My Dad decided to move to a retirement community after my stepmother (married 48 years) died. I offered many times to help him clear out the house, but he repeatedly refused. He spent 6 hours a day for almost 6 months to get rid of almost 50 years of “stuff.” He let me come over occasionally to help, but not much.
After he was all done, I marveled at a)how much they had actually accumulated during those years (their house hadn’t looked cluttered, but Dad said “it was well hidden”), and b)how little was left when he finally finished.
I had told Dad to not leave me any money when he died, as others in our family needed it more. He reluctantly agreed, but on the day I came to see the house after he was completely done, he said “THIS is your inheritance, my gift to you.”
I have never been so touched. If I am lucky enough to live a long life, I’m determined to pay that forward.
My blood boils when I think of how many times my mom said “you can pitch it all when I’m dead.” She was a hoarder and her house was filled to the gills with junk. And her important papers, checks and money were mixed in with the junk.
Well she got sick and moved in with me, and I’m still dealing with that mess of a house. I will not leave that situation for my kids. I have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours sorting, shredding, bagging, and pitching her stuff and am far from finished.
If you want your kids to retain any tender and loving feelings for you, you won’t leave them with all that work to do.
My parents are having their “pre-estate” sale this weekend. Today was the first day and the house is still just as full as it started. I am soooo glad they are doing this now and not leaving it all for me!
With my in laws house, we had an estate sale. The guys came out and priced everything after we had taken anything we wanted. When we saw how low the prices were, we took a few more things. Admittedly, though, there was a larger item we had wanted for 40+ years and just sold it for $35 the last hour of the last day to get rid of it. I’d kind of still like it, but meh, we just wanted to be DONE!
After the estate sale was over the guy came to take the rest, he offered $200 for everything or $0 if he had to take the couches, too. We took the $200 and sold the couches on CL for $25 each.
Absolutely do NOT allow the owners of the stuff to be involved, it is heart breaking to see.
My mother lives with me and has really gone down hill in the last year, but was starting mild dementia symptoms before that. I cannot find several of her jewelry items, in my own home!
I admit I didn’t read the other replies, but both of the estate sale companies we used got rid of EVERYTHING. They held the sale, dropped prices at the end and then took away anything left to donate. The house was left “broom swept” and everything was gone. They do it for a percentage of the sales, and it’s REALLY worth it. Your mom might like the idea that she will make money from the pros who are working on commission…so they’ll be charging as high as prices as they can get.
Sorry. I totally forgot to post the results. They made about $1500 (hardly worth their time, mom said). They sold a few of the large pieces, but not nearly enough. I don’t know what they are going to do with the rest. She still has a piano that apparently nobody wants. Mom took some of the antique nick-knacks to her apartment to sell on eBay or Facebook. She was inquiring about names of people who buy out what’s left. Not sure there are any such people in our small town. There are lots of clothes, shoes, and other soft goods left that need to be donated or thrown away. She can hardly stand the thought of just giving it away, though.
I’m hoping the urgency of getting the house on the market to sell will help her turn loose of the junk inside. Most of us don’t want her “stuff” but between my brothers, me, and my son, I think all of dad’s tools will find a home!
My FIL had an antique functional player piano. I tried to sell it for a couple of years and finally put it in the estate sale and it did not sell, the guy came who is supposed to take everything, he did not have room in the first load and I had to badger and badger him to come back. No one wants pianos. I had to help two guys push the piano up a grassy hill to the driveway, it was crazy, but I was getting rid of that piano!
No odd wants pianos. I know of more than a few people who found a piano was left in their newly-purchased house.
A friend has two homes to clear out for divorced parents. It’s a nightmare. All of the stuff (copies of dissertations supervised, old clothes, worn furniture) and all of the papers. Two estate sales people said nothing was worth selling. I suggested a dumpster party.
We advertised our piano for free, just haul it out, on Nextdoor and a couple up the street took it for their young daughter and son to start to learn to play. I was just glad it found a new home since it had been the one I had learned on.
My parents bought me a Baldwin grand piano when I was in 8th grade, because I played seriously. It makes me sad that it will probably be taken to the dump.
We have a 1917 Steinway 6’-4" grand piano that DH’s piano teacher willed him. It will stay in the family forever, I hope. I’m glad DD still plays.
We had trouble finding someone to take our piano. Our contractor’s wife is a piano teacher and wanted a piano to give lessons so she didn’t have to use her grand piano. She came, looked at it, played it, siad it was in good condition, but then we never heard from her again. We considered leaving it in the house, but decided we’d just be putting off getting rid of it if buyers didn’t want it. Ultimately, we gave it to a woman whose business is clearing out houses. She had a family who wanted a piano, but I’m not sure what condition it was in by the time it got there bacause she didn’t hire professional piano movers (she used her usual crew).
@MaineLonghorn A Baldwin grand is far too good to end up in a dump! Especially if it has been maintained at all. People are going out and buying new Baldwin pianos every day! The kind of piano that ends up in a dump is the kind that isn’t worth the cost of moving. At the very least, give it away to someone who is willing to spend the $$ moving it!
Nobody wants pianos that are brand X pieces of junk that were lousy in the first place, haven’t been taken care of, and wan’t be any good even if you spend $$ refurbishing them.
I assume you are familiar with Ocean View in Falmouth? They have a Baldwin grand in a reception room there that was donated by its owner, a (by now former, I assume) resident who was a former conductor of the PSO. People play concerts on it.
Sure, the chances of the right person showing up at a 2-day tag sale are nil. But there is a big difference between saying “I have an old upright piano that no one has played in 30 years, do you want it?” and saying “I have a Baldwin grand in good condition, do you want it?”
The church we were a part of before moving last year had about a zillion pianos. They had the grand that was played for worship services, each Sunday School room had one, and there was one in the fellowship hall. There was no more room for another one.
Yes, churches need pianos. They usually already have what they need and maybe more than what they need.
Churches are not jumping up and down with joy when someone offers them one.
