What To Do When You’re Stuck with Your Parents’ Junk

When dealing with a loved one’s estate, you are challenged with deciding what to do with their multitude of possessions. This chore involves sorting through years of accumulated items in garages, basements, and attics. Once family members have removed family heirlooms or sentimental items, getting rid of what is left can be overwhelming.

Tips on Residential Junk Removal in Garner, NC

Here are some of the ways you can handle getting rid of unwanted family items.

Handle it Yourself. This option can be time-consuming, and if you organize an estate sale, you may not know the value of some of the items. Ultimately, you still have to get rid of items not sold.

Hire an Estate Seller. These are professionals that are experts in handling these types of sales. They are usually knowledgeable about the value of items (or will have items appraised if they are unsure). In addition, they’ll organize and conduct an estate sale or auction. Of course, you’ll pay for this service with a percentage of the sales. They may also usually include the benefit of removing any unsold items, but be sure to ask this question before hiring the service.

Hire a Professional Junk Removal Service. If there is a limited amount of stuff, you may need only to hire a professional junk removal service. These services will sort items and then donate, recycle, or dispose of things accordingly. The fee is usually based on weight with additional charges for removing large, bulky items (i.e., pianos, furniture).

Other Options

No matter how you handle the estate, some basic steps will be followed in most cases. Here is a list of what’s involved.

Friends and Family. In most situations, friends and family of the deceased person may want an item as a memento of their relationship. Of course, valuable items may be discussed in the person’s will, but more often, it is something small and has a special meaning to that person. Don’t decide what to give; allow the receiver to select. You don’t want to burden someone with something they don’t want.

Sell the Stuff. If there are many things, selling the least valuable ones is an excellent start. This list could include electronics, jewelry, furniture, and other household items in demand but not worth much money on their own. You can sell the stuff yourself by holding a yard sale. If you use eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace, check the site rules about what can be listed for sale and what fees they charge.

Donate to Charity. Before donating, check what the charity accepts. For example, goodwill or local thrift stores usually accept a broad range of clothing and household items but often don’t accept sporting or exercise equipment or bulky items. On the other hand, habitat Restores (part of Habitat for Humanity) takes furniture, appliances, household goods, and building materials. So do some research and find the best place to donate. Also, some charities will pick up items from your home, so check on that, especially if you have no way to haul the item yourself.

Unwanted Stuff. Once you’ve sorted, sold, and donated as much as possible, you’ll still have to dispose of the remaining stuff. Now it is down to hauling things to the recycling center or dump. Once again, you can do it yourself or hire a junk removal company. Hiring someone else to haul away your loved one’s belongings will free up time in your schedule and decrease stress.

McJunk

Are you dealing with cleaning out a deceased loved one’s home? McJunk can help. We can handle residential junk removal jobs, big and small. Call us at 919-850-4377.

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