Our engagements
Three ways of working with a household's records.
Each engagement is self-contained and priced as a whole. Families may begin with the shortest and proceed from there, or begin directly with a longer programme if the household's situation makes that appropriate.
Return to homeHow we approach the work
Description and organisation — nothing else
Every engagement, regardless of length, follows the same principle: we describe what is there and organise it so that others can find and follow what we have found. We do not interpret documents, comment on their legal standing, or express an opinion about what any object might be worth. These are activities that require professional credentials we do not hold, and we do not engage in them under any framing.
This boundary is the most important thing to understand about how Bequestly works. It is not a limitation we apologise for. It is the basis of a trustworthy working relationship — families know exactly what they are receiving, and they know exactly when to involve someone else.
Engagement one
First Conversation & Inventory Note
RM 47090 minutes · write-up delivered within 3 working days
A ninety-minute conversation for a family that has just become aware it does not know what exists. There is nothing to prepare and nothing to bring except whatever is close to hand. The coordinator listens and asks a short list of ordinary questions — what rooms, what devices, what people, what decades. The conversation is recorded in notes only; nothing is photographed or removed.
Within three working days, the coordinator writes a two-page note describing the likely shape of the household's records — what categories are probably present, what gaps are apparent, and what an inventory would involve. This note is informational only. Nothing in it is interpreted for legal or financial purposes.
What this engagement includes
- One ninety-minute conversation at the household or by arrangement
- A two-page inventory note describing the likely shape of records held
- A category guide listing the record types relevant to this household
- A written list of questions we recommend taking to a qualified professional
How the conversation proceeds
We introduce ourselves and explain clearly what we do and do not do. We confirm the scope in writing before beginning.
We ask about the household — which rooms hold materials, roughly what decades are represented, whether there are items in storage elsewhere, what devices may hold digital records.
We ask about any objects the family is aware of — jewellery, art, instruments, furniture with known history — without photographing or handling them.
We write up our notes and deliver the two-page inventory note and category guide within three working days.
Engagement two
Document & Object Catalogue
RM 2,2406 sessions across 6 weeks · up to 150 catalogue entries · one household
A six-week engagement producing a single catalogue covering both the papers and the objects a household holds. Papers are grouped, referenced and indexed. Objects are photographed on a neutral ground, measured, described in plain language and given a provenance line in the family's own words. Everything is cross-linked — a photograph of a ring points to the receipt, the letter and any other photograph in which it appears.
This engagement performs description, photography and indexing only. No appraisal is conducted, no valuation is given for any regulated purpose, and no comment is made on what any item means for anyone's circumstances. No advice on regulated matters is offered.
What this engagement includes
- Six sessions across six weeks at the household
- Up to 150 catalogue entries covering papers and objects
- Printed and digital catalogue, both delivered to the family
- Reference labels for physical items
- Provenance notes and cross-link index
- A storage condition checklist for physical materials
- Written open-questions register for a qualified professional
How the engagement runs
We confirm scope in writing. The family confirms receipt. Sessions are scheduled at intervals that suit the household.
Each session addresses one area of the household — a room, a set of boxes, a category of object. We photograph and describe as we go.
Between sessions we build the cross-link index, connecting papers and objects that refer to each other.
At the close of the engagement we deliver the printed and digital catalogue, attach reference labels, and present the open-questions register.
Engagement three
Chronicle Programme
RM 4,700Up to 20 sessions across 20 weeks · multiple homes possible
A five-month programme for families holding long histories in several homes. Papers and objects are inventoried, sorted, scanned, referenced and catalogued to one convention. The digital set is indexed onto storage the family owns. The physical set is rebuilt and labelled to match. The coordinator writes an orientation document that reads as prose — where things are, what is known about them, who told us, and what remains uncertain.
Three walkthrough sessions distribute the knowledge across family members present, and a written register collects every open point for a qualified professional. Sorting, scanning, cataloguing, indexing, labelling and writing only.
What this engagement includes
- Up to 20 sessions across 20 weeks
- Full inventory, indexed digital archive and object catalogue
- Labelled physical set rebuilt to match the digital index
- Written orientation chronicle in readable prose
- Open-questions register for qualified professional referral
- Three family walkthrough sessions
- Review calendar for the year following delivery
How the programme unfolds
An initial planning session establishes scope, locations and convention. The family confirms in writing.
We work through each location systematically — sorting, scanning where appropriate, and photographing objects.
The digital index grows across sessions; the physical set is rebuilt in parallel to match it.
The orientation chronicle is written as a draft and reviewed with the family before final delivery.
Three walkthroughs, each with a different group of family members if required, distribute knowledge before we step back.
Choosing the right engagement
A guide to selecting your starting point
| If the household… | First Conversation | Doc & Object Catalogue | Chronicle Programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does not know what it holds | Best starting point | Possible after First Conversation | Possible after scoping |
| Has a single home's worth of material | If preliminary clarity is needed | Suited to this scale | Likely more than required |
| Holds records across two or more properties | Can initiate the conversation | May require multiple engagements | Designed for this |
| Needs a result the next generation can follow | Introductory only | Catalogue will serve this purpose | The orientation chronicle is written for this |
| Has a specific object or document question | Good for scoping | May be more than required | Not necessary at this scale |
Families who are uncertain are welcome to write to us and describe their situation. We will reply with a plain account of which engagement seems most appropriate and why, without any pressure toward a particular choice.
What all engagements share
Shared standards across all our work
Written scope before first session
No work begins until scope is confirmed in writing by the family.
Output on family-owned storage
All digital materials are delivered to storage the family owns and controls.
No regulated advice under any framing
Not given, not implied, not offered informally.
Open-questions register at close
A written list of what the family should take to a solicitor, valuer or other qualified professional.
Pace set by the family
Sessions are scheduled to suit the household. No penalty for pausing or adjusting.
No data retained after delivery
We do not hold copies of family records after an engagement is closed and delivered.
Fees
All fees in Ringgit Malaysia, fixed per engagement
No hourly rates. No charges for correspondence within an engagement. Scope confirmed and fixed in writing before any work begins.
Begin when ready
Not sure which engagement fits your situation?
Write to us and describe what the household holds and what has prompted the question. We will reply with a plain recommendation, without any pressure toward a particular choice.
Write to us