After a death, someone, generally outside the family circle, will need to pick up the pieces. Estate sales are the liquidation of the deceased's assets and are a natural process for any family whose members need to get rid of their loved one's possessions but are too bereaved to do it themselves. An estate sale is somewhat like a garage sale in that you have to pick out the best and most valuable items and make sure they are on display.
Separate the keepsakes
While at first it might seem that the task is too much to handle, clearing a house for a sale isn't as hard as it would originally seem. You'll want to first make sure that there is nothing in the house that the family of the deceased plans on keeping. There is absolutely nothing worse than selling an item that is of utmost importance or otherwise sentimental to the bereaved.
Next, you'll want to just stand back and take a deep breath. Don't look at the sale as a whole. Instead, go through one room at a time, clearing out anything of value before proceeding to the next section of the home.
The worst thing you can do in this situation is to run through the house to locate only items you feel are of high value. You'll quickly find yourself overwhelmed and lost in a sea of objects.
Proceed room by room
Begin by completely emptying any given room, preferably a room with easy access first, as you'll want to keep any objects of value there. Make sure you have plenty of boxes, tape and newspapers, all of which will prove essential to the transportation of the goods. If you find an object you feel is extremely fragile, be sure to bring a smaller box for that one item.
You'll want to save this room and do all of your packing in it, as it is better to keep everything organized rather than attempting to take items out of the house as you go. If all goes well, you should have a room full of boxes by the time you're finished. Generally, some of the more lucrative items are kept either in the attic or the cellar, so it's extremely important that you thoroughly check these areas. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty in order to get a good look.
This process could take anywhere from a day to a week, depending on the size of the house. Just make sure you have some help on hand if you have to beat a deadline.
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