Hey fam, don't services exist to help clear out a loved one's home from afar? (Not my parents, but an in-law just passed, sadly. And I'm trying to help my wife's family in every way possible.) After my wife and her sibs go through the stuff, I think it would be great if we just turned it over to some service that would clear it out for the family before we sell it. Furniture, old clothes, the works, and then clean it. If that exists, what do you call it? And do any of you know if there's like a trusted, national chain? (I don't think there would be. Or what national brands can we trust with anything these days.)
Look for "estate cleanout" services in the local area. They'll do everything from inventory and sales, to pure removal and cleaning usually. Even though they are inlaws, condolences on your loss. I am not sure if there are national chains or not, but places like 1-800-GOT JUNK do this type of stuff, but they usually sub it out to locals. The key is I think you'll want a family member still watching over them. Are there potential valuables? Sometimes people don't realize what is valuable and what is not. I remember when one of my Grandmothers passed away 25 years ago a random art print on her wall happened to be some famous 60s artist that was signed and it ended up selling for like $15,000 way back then.
Thanks, guys. Kind of brainnumb, and I was not thinking of the key word "estate," and I'll look for estate cleanout. Yeah, this one was very sudden, but an elderly relative who had definitely had their innings. She was a proud visitor to all 50 states, and I had accompanied her on a couple of those trips, LOL. We had many long games of scrabble, full of much trash talk. Am going to get going on "estate cleanout." *thumb up emoji* Mods, you can close this dumb thread, but CF never disappoints... or, rarely disappoints. Haha.
I guess one more thing to consider. Would she have had a will and would this will have described specific property? Like, "I leave to my dearest B-Bob my scrabble set" Need to probate that before cleaning stuff out if it exists.
Thanks, and yes, great point, and the will is specific. (I don't think I get the scrabble set but that would be hilarious, as she would have removed all the blank tiles first.) But anyway, I should not get ahead of myself. I think since she'd given POA to her daughters that might simplify probate, but ... probably not. First thing's first.
Good luck B-Bob, I am sure the whole process sucks...............every time I see this type of conversation I kick myself for not having a living will
I will say, in a difficult week, it was great to have medical power of attorney in her daughters' trusted hands. And she did not want to be put on a respirator and all that. I don't have kids, but maybe I'll just draw that up for one of my brightest students and see how that works out, LOL. "It is time for Prof. B-Bob to meet his maker. Turn off the machine. ... Also, let's not spend any more money on pain killer. I hated his homework sets."
I haven't had to deal with that yet, and can only imagine how difficult that is. My condolences to your family.
It’s a difficult thing. My mother passed last year and my father lives in his house and it is completely packed. There is furniture in there from the 1930’s. Every drawer packed with keepsakes and what not. I want to start getting rid of the excess, but for my father there is a strong emotional attachment to everything. Seriously, I can’t believe all the stuff that is in that house. I have found items that I don’t even know what they are. Weird gadgets and so forth. It’s really made me think about living with as little stuff as possible. I told my brother that when I die, I want all my possessions to fit in a suitcase.
