Estate Sales: What Should I Keep, What Should I Sell?

This article was originally published on LinkedIn by Krys Galakatos, a certified appraiser and the owner of Heritage Estate Sales, LLC and the Rummage Gala. This article has been posted with the author’s permission and has been lightly edited.

There are times when families will have to make hard decisions regarding a loved one’s possessions. These may include a home, a car, or their personal property. Dealing with these decisions can create a lot of stress and frustration about what to do next.  

Many times we find ourselves sorting through our family member’s life time collection of items with apprehension. How can you possible get through everything while dealing with a mine field of emotions and memories? How do you get through years of "stuff"? What are you supposed to do with everything? Why did grandma keep all these bread ties?

Don’t let what may seem like an overwhelming task get to you. Your best bet is to take a deep breathe and sort through the items as you go room to room. Ask yourself these questions when you look through each space:

• Is it personal in nature? i.e., family members’ names on item, photograph, etc.

• Is it highly sentimental? i.e., family heirloom, etc.

• Will it honestly be appreciated if taken and is there room for where it’s going?

Once you and your family have had a chance to secure any sentimental items, let an estate sale company take over the burden. Many estate sale companies (if not all) are happy to set aside any other personal photographs or documents found that you may have missed. They will sort remaining items and organize an event to liquidate the estate, allowing you to move on with any other necessary steps such as preparing the home for sale.

This is a fairly basic article on how to handle going through an estate. We always welcome questions should you have any!