Not Your Typical Transitions

… all of whom were involved by phone, email, and online communication. The home for sale was in Concord, but the owners, who were in their 70s, were in Florida and could not leave because of the virus. TLS coordinated with them and with other family members so that decisions could be made on how to divide all the household items in this spacious home.

There were 3 bedrooms, a living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, sunroom, TV room, office, laundry … and a full finished basement. Some items were shipped to the owners’ sons in South Carolina and Colorado. Some were designated for the buyers. Furnishings were shipped to the owners in Florida, one of whom was an artist whose collection included watercolor and oil paintings and a variety of artists’ supplies. Items from this extensive collection were sold and consigned.

Marie LeBlanc says, “COVID-19 has delivered some difficult challenges, but we are fortunate to work with great realtors, attorneys, and financial planners and when fate ‘throws down the gauntlet,’ we work together to achieve an outcome that works for everyone.”

Originally the clients’ parents bought the home and over the years built an addition, making the home spacious enough for two families. This 15-room home was really like two houses combined with two kitchens, 10 bedrooms, 5 baths, 2 living rooms, dining room, sleeping alcove, storage eaves … and 3 basements! In all, the home had 5,000 sq. ft and needed repairs and heavy renovations. The home was in trust for the children who couldn’t agree on how much to invest in the necessary maintenance, so they listed the home for sale.

The siblings lived in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Florida. The home was vacant and only used for vacations in the summer months. Two brothers traveled to Harwichport several times by truck to pick up the items they wanted to keep. A Purchase and Sale was signed on June 2nd and the closing date was set for June 30th. TLS was brought in on June 15 and began working with the buyers’ realtor who explained that the buyers wanted to move into the home as soon as possible. Their father was 91 years old and not in good health, so their objective was to have him move in with them to spend as much time as possible with them and the grandchildren. They were moving from the greater Boston area and bought the home in Harwichport for this purpose and would do the needed renovations over the winter.

Transitions Liquidation Services completed the entire job, including a thorough clean and coordination with the movers in less than two weeks so the buyers could achieve their goal.

 Marie and her team were called in by Muriel’s caseworker and trust manager to create a safe and comfortable home environment with some very special requirements.

The new space needed to be familiar, yet not the same as her old home, which conjured such emotional memories that Muriel didn’t want to return to it, not even to assist in selecting which furniture and belongings she wanted in her new home. She wouldn’t allow anyone else to go there either. Only Muriel’s caseworker was allowed access.

Marie asked the caseworker to photograph everything in the home, including not only the furnishings and décor, but also the books on the shelves, the toiletries, curtains and bedspread, even the food in the refrigerator. In this way, Marie was able to ascertain Muriel’s tastes and favorite colors.

She rented furniture for the new home in a style like the cherry Shaker furniture in Muriel’s former apartment, but in a lighter fabric and painted finish. Everything was arranged in a similar manner to the former apartment. The TLS team stocked the refrigerator and bought toiletries that matched Muriel’s tastes and brands.

While Marie and her team worked quickly and efficiency to meet a target deadline, they never met Muriel in person, or her caseworker and trust manager, but the steady communication between them ensured a successful conclusion.

*not her real name

Even though the painter, plasterer, carpenter, and carpet installer had already been scheduled by the Delights, the project had become unmanageable for the 70-something couple.

The Delights were healthy, competent, and proactive in downsizing their home. However, they did not foresee all that could, and did, go wrong.

A friend recommended that the Delights call Marie and Transitions Liquidation Services to assist.

Marie worked with the Delights to help them to visualize the actual space available for their belongings in the new home. Although they had diligently worked over the course of several months to clear out unwanted items, the Delights had severely overestimated the amount of storage space available.

Marie perceived another problem looming at the new house – The Delights had a large Kosher kitchen in their current home. Marie could see that their collection of cookware and serving dishes for Passover and entertaining would not fit into the cabinets in the new home. With her clients’ permission, Marie worked with the contractors to install a new line of cabinets along the back wall of the garage. Mrs. Delight decided what items she wanted in each of her kitchen storage areas and Marie had the movers pack everything in smaller than usual boxes, organized and labeled precisely to match each cabinet and drawer, keeping tableware for meat and dairy separate. The TLS staff and Mrs. Delight spent a day together unpacking and putting everything away exactly as she planned it.

Next, Marie and her clients tackled another challenge: Selecting which items would go to each child, packing, and labeling them for delivery. Marie scheduled the movers and gave them a travel route through Massachusetts and Connecticut and a list of items to be dropped off at each destination so that everything could be delivered in efficient stops along the way. She coordinated this with the many recipients’ schedules.

Placement of décor and an extensive artwork collection had to wait until the construction was complete, so Marie utilized plastic art bins provided by Gentle Giant Movers in which to safely store these valuable pieces in the basement of the home until they could be hung. The final touch was to remove the Delights’ Mezuzah medallions from the doorways at the old house and install them in the new home. The couple moved into their perfectly arranged new home with their appropriately stocked Kosher kitchen.

*Not their real names.

Ms. Sholz was convinced to leave, thinking she was moving to a special hotel while her home was being repaired after a burst pipe. The family lived and worked out of state and could not be hands-on with the move. They entrusted Marie to complete the project and to purchase whatever was needed to furnish her new assisted living apartment. Marie visited the home and then outfitted the new apartment with quality furniture and accessories, linens, an adjustable bed, and décor in keeping with the elegant style in which Ms. Sholz was accustomed. Marie created a customized floor plan that emulated Ms. Sholz’s home so that it would feel familiar and comfortable when she moved in. The apartment was set up with both the new furnishings and Ms. Sholz’s clothing and important treasures.

The TLS team attended to the smallest details, setting up the phones and cable TV, making up the bed with freshly laundered sheets and bedding, and even attaching felt pads to the bottoms of furniture legs. As promised, the new apartment was as well-appointed as a suite at a luxury hotel.

Over the next two years, Marie and her team were called upon to move Ms. Sholz three more times as she required more medical care. The family was relieved that the many aspects of downsizing were handled seamlessly. Rather than feeling guilty about not being able to do this themselves, they were able to enjoy the precious time they had left with their loved one.

*not her real name