Managing an Estate from Across the Country
The Challenge
When a client’s mother passed away, she left behind not only a lifetime of memories but also a Cleveland home filled with designer furniture, fine art, and collectibles, along with several commercial properties in varying stages of sale or lease.
Living across the country in Portland with his own family, he faced the impossible task of managing upkeep, repairs, and real estate decisions from afar. His sister, newly enrolled in law school, could not take on the responsibility.
The Approach
The client needed more than a local point of contact—he needed a trusted partner to act as an extension of himself. Together, we developed a step-by-step plan to address both residential and commercial needs.
Coordinated vendor selection and property maintenance
Oversaw repairs, staging, and clean-outs
Organized personal belongings for distribution, resale, or donation
Kept family as informed and involved as they wished, while protecting their time and peace of mind
The Outcome
The residential property sold before officially going on the market, achieving a price above asking. Commercial properties were maintained and prepared for smooth transitions, while his mother’s personal collection was handled with respect and discretion.
Most importantly, he was able to remain present with his family in Portland while knowing his mother’s legacy was honored and her affairs were in trusted hands.
Detailed Services Rendered
Residential Property Manager and General Contractor
Document and file organization to identify maintenance, service providers, appraisals, receipts and critical structural details of the home.
Manage home services including mail, trash, landscapers, cleaning personnel and other seasonal home maintenance.
Identify needed repairs and coordinate various contractors to complete the work.
HVAC upgrade including vendor selection and project management
Irrigation system repair and project management
Plumbing/Gas light repair management
Painting and dry wall repair management
Personal Property Organization and Distribution
Garage and kitchen clean out/donate/pack
Create an inventory to sort all belongings by what you are keeping, selling, donating and throwing away
Coordinate between family and friends the kept items, what stays for staging, and how to eventually move what where
Identify partners for estate sales, consignment or purchase
Distribution between family, resellers, and donations
Organize donation pick ups or drop offs
Packing and shipping as needed
House Staging and Sale
Work with realtor to prioritize needed repairs, things to remove, and furniture to keep for staging
Realtor liaison for property questions and showings
Staging tasks as identified by the realtor’s stager including, acquiring home accents needed for staging, removing and storing personal items and putting together 20 different seasonal planters!
Move out coordination post sale to two locations in under two weeks
Commercial Property Management
Fire and security vendor selection and installation
HVAC vendor selection and service contract
Cleaning service selection
Confidential file identification and removal
Office furniture liquidation
Junk removal
Office staging
Property management until building is sold including watering plants, external maintenance, seasonal systems and utilities maintenance
What People Are Saying
“I highly recommend working with Katie! She has been an absolute dream to work with. She is creative, practical and invaluable for meeting tight turn around needs during a sale. The return on what the house was able to be sold for far out weighs the investment in her services”
— Karen Eagle, Realtor at Sotheby’s
“Katie has been a total life saver. We have worked on a few projects together now and I know every time she is going to nail it! I would highly recommend working with her.”
— Zack Luby, Property Owner
Detailed Services Rendered
Residential Property Manager and General Contractor
Document and file organization to identify maintenance, service providers, appraisals, receipts and critical structural details of the home.
Manage home services including mail, trash, landscapers, cleaning personnel and other seasonal home maintenance.
Identify needed repairs and coordinate various contractors to complete the work.
HVAC upgrade including vendor selection and project management
Irrigation system repair and project management
Plumbing/Gas light repair management
Painting and dry wall repair management
Personal Property Organization and Distribution
Garage and kitchen clean out/donate/pack
Create an inventory to sort all belongings by what you are keeping, selling, donating and throwing away
Coordinate between family and friends the kept items, what stays for staging, and how to eventually move what where
Identify partners for estate sales, consignment or purchase
Distribution between family, resellers, and donations
Organize donation pick ups or drop offs
Packing and shipping as needed
House Staging and Sale
Work with realtor to prioritize needed repairs, things to remove, and furniture to keep for staging
Realtor liaison for property questions and showings
Staging tasks as identified by the realtor’s stager including, acquiring home accents needed for staging, removing and storing personal items and putting together 20 different seasonal planters!
Move out coordination post sale to two locations in under two weeks
Commercial Property Management
Fire and security vendor selection and installation
HVAC vendor selection and service contract
Cleaning service selection
Confidential file identification and removal
Office furniture liquidation
Junk removal
Office staging
Property management until building is sold including watering plants, external maintenance, seasonal systems and utilities maintenance