Sadly, the most common reason to liquidate a home is the passing of a loved one. There are no words to describe the pain of loss, or the overwhelming stress caused by dealing with the final affairs. The responsibility of getting a home ready for sale is a huge undertaking. Tough decisions have to be made. Saying that it’s difficult to be practical about a loved one’s possessions, especially if it’s a family home, is an understatement.
Each, room and the “stuff” in it, carries emotional attachments. Most turn to professionals, experts in estate liquidation, to navigate the entire process, but there are those do it yourself-ers that choose to tackle the project themselves.
If you’re one of them there are a few things to consider to help get you started:
• Develop a custom action plan that specifically addresses your home’s needs.
• Facilitate appraisers for furniture, antiques, artwork, jewelry, and collectibles.
• Organize and sort estate contents for auction, donation or disposal.
• Plan and coordinate sale of contents for donations to charities of your choice and disposal pick up.
• To handle any unexpected problems, make sure you have access to professional contractors.
• Pack up items that you are shipping to friends and family.
• Clean and stage the home preparing it for fair market value
Whether you are facing each step on your own or with family, the organizational and physical tasks associated with planning, sorting and implementing such a complex clean out can be daunting, so remember to take breaks and ask for help from family members. For families living out of town, stress is magnified by distance and scheduling challenges.
If you decide to hire an expert, after all, a customized and seamless plan of action will give you the peace of mind you need to focus on what matters most to you.
