Our Story and Commitment
We understand how overwhelming it can feel to manage a loved one’s home and belongings during times of bereavement, later-life transition or downsizing.
Hearts & Homes was created to provide calm, thoughtful guidance when families are faced with complex practical decisions at emotionally demanding moments. Our role is to help bring clarity — supporting families to review what a home contains, understand next steps, and move forward in a structured and respectful way.
We recognise that every property represents more than physical space. It holds memories, financial value and personal history. By taking time to understand each situation, we help families avoid rushed decisions, identify what may be important, and prepare homes in a way that supports both emotional wellbeing and positive estate outcomes.
Our commitment is simple: to guide rather than pressure, to coordinate rather than complicate, and to remain a steady point of support from initial conversation through to resolution.
Marti Hobby
Marti is a therapist and the founder of Hearts & Homes, a compassionate estate review and home transition service supporting individuals and families through bereavement and major life change.
With professional therapeutic training and lived experience of loss, Marti understands that managing a loved one’s home is not just a practical task, but an emotional one. Grief can make even simple decisions feel overwhelming — particularly when sorting through a lifetime of meaningful belongings.
As someone with ADHD, Marti also recognises how stress and loss can impact focus, energy, and decision-making. Hearts & Homes was created to gently bridge the gap between emotional support and practical action — helping families review household contents, preserve what matters most, and make clear, confident decisions about what to keep, pass on, donate, or sell.
Marti’s calm, person-centred approach ensures families feel supported to move through transition with dignity, clarity, and care.
Gerald Baxter
Experienced Guidance When You Need It Most
Hearts & Homes was founded by Gerald Baxter, a father of four with over 20 years’ experience in leadership roles across both the corporate and charitable sectors, including as CEO of Relate Nottinghamshire.
In 2025, Gerald made the decision to step away from corporate leadership to focus on community service and giving back. During this time, he qualified as an On-Call Firefighter and completed trauma-informed training, strengthening his ability to support people calmly and compassionately during difficult moments.
Having personally experienced the emotional and practical challenges of managing a family estate following bereavement, Gerald understands how overwhelming it can be to make important financial decisions during a time of grief.
Hearts & Homes was created to offer families a calm, structured approach to reviewing property and household estates — helping to maximise financial value while supporting thoughtful decisions about items of sentimental importance.
Contact us
Telephone: 0172 448 7028
E-mail: info@hearts-and-homes.org
Address: Sutton House, Station Road, DN15 9LR