Questions About Today’s Real Estate?

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Time to let go

Dear Phyllis,
I am the executor of my aunt’s estate. She passed away last year. She was an avid collector and I have been trying to weed through her belongings.   I don’t think she would be classified as a hoarder because it wasn’t paper and old pizza boxes, it was stuff. Lots and lots of stuff – collector’s plates, dolls, commemoratives, coins, etc. I work full time and live in the South Bay and just feel like I won’t ever get her home cleaned out. With home prices increasing, I really am feeling the push to get her home cleaned out and sold.
Patti

Dear Patti,
You are correct on wanting to get the home on the market for a variety of reasons.  Depending on the neighborhood, home values have increased about 15% from the beginning of the year.   Maintaining a vacant home can be costly and inconvenient.   Cleaning a hoarder’s home is typically much easier than clearing out a collector’s. When going through a hoarder’s home, one just needs to be careful to look through everything and be certain that money, stocks, etc. aren’t hiding in the endless piles of papers. A couple of weeks with a dumpster usually does the trick.

Patti, I understand that you want to sell these collectables for the highest possible price. I think your most efficient course of action is to first be certain that you have found any hidden money, (or other valuables), then to “let go” and enlist the help of a reputable estate sale person (you can give me a call for a recommendation if you need one).

If you lived locally and/or didn’t have a full time job, you would have the time to contact specific vendors for resale or sell items on e-bay, Craig’s list etc. Under your circumstance this could easily take years, and I don’t think you really want to devote years to clearing out your aunt’s home.

Best of luck to you.

  Phyllis Harb