Why you shouldn’t pack up a Deceased Estate yourself
Saying goodbye to a loved one can be hard. Having to clean out and pack up their home can be just as painful.
If you’ve been tasked with handling a deceased estate, there’s a lot that needs to be done before the property can go up for sale. While it may seem better to do the job yourself, hiring a deceased estate clearance service can be the right decision.When you’re in mourning, this job can be stressful and emotionally difficult.
Beyond the emotional considerations, there’s also practicality to consider. Emptying out, cleaning and repairing an entire property is time-consuming and physically strenuous work. In most cases, you will also need to catalogue, pack and store any furniture and valuable items and maybe even prepare the home contents for auction.
The heavy and dirty work
When dealing with a deceased estate, many people try to get the property on the market as quickly as possible. And this makes sense. Wrapping up the will process can help to bring closure to the family and resolve the lingering practicalities that act as painful reminders.
However, there is a lot involved in preparing a property for sale. This includes the physical labour of emptying, cleaning and preparing the house for sale, as well as the legal and financial issues associated with selling a house.
Emptying and cleaning out an entire house is difficult work. Once you factor in cleaning up outside the property plus any repairs and additional touches required prior to sale, you’ve got some serious work on your hands.
Once the property is emptied and cleaned, you will likely still have the contents of an entire house to deal with. And this will involve cataloguing furniture for auction, sale or dispersal among the family. You’ll need to find a place to store the furniture in the meantime, as well as organising the sale or auction.
A deceased estate clearance company can help out in this situation by taking on the clearance from start to finish. They can clean and empty the property, organise tradespeople for repairs and pre-sale preparation, engage and deal with real estate companies and organise the transport, storage and even sale of furniture and other house contents.
So, what can you do?
Many people appreciate the opportunity to visit the property a final time and remember their loved one. You can go on your own or with others and reminisce about the deceased. This can be therapeutic when dealing with grief.
While at the property, it is also a good time to search for keepsakes, heirlooms and important documents. Talk with friends and family of the deceased to find out if there are any keepsakes they would like. Many people like to take photos, jewellery or furniture for sentimental value.
If you can’t find something in your search, tell the professional deceased estate cleaners what you are looking for, even show them a photograph if you can, so they can keep an eye out for it.
Additionally, it’s important that you check any known favourite hiding places for valuable objects before the professionals arrive. Perhaps your grandmother kept her engagement ring in a hidden compartment of that antique desk for safekeeping. Maybe your father stashed extra cash under a squeaky floorboard. You’d be surprised what deceased estate cleaners have come across in sneaky hiding places. Check these places for yourself so you can be sure nothing gets missed.
Clearing out a deceased estate can be a difficult and trying job for many people. Emotions can run high and important objects can be overlooked in the rush to get things cleaned up. Trust a professional deceased estate clearance service to take care of the heavy lifting so you and your loved ones can take care of each other in this difficult time. And when it comes time to sell the deceased estate, Domain has some great tips to make sure it sells.