Estate Clearance Case Study – prepare for sale the low stress way

Mum had been living alone since Dad passed suddenly early last year. Mum had some challenges with her health and her eyesight, and at the end of last year, she also died suddenly.

The challenge for us was to prepare our family home for sale, while we had double grief. It felt like too much to handle. It was just too upsetting. It would take us months to try and get on top of everything. Their home and their belongings overwhelmed me.

Although there are five adult children, we all have very busy lives, our own families and careers, and all live in different places around the country. Even if we had emotional ballast, none of us had large chunks of time or energy to take charge of their estate. We really needed to sell the home sooner rather than later.

The family home was filled with so many books, paperwork, travel keepsakes, art etc that they’d collected over many decades. Mum was a lively academic in her earlier years, living and working overseas, so there were a great many treasures to be distributed throughout the family. Dad was an engineer by trade, and definitely a collector: the garage alone was going to be a big job. We really needed a solution.

We chose Sorted to assist us clear their estate; and it was a great decision. They worked swiftly and thoroughly, but with great care and that was a great comfort to us. The process took just over 8 weeks which was perfect for us. Every step of the way we were consulted with and kept informed; the final decision on belongings was always with us. But we didn’t have to do any of the hands-on work. All of Mum and Dads belongings were sorted and distributed, sold, sent to auction, donated to charity or distributed among the family with great care and compassion. Specific sentimental items went to the grandkids, my siblings and I and other loved ones.

Of course, there were a great many bits and pieces that my siblings and I had forgotten existed, childhood toys and keepsakes were all there tucked away with warm stories attached. It was lovely to reconnect with those treasures.

A selection of our parent’s personal belongings were used when staging the home for sale, and we loved how new and fresh but authentic it looked. The property went from dark and dowdy and cluttered to a dramatically fresh, stylish and inviting space. The kitchen alone was an incredible improvement. Lissanne is superbly practical with real creative flair.

Sorted even took care of engaging cleaners, painters and trades to make minor repairs. The process was a breeze for us.

It was sad to say goodbye to their home – forty years is such a long time and the home held so many memories. There was a happy ending though: much to everyone’s surprise, one of our cousins was so impressed, she bought the house!

OLIVIA