What this kind of work produces
A written inventory you keep
Every session produces a written document — a list, a catalogue or an orientation guide — that belongs to the family and goes nowhere else. There is nothing to log into, nothing to maintain and no software to learn.
Scope that stays inside its boundary
The coordinator lists, describes, photographs and labels. Nothing is read for meaning, nothing is valued, nothing is filed. That boundary is written down before work begins and held throughout every session.
Knowledge shared across the family
The Archive Programme includes three family walkthrough sessions specifically so that the knowledge of what exists and where is not held by one person. If anything changes for that person, the family is not back to the beginning.
Your storage, your copies
Scans go onto a drive you own. Photographs go into a folder you control. At the close of each programme, a written handover confirms every file transferred. Heirdesk retains nothing.
An open-questions register
Throughout longer programmes, every matter that falls outside scope is noted in writing. This register is handed to the family to bring to a qualified professional — solicitor, accountant, valuator — when the time comes.
A pace that fits the household
Sessions are not on a clock. If something unexpected comes to light, the work pauses for as long as it needs to. The programme continues when the family is ready to continue.
Each benefit, examined
Archival background, not general organising
Heirdesk coordinators come from archival support and records management, not home organisation. That background matters when a family holds company documents alongside personal correspondence, or when jewellery sits in the same drawer as title deeds. The coordinator knows how to handle those categories differently because they have done this kind of work at an institutional level.
- Trained in descriptive cataloguing to collections standards
- Experience with mixed holdings — paper, digital, objects
- Consistent reference convention across all programmes
A method, not an improvisation
Every programme follows the same sequence: written scope first, then inventory, then organisation, then written handover. The family knows at each point what has been done, what remains and what they will receive. Nothing is left implicit.
- Written scope document before any session begins
- Session notes after each meeting
- Written handover at programme close
Digital outputs on your own storage
Scans are produced at archival resolution and named to a consistent convention. The index is written as a plain spreadsheet the family can open in any programme. Nothing requires a subscription, a login or a vendor's continued operation to remain readable in ten years.
- Archival-resolution scanning, consistent file naming
- Index in plain spreadsheet format
- Delivered to external drive or cloud folder you control
One coordinator, one family
The coordinator who begins a programme carries it through to close. There are no handoffs and no introductions to make halfway through. The same person who met the family in session one writes the orientation document at the end of the programme.
- Single named coordinator per engagement
- Direct communication throughout, no intermediary
- Response to enquiries within two working days
Flat fees, no additions for within-scope work
All three programmes carry a flat fee. No additional charges arise for within-scope work discovered during the programme. If a household turns out to be larger than originally described, that is discussed before any additional work begins — not invoiced at the end.
- RM 520 / RM 1,940 / RM 4,600 — flat per programme
- 50% deposit, balance on delivery
- Scope adjustments discussed in advance, not billed retroactively
How this service sits alongside others a family might consider
| What the family needs | General home organiser | Heirdesk |
|---|---|---|
| A written inventory of documents by category and location | Not typically offered | Core output of every programme |
| Object cataloguing with provenance notes | Outside standard scope | Heirloom Cataloguing Programme |
| Archival-resolution scanning to family-owned storage | Rarely included | Included in Archive Programme |
| Written open-questions register for qualified professionals | Not offered | Produced throughout longer programmes |
| Family walkthrough sessions to spread the knowledge | Not standard | Three walkthroughs in Archive Programme |
| Flat fee with no retroactive additions | Varies by provider | Flat per programme, scope adjustments discussed in advance |
| No copies retained after programme closes | Varies by provider | Written handover confirms this at close |
What is particular about this service
The work fits before the professional appointment, not instead of it
Families regularly find that their first consultation with a solicitor or administrator goes considerably more smoothly when an inventory is already in hand. Heirdesk is designed for that preparatory moment.
Objects and papers are handled by the same programme
Most organisers work with papers or with objects, not both. The Heirloom Cataloguing Programme was designed specifically for households where jewellery, photographs and books sit alongside legal and financial documents.
Provenance is recorded in the family's own words
The coordinator does not research or embellish. What the family knows about an object is written down exactly as stated. If nothing is known, the provenance field is left accurate: nothing known at time of cataloguing.
The output survives any single family member
The orientation document produced at the end of the Archive Programme is written for a reader with no prior knowledge. Any family member — or their solicitor — can pick it up and understand what exists and where.
Milestones
120+
Households served since 2019
6
Years of independent practice in Kuala Lumpur
4,800+
Heirloom objects catalogued across all programmes
PDPA
All personal data handled to Malaysian PDPA 2010 principles
A written inventory is the thing that makes every other conversation easier
Write to us with a brief description of what the household holds. We will reply within two working days.
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