The Odyssey of Junk

April 2, 2012 | Julie Hall

Has your junk been more places than you?

It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been in the estate business, I still wonder why we hold on to so much “junk” and why we have such difficulty letting go of it. Oh sure, we may have it in neat piles, boxed in a spare room, crammed in closets, or out of sight, but make no bones about it — it is THERE, lurking in the darkness of our drawers, attics, and closets faithfully reproducing while we go about our busy lives. How on earth do we amass so much?

I have a theory. Somewhere back in our long-ago DNA when ancestors were primitive, I think we developed a “switch” in our brains that told us to gather and collect. Humans were, after all, hunters and gatherers, and I believe we still are on some level. Back then, we had to collect wood for fire, food to eat, etc. Our survival depended on it. If you didn’t collect these items, you and your family would perish.

Today, we do it on a grand, 21st century scale. We buy, buy, buy, and don’t really understand why. We have far more than we need and far more than we will ever use. Did you know we actually use only 20% of what we own? Think about it — we wear the same, favorite clothes, shoes, use the same kitchen items, toiletries, etc. So what happens to the other 80%? It sits there, not being put to use, often until a loved one dies and then it has to be dealt with. By then, it is too late and much of it is usually discarded.

We not only hold on to, but also keep moving stuff from one home to another: our college stuff, our kids’ stuff, even stuff for grandkids who aren’t walking yet, but we think they may want these items one day.

When we are in estates cleaning them out, or if clients ask us to clean out their attics, we find boxes with original moving company stickers from the 60s and 70s, and those boxes are STILL taped shut. No one ever opened them after the move 40+ years ago. The message that sends to me is these items weren’t important enough for me to open this box, so why do we still have them?

Our elders, God bless them, saved everything including broken appliances and parts (because you might need them one day), tons of catalogs and magazines (because those old National Geographics might be worth something). The entire kitchen is cluttered with mayonnaise jars, Cool Whip containers, pie tins, etc. The truth is, they are never used, because we find decades of dust on them.

Sometimes families move the entire household of a deceased relative to another state, only to clutter up their own homes. This cycle is long, tiresome, and laborious, and the pattern needs to be stopped, or at least interrupted, so we can analyze why we do these things. No wonder we’re all so tired, buying stuff, finding places for it, and then at some point, being forced to deal with it. It will eventually become the proverbial monkey on our backs or our children’s backs.

Logic would dictate that we need to be free of it, in order to make our lives simple again. It’s APRIL and the perfect time for SPRING CLEANING. I’ll deal with my piles if you deal with yours!

Clean Out an Estate and Care for the Environment

March 26, 2012 | Julie Hall

Q: While I’m cleaning out an estate, how can I also “go green” for the environment?

A: Thank you for this excellent question.

Donating, recycling, and selling are less expensive than a dumpster and may provide cash for your unwanted items. They may also provide a tax deduction or help out a worthy cause. Use your imagination when deciding where things could go, other than black trash bags! Can someone use your items in some form or fashion? This is the ultimate in recycling.

Remember the following when cleaning out estates:

Have the neighbors in for free household chemicals, garden/yard tools, etc.
Create a donation network by discussing what you have to give.
Keep watch for charity drives in your community.
Web search for places to sell or donate items.
Gazelle.com, venjuvo.com, techforward.com and myboneyard.com all offer varying amounts of compensation for electronics.
Mygreenelectronics.com tells you where to find nearby recycling centers for electronics.
Paper, cardboard, and scrap metal are commodities that are traded. Find a buyer in your local phone book.
Scrap metal and other household metals, photo frames, etc. are wanted by artists, or can be sold for scrap.
Charities are in a funding crisis; paper, books, games and toys help daycares, senior centers and after-school programs. Give them a call; they are happy to give you a wish list.
Alzheimer’s facilities are always looking for clean linens, towels, etc.
Many religious organizations/groups set up homes for refugees, domestic abuse victims, pregnant women, disabled adults, etc. They need many everyday items that you need to dispose.
Inventory the home before buying materials. Garbage bags, boxes, and cleaning supplies are normally already in the house.
Worn sheets and towels, leashes and pet bowls are very much needed by local pet shelters.
Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

Do your part to help!

What We Find Left Behind

March 12, 2012 | Julie Hall

It’s always an eye-opening experience working in estates after the children have taken what they want and allow us to handle the remainder. You just never know what you will find left behind.

Sometimes, we just find what you would expect, the items that should have been discarded 40 years ago – broken items from the attic, old appliances, clothing that needs to be donated, etc. Other times, we find items that have value and we arrange to have them sold for the family. And on occasion, we find items that leave us scratching our heads, or items that we can never speak of and promise to take that information to our graves.

We see it all: the love, the fights, the estrangements, the addictions, the sorrows, the secrets – all of which are carried through our lifetimes.

It is difficult to put into words when you find war medals of courage and valor left on the floor for disposal, or antique photos of people in the family that have been left in a pile for us to discard. But we understand that every person has a story and we are not privy to their upbringing or lives, and therefore do not understand why they made the decisions they did.

Recently we found letters dating from the Civil War period, of a soldier who wrote home to his sister. He wrote of the horrible conditions, how most of his comrades had died from dysentery, and that there wasn’t enough food to keep the soldiers strong. He spoke of having no warmth through the winter months, but described it in such a way that he was not complaining. It was fascinating to hear of life so long ago from a person who lived during those times, but the family took no interest.

Other things we find are scrapbooks, war letters between mom and dad, family Bibles with genealogy information inside the front cover, diaries, estate jewelry, guns, etc.

I guess it’s true what they say. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and one cannot predict what is in a person’s heart during such difficult times.

What I’ve Learned as an Expert in “Things” (part 2)

November 7, 2011 | Julie Hall

I probably don’t have to tell you this, since Wal-Mart and almost every other store are playing holiday music already: The holidays are coming soon!!

As I write this blog on what I’ve learned as an expert on “things,” I realize that these last two thoughts, promised to you last week, will revolutionize how you view this year’s holidays. They’ll probably also save you money and frustration when holiday shopping time comes. Please consider the following observations from this expert in “things:”

3. It’s what you do with what you have that really counts, not what you possess. In these tough economic times, it’s important to remember there are others dealing with greater difficulties than you. Even while we tighten our purse strings, we can still give in many ways that others would be so grateful for.

Give of yourself.
Go visit someone you have been meaning to see for a long time.
Write that letter.
Bake those cookies.
Volunteer for those needing help.
Visit those confined to home by infirmity or sickness.
Surprise a loved one.
Make that phone call to make amends with one you haven’t spoken to for years.
Bring your children to an assisted living or nursing home; watch the residents light up.
Say what you need to say, and do so right now.
Ask for forgiveness and offer it, no matter what.
Offer hugs to those who really need it.
Listen to your elders because you will learn so much.

4. If you have a senior in your life … Spend a full day with them and ask them to share stories of your family history — fun stories, challenges, family secrets, marriages. Look through old photos. Record this day and make a book for them (and copies for each sibling) so it may be passed down for years to come. Many children regret not having more family history, but they realize this only after a loved one has left us.

“Julie, Are You Sitting Down?”

October 24, 2011 | Julie Hall

Every now and again, a story so bizarre comes along, you just know you’ll never forget it.

I knew I was in trouble when the voice on the other end of the phone began with, “Julie, are you sitting down? We need to know if you are up for this one.” There was a large 1920’s home in a well-known and desirable area that was “full of junk.” Certainly in all these years of doing this line of work, I was accustomed to what people describe over the phone and have seen my share of junk in the world. Very little within a home could ever scare The Estate Lady. I was given the key to go over to the home to assess it myself, but was told to consider myself warned.

The key worked, but the door didn’t. Strong as I am physically, there was something barricading the front door … and the back door, and the side door. My assistant and I peeked in the windows and could clearly see the most unbelievable sight. Debris was everywhere and anywhere you looked. The beautiful trees had punched holes through the glass windows and vines grew in the interior of the house. The floor could not be seen and neither could the furniture. The bathrooms were inoperable, so I will go no further on that issue. In all my years, I had never seen one like this. This, I thought, would take a miracle. Not one to shy away from challenges, we decided we were up for it.

Once we gained entrance to the interior of the house through a window, it didn’t take us long to realize the resident had not opened his mail in years. Decades, actually, since 1964 to be exact. The paper and other debris was up to our knees on the first floor and up to our chest on the second floor. The attic too was full, as well as the basement. It is still among the most fascinating cases I had ever seen for hoarding.

The job itself took 9 days to complete, but several dumpsters later, we sifted through 3 massive commercial dumpsters full of mail that had not been opened since I was a baby. In that mail, we found considerable amounts of money the family never knew he had: overseas accounts, etc. Financial documents were found that were needed and other personal items were also discovered, long forgotten by family members that had given up on this hopeless situation.

Oddly enough, we also found 9 loaded guns under the debris which we were stepping on all week, several deceased animals, a multitude of unmentionables that I will have to take to my grave, and a duct-taped freezer down in the basement which was reminiscent of the basement in “Silence of the Lambs,” complete with a swinging single light bulb and dirt floor. And yes, our imaginations went wild. But the good news is that within 6 days of our completed work and an empty house, it sold for a healthy selling price. All’s well that ends well — despite the circumstances.

It made me come home and donate and throw out as much as I could get my hands on!

Condition, Condition, Condition

October 10, 2011 | Julie Hall

When it comes to the worth of heirlooms, there is one characteristic of value that I want everyone to understand: Original Condition.

We all know what the word original means: initial, first, earliest, the real thing. It means the condition of an item that has been left intact, that way the artist or creator intended it to be. No stripping, refinishing, repairs, paint, drilled holes, polishing and lacquering, etc. To a collector wanting to buy a fine item, original shows that the piece is true to the period and proves its’ age by leaving it alone over the course of time.

But everyone out there seems to believe that if mother’s tables are antique, they are definitely valuable. This is NOT the case; please forward this to anyone who is of this mindset. There are many characteristics of value, and age is only one of them. Condition is at the top of the list. Here is where it gets cloudy …

I’m called to an estate to see lovely antiques, but they are in less than stellar condition. They are covered in years of nicotine or mold/mildew, or have been exposed to years of humidity or heat. All the owner understands is that these items are old and should put considerable cash in their pocket.

What an appraiser sees is that they were not taken care of for whatever reason. The original condition has been altered and getting it back to a “sellable” condition will take a small miracle, not to mention more money than the piece is actually worth. They can still be sold and a fixer-upper buyer will want them, but at a fraction of the price people have in their heads. Then people get upset because their pieces are not selling well, or feel jilted because what they “perceived” they would sell for didn’t transpire. I know … it’s a lot to take in!

Even antiques or semi-antiques in fine condition are not necessarily valuable. Times are changing. The economy has changed the market drastically. The statistics of how many boomers and elderly we have in this country is mind-blowing. So if you are considering selling your heirlooms, look at them like an appraiser and consider all flaws before setting expectations sky-high.

She Just Didn’t “Get It”

September 26, 2011 | Julie Hall

Though my efforts were admirable, my client simply did not want to hear the values I placed on her “heirlooms.” I was there in her lovely, traditional home getting paid handsomely for a couple of hours of my time to offer her an opinion of value, but I am not certain she heard what I had to say. As with all of my clients, I have a way of being succinct and direct, yet kind and compassionate. I offer guidance they can trust and direction based on the market and where it is headed. It is not always an easy combination to attain.

In her home, all things were phenomenally valuable according to her. She had, after all, done her research. Her figurines were worth far more than ever recorded, and simple ceramics or collectibles were off the charts. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know these figures just aren’t applicable, especially now. I tried to bring her down to a realistic place and questioned where she got these “values.” Some came from research a dozen years ago when the market was strong, and others were on very high retail sites. These are not viable sales comps.

This is the new reality. It is worth what someone is willing to give you for it, and in this economy if the offer is fair, take it. Just know what you have first.

When researching prices on the internet, compare apples to apples and not just asking prices on retail sites. Find out what the items are actually selling for.

A rude awakening, perhaps, but gone are the days of spending wildly — at least for the next few years.

Quoted on MSN Money by Liz Weston

September 22, 2011 | Julie Hall

MSN Money’s personal finance expert, Liz Weston, wrote about “How to Avoid Fights Over Mom’s Stuff.” http://money.msn.com/family-money/how-to-avoid-fights-over-moms-stuff-weston.aspx

Thanks, Liz, for asking me to contribute to a topic that is at the heart of what I do. This is why I wrote the book, “The Boomer Burden – Dealing With Your Parents’ Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff” and “How to Divide Your Family’s Estate and Heirlooms Peacefully and Sensibly”.

I want to educate people to avoid the harsh and painful reality of fighting and hurt that comes when families have to divide a parent’s possessions. Thank you, Liz, for bringing attention to this topic with such clarity and insight.

Welcome to those new visitors who are linking to my blog from Liz’s article. There are over 100 weekly posts here full of valuable insights about all areas of personal property. Check out the categories on the right, and sign up to receive my weekly blog. While you are there, you can click directly to Amazon.com and order my books in either print or ebook versions.

Your Reality Check for the Day

September 5, 2011 | Julie Hall

My clients have taught me that in the end, the worth of an item is measured only by the joy it brings at a particular point in time. Many of us claim to cherish our possessions, only to discover that with the passage of time, they don’t mean as much anymore, or they have become a burden to us in some way.

Perhaps our tastes have changed. Our home is too cluttered, or the sheer volume of what we own has caused marital strife. Maybe you feel guilty because mom passed away and you feel the need to take a lot of what she owned.

Today, more and more people are selling their stuff to downsize, make extra money, empty an estate, or to simplify their lives and not have their stuff own them. I’ve seen each scenario described, and I have witnessed what appear to be love affairs between people and their things.

A recent client told me he was terminally ill and he had many collectibles and oddities he had collected over the years. He wanted me to come over, sell what I could, and send the proceeds to benefit a wonderful organization. What a beautiful thought, but it’s what he said that made me really think: “Mrs. Hall, it’s time for someone else to enjoy these items which brought me so much pleasure. I am blessed beyond measure. These are just things that I had fun fixing up and looking at. But it is a humbling thought knowing someone won’t make it through the night, and it’s time to move forward. My job right now is not to worry about this stuff … it’s to live as long as I can!”

Suddenly, everything shifted as his words sunk in. I always thought I was unique to my industry – that while I was an expert in personal property, I never truly had love for these things, just appreciation. Clients like him have taught me what’s really important in life.

Make a Plan for the Ashes

August 15, 2011 | Julie Hall

Several years ago, I was preparing for an estate sale and found cremated remains in the bottom of a china hutch. They were handed to the son, who promptly tossed them under the kitchen sink right in front of me. Yes, you read that correctly. The ashes were tossed in with the Comet, Cascade, rags, and Brillo pads. I was aghast! How could anyone do such a thing?

I called the attorney’s office to report this horrible act and offered something above and beyond my call of duty. I offered to appropriately scatter the ashes in a beautiful place and say a prayer for this deceased person.

Today, years after the fact, I received a call asking me to handle the remains because no one else will. It is a strange thought: here I am, a perfect stranger to the decedent, yet I care more about him than his own family. I know there are laws concerning this and I will do my due diligence to appropriately handle this out-of-the-ordinary mission that has landed in my lap. Surely a family member would care enough to tend to this need? Sadly, not one of them does care.

This should be a reminder to us all that when a loved one is cremated (including our beloved pets), plans must be made in advance for their final resting place. What if the one who has the ashes in their possession dies and no one in the family knows what to do with them? This is especially important in blended families. It’s not something we think about often, but a plan will ensure that the proper procedure will be followed when the time comes.