Personal property and heirlooms — we spend a lifetime accumulating them, inheriting them, caring for them, collecting them, and talking about them. But we rarely know the current values and we rarely make a plan for what happens to our personal property upon illness...
Sometimes the mind and the heart are simply not in sync, especially when it comes to the daunting task of downsizing. It seems the older we get, the harder the process of downsizing can be on us, as we have grown accustomed and comfortable in our surroundings. This...
Note the word “Expert” in the title. Hiring an expert will help you identify what you have in an estate, how to sell it, who are the best resources for selling and most of all, how to maximize what you have. Experts have trained eyes and detective noses that can...
1. When a loved one has passed away and you are responsible for handling and eventually liquidating the estate, change the locks on the estate immediately to prevent unscrupulous heirs, neighbors, etc., from entering. While this will ruffle some feathers, it is the...
Many of us grew up with the notion we should leave heirlooms and other possessions for our children and grandchildren; a physical legacy of who came before us and where we came from. Not all of us, though, have the ability to objectively recognize what a “good...
An uncountable amount of antique monogrammed silver pieces have crossed my path in the last 25 years. Most of my clients have one thing in common; they do not know who the relatives were that owned the antique silver based on the monograms or how that silver...
For many years, I have spoken about the characteristics of value when it comes to our heirlooms and other personal property. Contrary to popular belief, the “age” of an item, is not necessarily the most important characteristic of value. Appraisers look at objects...
Have you thought ahead to make a plan for your cherished possessions, or at least gift them prior to passing away? I encourage everyone to make a plan and put it in a legal document. Consider gifting while living. This minimizes future feuding and cuts down on challenging issues when the children/heirs have to divide the estate.
However, I can control how I respond to these troubles. I can find my own unique and personal ways of contributing more good and more light.
KNOW WHO YOU ARE HIRING! The time it takes to find those true professionals is time well spent.
Many people are under the impression that an estate liquidator is someone who puts on glorified yard sales. Nothing could be further from the truth! Professional estate liquidators wear many hats on any given day with a common goal for their client as well as for themselves.
It is not okay to be The Blockade. I can see both sides and I understand the emotional ties to a home and possessions can be very strong. But nothing ever stays the same. This is about the parent’s wishes and fulfilling them for ALL involved!
Gone are the days of truly caring about quality. Gone are the days of the younger generations wanting traditional furnishings. In are the days of how the item looks and functions.
Most professionals that work within the estate industry hear and see things that defy logic and make our hair stand straight on end. This story is one of them. Imagine your sibling is very ill, in the process of passing away in hospice. Most of us would be doing all...
Do it for the earth, do it for extra space, and do it for your pocket! Donating, recycling, and selling are the way to go when downsizing or handling an estate.
While there are no laws that pertain to human behavior when handling an estate and the distribution of property, these commandments should be “etched in stone” to remind us how we should behave.
Don’t you wish we could greet ourselves each day in the mirror just like this?
TIP OF THE WEEK: Clean your home and clean your life! Leave a legacy, not strife!
No expert, myself included, can alter these trends of simplification, downsizing, and squeezing more bang out of a buyer’s buck than we already do. The market is speaking and we need to listen.
People still call my office to inform me of what their items are worth, even though they are hiring me to find out. I don’t normally mind when they say they already know the value because they “found it on the internet.”. Many of them have it wrong or have searched incorrectly.
That memory led me to question #2 … “Why wait for special occasions?” Why not throw caution to the wind and enjoy the heck out of what you have, regardless of the season or the reason? Someone SHOULD enjoy it, even if it isn’t me.
Let go of anything that weighs you down. Surplus material possessions and stuff that no longer has meaning, people and relationships that are toxic, that closet that is overflowing. Give to those who really need it. Just let go!
When we think of the upcoming holidays, we also need to be counting the multitude of blessings we do have, rather than wishing for the ones we don’t have. Make it a special holiday for others, and it will come back to you, in the form of contentment and joy — both in giving and in receiving.
When you have no idea where to begin, I give you the brain of an appraiser and liquidator rolled into one, including the pros and cons of each possible option, for making solid decisions when it is time to simplify, downsize, or totally liquidate your personal property.