Estate & Legacy Transition Services
One of the hardest things
you'll ever have to organize.
We've done it ourselves.
DS Home Collective was founded in part because of this exact experience. We know what it takes — and we know what a neutral, organized, professionally trained presence can prevent.
80% of families believe they won't have conflict
dividing personal property.
80% of that 80% do.
The highest-value part of this work is not logistics. It is preventing exactly that conflict — through a structured, neutral process, led by someone who is not a sibling, not the executor, and not emotionally inside the decision.
Source: FairSplit personal-property platform research
Two paths through the same door
Planning ahead
Senior Transition Planning
For families who want to get organized before a transition becomes urgent — while a parent is still living, and while there is time to plan rather than react. This is the work families wish they had done sooner.
We work with you and your family to create a comprehensive household inventory, establish a clear plan for belongings, and build a shared roadmap so that when the time comes, no one is starting from zero in a moment of grief.
Full household inventory and asset documentation (with photos)
Sentimental item cataloguing and family intention mapping
Sorting belongings into keep / gift / donate / sell categories
Documentation of who receives what, to protect family relationships
Vendor and service provider documentation for the household
Coordination support with attorneys and financial advisors (non-legal, non-fiduciary)
After a loss
Estate Settlement Support
For families in the middle of an estate settlement who need someone to manage the practical side while they grieve, make decisions, and stay present with each other. We bring order to a process that can otherwise stall under grief, distance, or family disagreement.
We are the neutral, organized presence that helps a family decide what happens to a household and its contents — then orchestrates the specialists who execute that plan. We do not pack, move, clean, or haul. We facilitate and coordinate.
Estate inventory and item-by-item documentation
Facilitation of structured, fair division process among heirs
Coordination with appraisers, estate sale companies, auction houses, and donation services
Property preparation for sale, rental, or family transfer
Timeline management so the process does not stall
Single point of contact for out-of-state or time-constrained families
Common triggers
When families reach out to us.
Settling a parent's estate after a death
A parent's transition into assisted living or a senior community while still living
Multi-generational household consolidation — moving a parent in, or combining two households
Divorce-related division of shared household property
A family that completed an estate settlement and wishes they had had support
Planning ahead because a family member has received a diagnosis
How we work
At your pace. On your terms.
Every legacy transition engagement begins with a conversation — not a questionnaire. We want to understand the situation, the family, and what would make this feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
These engagements are project-based, not retainer-based. We quote a clear scope after the initial consultation and work to that scope. Hourly engagements are available at $85–$125/hour; fixed-fee options are available for well-defined projects. Initial consultations are $250–$500, creditable toward a signed engagement.
There are no ongoing fees after the project is complete. If you need us again, we are here.
Start a conversation