Our Story

Songbird Transitions specializes in senior downsizing, estate dispersal and home sale preparation. Our mission is to make the transition into a new, downsized home as smooth and stress-free as possible. Whether you or a loved one are planning a move to a senior living community, a memory-care facility, or simply a smaller home/condo, we know what works—and what doesn’t —when it comes to downsizing.    

Our first downsizing experience was helping Samantha’s parents move from her childhood home into a smaller house following her mom’s severe motorcycle accident. They learned when helping her grandmother move into a senior apartment and later into a skilled nursing facility how stressful and emotional it can be to help a loved one move into a new space, let alone to make it feel like “home.” We appreciate how important it is to approach these major life transitions with an incredible amount of kindness, grace and optimistic energy. To us: it’s more than just a move.  

Since 2016, we’ve helped hundreds of older adults downsize to condos, assisted living and memory-care communities. We specialize in helping you and your family navigate all of the moving details and downsizing decisions —both big and small.  

"...moving isn’t just about the house – it’s about relocating the home."

Samantha Stearns

Sam is the founder of Songbird Transitions and the heart of the business. Sam brings an effervescent energy to everything she does. From the very first consult, to the final walk through of your new home, Sam’s passion for senior downsizing shines through as much as her love for seniors.   

Born and raised in Northwest Ohio, Sam’s degrees and early career in professional dance and television production took her and her husband, Luke, to Massachusetts, Arizona and Colorado before the couple moved to Granville in 2015 to be closer to family.  

In between taking her toddlers to preschool and playdates, Sam started helping older adults get rid of excess items throughout their homes as well as move into a local senior living community. Drawing upon on what she learned from downsizing her parents and grandmother, and using her experience in event production and project management, Sam expertly planned and organized all the details for each downsize. As word of Sam’s skills spread, she quickly built a waiting list of seniors seeking her assistance. Soon after, Songbird Transitions was born.   

Sam’s love of Granville and the Licking County community runs deep. She serves on the board of the Michael Dean Gibbs Foundation and the Licking County Community Center for 60+ Adults, was past President of the Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool and is an ardent supporter of Fostering Further. When Sam isn’t downsizing, you’ll find her coaching her son’s soccer team, teaching Pilates, or exploring the outdoors with Luke, their two young sons and dog, Lemon.

Zach

As one of Songbird’s first team members, Zach has been by our side through all of our biggest downsizes. Zach grew up on a homestead in Licking County and learned valuable farming, gardening, mechanical and home-improvement skills from an early age. Over the years, Zach and his family have participated in multiple service-learning trips to Central America where they provide educational resources and training to local communities.    

Zach brings his caring, hardworking and super human strength to every downsize move. Furthermore, he’s our go-to expert painter when updating houses prior to their listing, helping us make the home transition complete.  His quiet, easy-going attitude and gentle soul make him an absolute joy to work with.  

When Zach isn’t helping families to downsize, you can usually find him at Charlie’s Apples, a certified organic orchard, that he operates alongside his brother. 

Tabitha

Tabi joined the Songbird team in 2021 after a long career in the restaurant industry. As our favorite server at a local brewpub for many years, Tabi’s warmth, fun personality and deep commitment to an excellent customer experience always left us smiling. Tabi’s search for a new career with a more family-friendly work schedule corresponded with our search for a new team member to assist with our growing downsizing business. Tabi brings her caring, can-do attitude to every downsize. She connects easily with clients, is an excellent problem solver and has a great ability to put clients at ease and anticipate their needs.  

Growing up locally makes Tabi our go-to expert when navigating the Columbus metropolitan area efficiently during senior moves. As the daughter of a minister, Tabi spent part of her childhood helping her dad with home improvement projects for his congregants. This experience has been invaluable to Songbird estate dispersals and home sale preparations. Finally, her art degree and background make her a fantastic “finishing touches” sidekick to Sam when hanging art and making clients’ new spaces feel like home.  

When Tabi isn’t hard at work, she enjoys painting and central Ohio’s finest eateries with her husband and two sons.