Moving can be a daunting task under the best of circumstances, made even more challenging by the prospect of downsizing – when you have 2,000 square feet of belongings and only 1,000 to put them in, something’s got to give! For clients facing that challenge, Sterling Transitions can be a saving grace.
Sterling Transitions, founded and run by Tanya Fletcher and her business partner Betty Baker, offers moving and downsizing management as well as estate liquidation, with a goal of providing a complete solution rather than simply one piece of a bigger puzzle. From sorting and packing to on-site estate sales and online auctions, Sterling Transitions has the ability to see clients through their transition from start to finish.
Fletcher, who has a background in business management and marketing, began her business by simply helping people move. She quickly realized, however, that once her clients had moved they often had a large amount of belongings that they didn’t want. She had a difficult time identifying reputable organizations to refer them to, and decided to take this additional aspect of the process on herself. After about a year and a half, her business partner joined her and helped to incorporate auctions into the business model as well.
One of the most challenging parts of downsizing for many people, says Fletcher, is avoiding getting bogged down in the details. Sellers are often able to identify the things that they do and don’t wish to keep, but become too focused on what to do with the things that they want to get rid of – how much are they worth? Where can they be sold? What if they don’t sell? Oftentimes, she says, the prospect of attempting to sell will become so daunting that people will simply give up and hang on to things they neither want nor need. One of the many services that Fletcher and Sterling Transitions can provide is assistance in making decisions about what to take and what to leave, and total handling of the sale of any items not making the move.
This can eliminate a huge amount of stress for sellers, and is one of Fletcher’s favorite parts of the business: “when we first meet them and they’re really overwhelmed and stressed out, and then they hear everything that we can do and you can visibly see their stress [diminish],” she says, she can see the truly positive impact of her work.
Still, there can be some bumps in the road. Downsizing often means eliminating specific things: dining rooms and second bedrooms, and everything that goes along with them, are often the first to go. This means that Sterling Transitions sees a surplus of dining room tables, dinnerware, and bedroom sets, among other things; sellers are often disappointed to learn that their belongings aren’t unique, and that, due to the large number of similar items that are available, may not be worth as much as expected. Part of the challenge of the business, Fletcher says, is having those conversations with people and determining how to find value in what they have.
Finding that value and completing a project is one of the most satisfying parts of Fletcher’s work, and she loves that every project she works on is completely different at its core. Every client has different needs and expectations, and with Fletcher’s expertise and the help of Sterling Transitions, every move can be as simple and successful as possible.
Visit www.SterlingTransitions.com or @SterlingTransitions on Facebook and Instagram to find out more, and be sure to sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date on auctions and estate sales!
