UK Downsizing and Moving a Parent Planner: Google Sheets Care Home Checklist, Power of Attorney, Budget & Who Gets What

Helping Mum or Dad move into a care home, a retirement flat or somewhere smaller? Keep the whole move in one place, and share the jobs with the rest of the family.

The UK Downsizing & Moving a Parent Planner is a Google Sheets template made for families. Type in moving day and it dates every task for you, shows the move on a timeline, and keeps care home costs, paperwork, belongings and budgets in order.

PERFECT FOR
• Moving a parent into a care home or nursing home
• Moving a parent into a retirement flat or sheltered housing
• Brothers, sisters and carers sharing the jobs
• Downsizing yourself (read "your parent" as "you")

WHAT'S INCLUDED (13 TABS)
• Start Here: simple steps, a clickable menu and tips for each UK nation
• Key Dates: 15 dates with countdowns, from the family meeting and assessments to moving day and the house sale
• Checklist: 50 tasks with due dates worked out from moving day, including a ready-to-move check
• Timeline: a colour-coded chart of the whole move, week by week (done, to do, late)
• Who to Tell: 39 people and organisations, from the council and DWP to the GP, pharmacy and telecare provider
• Care Homes & Flats: compare up to 5 places, with inspection ratings and every regular cost added up per year. The cheapest suitable care home is picked out for you
• Removal Quotes: compare up to 5 removal firms, with VAT added where a quote leaves it out
• Who Gets What: 29 starter items, room by room: moving with them, family, sell, donate or tip
• Documents & POA: 30 key papers, including power of attorney, the will, pensions and health papers, and where each one is kept
• Paying for Care: 28 checks on savings limits, the 12-week property disregard, benefits, tax and council tax
• Packing: number and track up to 300 boxes, and where each one goes
• Budget: moving costs with estimate, actual and paid so far, plus a monthly check of whether your parent can afford the new place
• Useful Links: official websites for power of attorney, paying for care and care home inspection reports

POWER OF ATTORNEY FIRST
The planner puts power of attorney at the very top, because being family doesn't give anyone authority over a parent's money, and registering it can take several months.

MADE FOR THE UK
Notes for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including the different savings limits, powers of attorney, care inspectors, council tax and rates. Figures checked in October 2026; they change each April.

YOUR DOWNLOAD: 3 PDFs
• 23-page User Guide: the link to your copy of the planner, plus a guide to every tab, with pictures and a worked example family
• FREE 28-page family guide, When an Older Parent Needs Care: support at home, assessments and leaving hospital, who pays for care, choosing a home, the move, and what to do after a death, with prompts showing where to record each step in the planner
• FREE printable checklists: care home visit, hospital discharge, first-month review and funeral administration

HOW IT WORKS
1. Buy and download the PDFs
2. Open the User Guide and click the link inside it to make your own copy of the planner
3. Type in moving day
4. Share it with the family and work through the Checklist together

GOOD TO KNOW
• Works in Google Sheets, so no Excel is needed
• You just need a free Google account
• Use it on a computer, tablet or phone (with the free Google Sheets app)
• Your copy is private: only the people you share it with can see it
• Instant digital download. Nothing will be posted to you
• The family, places and amounts in the photos are made-up examples
• This planner helps you organise. It isn't legal or financial advice: the council, Age UK and Independent Age can tell you what applies to your family

Clearing out the family home? See the Declutter & Sell Tracker in my shop.

Questions? Send me a message and I'll be happy to help.

For personal use only. Please don't share or resell the planner.