In 1999, my aunt, Elsie, passed away. Elsie lived in the home that my grandparents had downsized to about 20 years prior. Both of my grandparents had since passed away. The house wasn’t very big but there was a full basement and an attic including a cedar closet. Elsie never really changed anything at the house. It was full of my grandparents mementos as well as all of the things that Elsie had brought with her when she moved from her home in South Jersey. Can you say LOTS OF STUFF? In addition to the house, Elsie had a business.
Preparing to sell the house and cleaning out the business was a monumental task. There was Elsie’s sister, Edythe, who had her own business and I. I lived in South Jersey with my 12 year old daughter, Belinda. Belinda had school and was on the field hockey team for school. I worked a full-time job. Are you getting the picture of how difficult this was?
We had a sale in the store to consolidate things. At the house, we started with the process, one room at a time. We found LOTS of things that none of us wanted so we tossed them. Yup, out to the curb it went – FREE to anyone who wanted it. I mean who had time to pull things together and take them to the thrift store or have an estate sale. Then I met this wonderful antique dealer and I found out that some (or maybe a lot) of the stuff was worth some money. Very late in the process, he made a trip to Ocean Grove. After 2 trips with his truck, he took many of the things off of our hands. This was a long exhausting process.
Fast forward to hearing about Tranquil Transitions… OMG! I wish I knew about them back then. Here is a company overview, direct from their website:
Tranquil Transitions is a New Jersey based Relocation company committed to guiding and supporting people through all facets of relocation and we specialize with seniors and their families through the potentially stressful process of transitioning to a new environment.
Whether you’re moving to a smaller environment setting and don’t know where to begin, our Senior Relocation and Move Management Services will help organize your space from years of accumulation; deal with the difficult decisions of estate dispersal or preparing a house for sale. We are here to help now. We move with care and compassion.
I had the pleasure of meeting Annette, the owner and Julie, the office manager. They started the company in the spring of 2002 as a result of a request from an elderly friend who needed help with her move. They decided to apply our skills to this growing market and assist seniors by developing a comprehensive and caring approach for their relocation needs. They are committed to immensely reducing the stress and bringing peace of mind to those in transition.
Services Include:
- Floor Plans
- Professional Packing & Unpacking
- Organizing
- Downsizing, Estate Dispersal
- Shredding – Protect yourself against identity theft & free up more of your space
- Moving Arrangements
- Custom Closet Design & Installation
- Staging – house sells faster and for more money
- Clean Outs – We will remove all the rubbish, old furniture, appliances anything we can not sell or donate on your behalf. Your home will be more attractive, livable, enjoyable and spacious by getting rid of the items you no longer want or need.
- Auctions – On line
- Real Estate -SRS
- Paper & Financial Management – separate page
- Household Repairs
- Prepare House for Sale – leaving in broom swept condition
- Home Improvement
- Painting
- Aging In Place
- Car Transporting
Check them out and mention this blog! Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 