Planning for a Bright, Financial Future

Did one of your parents precede the other one in death by several years? For example, did your father pass away a few years ago, and your mother decided to continue living in the house they shared together? Or, it might have been the other way around. No matter the scenario, if you are the person in charge of distributing those belongings, you might be feeling somewhat overloaded.

After all, you are more than likely still mourning the death of the parent who recently passed away. Add to that fact the responsibility of determining what will happen with things like jewelry, furnishings and the very house that is now empty, it's no wonder that you are feeling overburdened. From selling the home and distributing things of a personal nature to loved ones to arranging for estate sale services, here are some ideas that might help you.

​Things You Can Take Care Of Yourself  

Which other relatives are left behind? Do you have siblings? Are there grandchildren who will receive items that belonged to your parents? If your parents didn't leave a detailed will, you'll obviously have to make decisions yourself. Consider what your parents would have wanted. For example, if a grandson truly loved a model train that was set out each time he visited your parents, don't you think they would want him to have that train? If your mother had a collection of Christmas pins, maybe granddaughters would love to own them as a remembrance of the grandma they loved. 

The house is a different matter. Because it will probably bring a goodly amount of money, don't you think your parents would want that money to be divided by their children, or maybe even their grandchildren? There is not a single material item that is worth division in the family, is there? With that in mind, consider having a meeting where you discuss with your siblings or close extended family members how to best handle the sale of the house and the division of personal belongings.

​Arrange For Estate Sale Services

Your parents' house might be filled with furniture that none of you want. After all, maybe you have homes with furniture that is more contemporary than your parent's furniture. That doesn't mean that somebody else won't be interested in it. By the same token, there might be valuable jewelry and beautiful art that might bring a fair amount of money by being part of an estate sale. 

Consider arranging for estate sale organizers to take care of the sale of everything that you or other family members don't want. The estate sale services will have the experience to know how to price every single item. In addition, the estate sale organizers will know to advertise the estate sale in order to attract real buyers. 

It's true that you'll have to pay the estate sales organizers for their time and effort. However, at the end of the day, you might decide that the money you paid was worth every dime. Companies like Remember When Estate Sales, LLC can help.