What to do with a Deceased Estate
The death of a loved one is a difficult time. With the grief, the emotions and the funeral, there’s already plenty to deal with without having to think about the practical concerns of dealing with the estate.
If you’re the person who’s tasked with being executor of the deceased estate, there is a lot you’re going to have to deal with. This can include determining the legality of the will and the property, organising probate, understanding the tax issues and the property’s financial situation and dealing with any legal challenges to the will. And that doesn’t even get us to the the practical complexities of selling the property.
Don’t try to do everything yourself
Managing a deceased estate can be overwhelming, especially during a period of grief. It can also be extremely time-consuming and confusing working with so many different advisors and agents (e.g. real estate agents, accounts, lawyers, building inspectors, tradespeople etc.).
On top of all this, is the house clearance. Regardless of whether you’re planning to keep the property or sell it, chances are the property will need to be cleared out. Deceased estate house clearances can be hard work. And if it’s the home of a loved one it can also be emotionally difficult.
In these cases, family members have two options: clean out the home themselves or use a company that deals in deceased estate house clearances instead. In almost every case, it is better to hire a professional company due to the amount of labor involved in cleaning out a house after a death.
Common tasks when house clearing
When it comes to deceased estate house clearance, there’s plenty to deal with. These are the major tasks that a deceased estate management company can help you with:
- Removing all personal items and furniture
- Removing all rubbish from the property
- Organising full cleaning of the premises
- Organising house repairs and maintenance
- Organising garden repairs and maintenance
- Making recommendations for pre-sale property enhancements
- Preparing the property for open inspections and sale
- Organising furniture staging and interior design to enhance sale potential
Tasks for after house clearing
Once the property has been cleared, cleaned and prepared for sale, you will still have the various personal possessions to deal with. Sometimes, the will may provide direction for what’s to be done with these materials. However, more often it’s up to the executor to dispose of personal items and disburse the proceeds among the beneficiaries. This can be time consuming and complicated, but a deceased estate manager can help by:
- Sorting through and documenting all belongings
- Identifying any items of value or possible sentimental value
- Organising valuations for any valuables
- Working with you to determine which possessions will be kept, thrown away, sold or donated
- Organising rubbish disposal
- Organising sale of items
- Donating unwanted items
Take some of the stress out of this already trying time and contact a reputable deceased estate management firm. They can take care of the hard work, leaving you time to do what matters most: spend time with your family.
