Emptying out a house full of memories can be difficult. It can take a toll not only on your body but on your emotions.
And the job can easily provoke disagreements among siblings. One may look at dad’s record collection as a family heirloom, while another sees the records as being worth enough money to buy a ticket to Florida.
Then, there can be fights over what to throw away and what to keep.
A story on marketwatch.com asked the author of a book on the subject as to the best ways to avoid such problems.
The phrase that was used most often was: “Keep the memories, throw away the stuff.”
Basically, it says to honor the memories by taking photos, writing things down, talking about them — but then to get rid of the stuff.
Other tips:
- don’t wait until the last minute.
- approach the task as a series of small jobs not one huge job.
- go area by area and divide items into three categories: keep, toss or donate.
- planning ahead can keep fights to a minimum.
- consider hiring an appraiser for a “look see” to tell what what items are worth something. These can be sold at auction.
If you have estate questions, feel free to call us for a consultation at (626) 696-3145.
