You’ve Just Inherited An Estate, Now What?
When a family member passes, it is beyond heartbreaking, but when you’re suddenly thrust into being responsible for the family member’s estate, heartbreak can be compounded with stress.
Please note that this blog post is about what happens after the courts have sorted things out. Only a few of our movers have law degrees (kidding), so you really should not be taking legal advice from us. This blog post is also not about massive estates. If businesses or multiple investment holdings are involved, please consult an expert.
Now that we’ve said that, most estates are not massive. Most involve perhaps one home, perhaps a car and anywhere from a few to a great deal of personal possessions. Typically, when an heir or an executor to the estate takes his or her first look, to say it’s overwhelming is an understatement, but with just a little planning on your part, a moving company can shoulder a lot of your stress.
Let’s assume that by the time you’ve called a moving company, all the heirs have ironed out what goes to whom. If not, here is some pretty good advice for maintaining peace while divvying up belongings. Once you know what goes to whom, the hard work is done. All you need to do is label things. Buy some sticky notes and you can color code each member of the family. There are bound to be some items that no one wants, and those can be sold or even stored.
Once everything is labeled, let a mover handle the packing for you. We are experienced with estates and have moved items for major auction houses. There isn’t an antique or piece of artwork we don’t know how to treat with kit gloves. Please, though, if there is jewelry or other small valuables in the estate, move those items yourselves.
In most estates, there are items that don’t necessarily have a home. Some are typically set to be sold and others, into storage. Perhaps some family members don’t have room for their new treasures, so they will also need storage. We can help you with that as well.
Obviously, we can transport the estate anywhere within the country, even if there are multiple destinations.
Don’t let a family death be more stressful than it already is. Engage the help of professionals. We will remain calm during the storm and we will ensure that everything makes its way to its new home. We might even help prevent some family feuds.