaming for kids,” he adds.

Rather, he is getting a spacious, attractive two-bedroom patio home at The Village at Belmar, with an attached single car garage, in which he is figuring out where to hang his road bike. When the weather improves, he’s planning to explore Lakewood’s trails nearby.

Downsizing and moving are just two aspects of senior moves that Steller covers in its seminars, including one coming up at the Seasons 52 restaurant in Lone Tree, set for March 11, hosted by The Reserve at Lone Tree, a new senior living community opening this spring in RidgeGate.

Experts like Bryant also advise their clients on what to fix up before listing the house, and Steller has a contractor to handle those improvements in time for going to market.

Another of Steller’s partners is helping Wim do an estate sale, set for Feb. 28 and Mar. 1 at

2576 S. Cody Way in Lakewood, close to Westgate Elementary and the Bear Creek Park and trail system. The home is coming soon and will be available for showings the week of Mar. 3.

Steller’s free seminars are set for Centennial &Lone Tree. See box above or visit DenverSeniorSeminars.com

“If that house could talk, it would be screaming for kids.”

Free seminar at Seasons 52 in Lone Tree Tuesday, Mar. 11

WHAT: The Steller Group, Inc., agents specialized in downsizing moves: listing, selling, improving to increase salability, handling discards, low-maintenance living, purchase & rental.

FREE SEMINARS, REFRESHMENTS INCLUDED

Wed., Feb. 26, “55+ Living Options,” 10 a.m. to noon, Southglenn Library, 6972 S. Vine St., Centennial

Tue., Mar. 11, “Selling Strong: Taxes, Trusts &Timing,” 10 a.m. to noon, Seasons 52, 8325 Park Meadows Center Dr., Lone Tree

RSVP: 720-593-9355 or DenverSeniorSeminars.com