Tips for Letting Go When Handling an Estate
There’s nothing simple or easy about letting go, especially when you are handling the estate of a loved one. People have the tendency to keep too much from the estate. They often find comfort in the things and the memories attached to them.
Being able to let go:
- brings closure and peace of mind
- minimizes family and marital strife
- prevents future worries when your children are burdened with the same stuff
- help avoid storage costs
- prevents cluttering your own home
When you keep too much:
- You realize you no longer need what you kept.
- Your own home becomes overwhelmed with stuff.
- Storage costs far outweigh the value of what is stored.
- Your kids and grandkids don’t want what you selected to keep for them.
- You may experience guilt. “Mom would be so upset if I sold that.” or “Mom said it was valuable so I should keep it.” Escort guilt to the door. Life is hard enough without the burden of needless guilt.
What do YOU want?
It’s perfectly acceptable to let go of possessions, especially if you don’t absolutely cherish them. If no one in the family wants the items, have an estate sale professional sell to those who will cherish them like mom and dad did. Unfortunately, families rarely get to see how happy new buyers are when they find these items. I’d much rather have someone who can appreciate the items, than to keep them stuffed in boxes taking up space in my home … unappreciated.
TIPS
- Don’t keep items just because. Ask yourself if you really need it and have a purpose for it.
- Record a video of the estate as it was when your loved one lived there.
- Photographs are a great idea to preserve the memories without hanging on to the stuff.
- Give to those less fortunate. Maybe your loved one had a favorite charity. Even if you have an estate sale, arrange for the estate sale professional to donate the items that do not sell.
- Be honest and realistic. Will you really use this item? Why are you keeping it?
- Set healthy boundaries and realize that space is a limiting factor.
- If the estate needs to pay off debt, take as little as possible, so the remainder can be sold by a professional and proceeds applied to the debt.
©2015 The Estate Lady®
Julie Hall, The Estate Lady®, is the foremost national expert on personal property in estates, including liquidating, advising, and appraising. http://www.TheEstateLady.com She is also the Director of American Society of Estate Liquidators®, the national educational and resource organization for estate liquidation. http://www.aselonline.com.
No part of The Estate Lady® blogs, whole or partial, may be used without Julie Hall’s written consent. Email her at Julie@TheEstateLady.com.
Great thoughts! I love this. Fortunately I am coming to that conclusion myself. It is difficult to let go. Thanks you again for your blogs. It gives me hope. That there is an end to this journey.
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