Cleaning out the property after a death

 Leaning out a loved one’s home after their death hits the trifecta of misery: It’s a series of chores that can be emotionally, physically, and financially overwhelming. And what makes the whole task even worse is that it’s difficult to know where to start—should you throw out the beds first, and then have nowhere to sleep while you’re working? Toss the pots and pans and rely on takeout for the duration? The decisions around what to keep, donate, recycle, toss, or sell can be lengthy and depressing, especially for items that were treasures to your parent but not to you: It seems like a sin to chuck original artwork, or religious items, or someone’s beloved collections of figurines into the landfill...but what else are you going to do with it?

Have your real estate team deal with it.

Forbes Christie Elder Property services in South Florida will handle everything relating to the property and often delay invoicing for most services until the property is sold saving you from coming out of your own pocket

Tips from Forbes Christie Elder Property Services

We listed a home for a seller whose mother had died several years earlier.

He could not bear to change anything in the home. Much of the decor was old-fashioned. Looking at her things may have evoked memories of mom's spaghetti sauce, but buyers noticed a home just as his mother left it, filled with small ceramic figurines, gold-framed paintings from Italy and lace doilies. It took 10 months to sell.

·      Furniture. If the furniture is old or worn, get rid of it. Don't leave it in the house because it will detract from the sale.

·      Wall hangings. Remove them.

·      Floor covering. Consider its condition. If there is carpeting over wood floors, expose the wood floors and, if necessary, refinish the floors. Replace cracked ceramic tiles. Clean carpet over plywood or buy new carpeting.

·      Window coverings. If the window coverings are dated, throw them out. Most windows look better without heavy drapes or worn blinds.

·      Walls. Some people paint once and never again. You may need to patch and repaint the walls.

·      Ceilings. Replace dated light fixtures, patch cracks in the ceiling and paint.

·      Remove all pet-related items. Take the outdoor dog house with you and donate it to a shelter. Selling with signs of pets in the home is a turnoff for many buyers.

·      Clean from top to bottom. Wash windows, dust ceiling fan blades and wipe down the insides of cabinets.

Preparing a home for sale is time intensive, but done correctly, it will bring more money when the home is placed on the market.