Trust me on this one...there is no time like right now to get cracking on the eventual project of cleaning out your mom's ( or dad's) house or apartment. What are you waiting for? As I have written about before.....open some closets, visit the attic, peek into the garage and basement.... in other words......get a handle on what you are facing.Make sure that your parent's house is cared for or you may learn when it is too late that everything that they have been holding onto is damaged or beyond being salvaged. And cleaning out basements that have had leaks, sewage problems and/or mold will cost a great deal of money to liquidate, repair and restore.
Tell Me More About "The Estate"
T
he time will come when you and your siblings will find yourself downsizing your parent's home or facing the liquidation of an estate. Now when I use the word estate....I'm using it loosely...because many of our parents do not have "estates" like the Rockefeller family. Most of the folks I know, have moms and pops that have a house filled with junk and when the term "estate" is used, I have to chuckle.What Treasures Is Mom Holding Onto?
Yes I know that everyone thinks their home is their castle, but having said that, the treasures that many people hold onto (broken appliances, camping gear, kindergarten drawings, old receipts etc) are just not the goodies that the big spenders are after at an estate sale" or antique auction.
Surprises In The Basement Or Attic Which Will Cost You Money
I too watch all the antique related shows on television about surprises in the attic or basement.....but my experience has been, that the biggest surprise that adult children will discover is that if you don't tackle the clean out sooner than later...the JOB GETS HARDER AND HARDER.
In fact I have head of too many stories of adult children visiting their parent's home and finding that not only have their parent's aged, but so has the house (or apartment). And with age comes all the unwanted household issues such as outdated plumbing, mold, leaks, damaged roof, crumbling foundation, overgrown trees, pests etc.
Here Are Some Common Surprises You May Find If You Wait To Long To Inspect And Clean Out A House
1. A basement, laundry room,
den with MOLD.2. Water in a basement , laundry room storage area with wet boxes of stored items.
3. Moth eaten clothing or other insect and rodent damage.
4. Damaged or wet paper items ( photographs, albums).
5. Rust on metal items (tools, ladders, shelves etc).
6. Rotten wood (old tables, chairs, benches, stools , trunks)
6. Odors which have soaked through keepsakes and collectibles.
And more........
For more information on cleaning out homes and estate liquidation, visit Estate Mavens: Help With Estate Liquidation
C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Society of Professional Journalists
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