Transition Solutions

"I should have insisted that we do this a long time ago"

After her husband passed away, our client continued to live in a complex that was rapidly deteriorating. It had been home for over 15 years after they made the move to Johannesburg from the coast. She was full of anxiety: afraid to look out her lounge window at night, afraid to make the decision to move, afraid to try to pack, afraid to decide what to throw away. All this emotion weighed very heavily on her.

A cousin gave her the support to finally make the decision to move to a retirement village, and the village suggested she contact Transition Solutions to assist her with the move. It was obvious that "Emma's" deep-seated fears and anxieties over the years had led to a total inability to discard anything in case it would be needed in the future. Over two days, and with care and empathy, our team were able to sort out what would be needed in the new apartment to allow comfortable living, what the items were that brought joy and ignited pleasant memories, what needed to be donated, and what should be dumped. "Emma" was aghast at the volume of stuff that was donated to a charity and designated to the dump. “Is that really all our stuff!! Where was it stored!”

On day three the truck was packed and we unpacked her in her new 1,5 bedroom 1st floor apartment – curtains and windows open, fellow residents popping in to say hello and offer tea or coffee. Emma virtually changed in those few hours! She accepted tea and said hello to all; being more in command, and even suggesting that we leave some boxes behind so she could donate further items to the charity so she could free up some of her living space of the small bits and pieces that she had clung to.

“I should have insisted that we do this a long time ago, whilst my husband was still alive and able to assist. But he was so against moving!”

And yes, there was a garage of mystery stuff – all taken care of and keys handed to the estate agent.

With aging, we recommend moving to a place where you are surrounded by people of your own generation. This offers a unique sense of comfort, camaraderie and shared understanding, largely because you share a common historical timeline, bond over shared experiences and, dare I say, aching joints!

If you would like to discuss, please give us a call.

KICKSTARTING 2026

Both for us at Transition Solutions, and our client who found it unbelievably emotional to make decisions about what to keep or dispose of when clearing her mother-in-law's apartment to get it ready for sale. When family members are living overseas, it is sometimes a very heavy burden to make these decisions on their behalf.

With some gentle coaxing and joint decision-making, it was a very productive day. A few tears, followed with relief!

Best wishes for 2026 to all who read this post! If you need any assistance to downsize or move an elderly parent - or indeed yourself - please contact either Shanoo or myself.

Estate Clearance - Here For You

I was on my hands and knees, stretched deep into the kitchen cupboard below the sink, pulling out armful after armful of kitchenware – some used and ready for hospice, other for auction, and some for dump. The sheer magnitude of stuff in just one little cupboard brought quite a few gasps. This was just one of a household of cupboards that we sorted and cleared.
Dealing with the tasks associated with the passing of a loved one, expected or unexpected, can be overwhelming. Once the legal and administrative duties have been taken care of, the task of packing up and closing a house can feel like one final hurdle too much.
It can be cathartic for families to join together during this process, and allow the sharing of familial memories, experiences, stories and photographs to help cope with grief and loss. But in today’s world of families scattered across the globe, it is not always easy to do this.
Our clients become our ‘family’ as well – that’s the only way we know how to pack up a home that has been lived in and loved, and flag items that might have memories attached to keep aside, because we know we would want that done for us – and we use all tools of communication available to involve all in decision-making wherever they are. We burn up WhatsApp groups and video calls, and sometimes endless excel spreadsheets. It is important for everyone to be involved in the decision making, and enabled to select special memories to remind them of their roots.
We are Here For You if you need assistance to pack up a family home. Just give us a call for a chat. Even just for advice.

From Sydney, with love

When children (adults with their own families) make the decision to follow their dreams and careers and move away from home, it comes with a heavy heart leaving all they know behind. Not to mention dear parents. Our clients' mum passed a few years ago just as the mum and dad moved into a retirement village, and dad was not coping well with the loneliness of being alone, and advancing age. It just made sense to move him yet again into an assisted living facility. However it isn't easy to manage all of this from afar.

We were able to assist and be their representatives here when they were not able to be - sorting, packing, moving and settling dad in, clearing, surface clean, and handing over the keys. Even packing memories and shipping them off. And when the family was together, the precious time was spent doing good family stuff like chatting, coffee, and pouring over photograph albums.

Here for you, wherever you may be!