What To Do With All This Inherited Stuff

When a family member passes away, there are a lot of things to deal with. The emotional roller coaster of missing him or her mixed with those fond, happy memories is just one of many things. There's the task of going through personal belongings, which isn't an easy one. What makes it all the more difficult is when there's too much stuff.

It happens to all of us, we accumulate throughout our lives, that's why we occasionally host a yard or garage sale, sell things on the internet and donate items to charity. However, when you're dealing with an inherited property, you're tasked with separating everything, keeping what's sentimental and throwing out junk garbage.

What to Do when You Inherit a House

Hauling away junk isn't a fun thing to do and there's going to be a lot more of it than you think. You'll have to either keep, sell, give away, or haul away furniture. Then, there's all those kitchen appliances, aside from the major ones, many will be on the trash list. Clothing can be donated to charity, but other personal items can usually be discarded.

This may be the most emotional aspect of cleaning out [an inherited] house. Experts say it hastens the process if you sort belongings into three piles or tag them with color-coded stickers of three different colors: items to keep, items to donate or sell, and items to throw away. -- About.com

As the nearby quote suggests, it's best to divide any personal items up into three piles. This is not only necessary, but key to keeping what's most precious. You'll also have to do other things, like forward the mail to your own place, change the locks on the doors, and make sure the utilities and mortgage is paid. Be sure to go over every nook-and-cranny, as people tend to hide important things, like financial documents and cash, in very unusual places. In addition, start looking for things that are in a state of disrepair because if you choose to sell or rent the property, those will have to be fixed first.
 

Scheduling Home Junk Removal for Inherited Junk

Moving on to the big items, depending on the condition and what you plan to do with the property, you can sell or donate them, or keep them. If furniture is in poor condition, it's probably not only unsightly, but unsafe. Call a professional junk hauling service to give you an estimate. Typically, you'll spend a lot less because you'll avoid the dumping fees, which can easily add-up, the equipment hauling rental expense, and the time and effort it takes to cart all that stuff from out of the home to a truck.