A calm place to begin
organising what matters.

We arrive at the home — or join you online — and work through each room methodically. Together we photograph papers, folders, boxes and objects in their existing positions, assign each item a reference number, and complete an inventory sheet. Nothing is moved, opened without permission or removed. The session produces a working record of what was present and where, along with basic notes on condition. We take no view on what is kept, sold or given away.

Course materials are in English, and sessions are conducted in English with Bahasa Malaysia where useful. If your recordings are in Mandarin, Hokkien or another language, the transcription unit covers multilingual audio and we can advise on community resources for translation. The oral history the course produces belongs to your family, and can be in whatever language those interviews were recorded.

Fragile paper is often the most important paper. Our condition grading survey identifies what can be handled safely, what needs to be digitised before further use, and what should be stabilised in a controlled environment before anything else. We do not open damaged materials without a written handling plan agreed with the association, and we can recommend conservators if physical stabilisation is needed.

No. The session produces a record of what was present, not a valuation or a legal inventory. Questions about ownership, distribution and estate administration are for a qualified solicitor or estate administrator. We include a referral sheet with our report so families know where to take those questions next.

Six to nine months, depending on the size of the collection and the volunteer capacity of the organisation. We schedule the engagement in defined phases — survey, cataloguing, digitisation, policy drafting, training and closing report — so the committee always knows which phase is current and what comes next. We also write a succession plan so the catalogue remains usable after committee membership changes.

We hold your name, contact details and any notes related to your enquiry for as long as the engagement runs, plus a standard retention period under Malaysian personal data protection requirements. We do not share personal information with third parties for any marketing purpose. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

Yes. The session can be delivered online, with family members photographing as they go while we guide the process in real time. Physical visits are available within Penang. For other locations in Peninsular Malaysia, please write to us — travel arrangements are considered case by case.