Top Tips for Estate Cleanouts - Cleanouts Monmouth County

Top Tips for Estate Cleanouts

Are you facing cleaning out your own estate or that of your parents? This can be a confusing and overwhelming process, especially if you are grieving the loss of a parent or going through a painful divorce.

There are ways you can lessen the burden, and one of those ways is to rely on a professional estate cleanout company. These experts can move your appliances, furniture, household goods and just plain old junk.

Keep these tips in mind to make the transition go as smoothly as possible.

1. Take your time. Don’t rush…go through everything – even those boxes crammed in the back of the closets. Senior citizens in particular are known for hiding money in out-of-the-way places. You don’t want to miss it. You also don’t want to miss out on finding precious keepsakes.
2. Work peacefully with siblings and other family members rather than engage in bitter fights over property. This can be easier said than done, so ask each sibling to write down what they would like to claim from the estate. Gather to review all requests and come to a mutually acceptable agreement. If a peaceful resolution isn’t in the cards, have a lawyer or outside mediator assist.
3. Save all financial documents. Rather than throw these critical documents out in your haste or grief, purchase accordion folders and a filing cabinet. Sort through all the documents and file as needed. Unsure what to keep? You’ll want to save documents such as life insurance papers, 401(k) records, tax returns, receipts for filing taxes, wills, stock certificates, deeds and bank statements.
4. Donate clothing. Because used clothing doesn’t generally fetch a high resale value, it’s hardly worth your time to sell it. It can be more rewarding and less time consuming to donate it to those in need, plus you can use it as a tax write-off.
5. Keep photos, mementos, journals and memorabilia. These shouldn’t be thrown out. Even in a heated divorce, there will come a day when you want to look back fondly at the good times. Don’t do anything you will regret. In the case of deceased parents, your children and their children, and so on, will want to know all about their heritage someday.
6. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help. It’s impossible to do it all alone. You understandably have a strong emotional tie to the home you’re cleaning out, which makes it hard to get perspective on what you should toss or keep. A good rule of thumb: throw it out if it’s broken, hasn’t been used in years, contains no sentimental value or is unsafe. A professional estate cleanout company like The Junk Guys can take all that junk, trash and debris off your hands for one low price.

Get in touch with The Junk Guys today to book your appointment at 732-333-1805.

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