My grandfather passed away and we're trying to figure out what to do with all the stuff in his house and the house itself. Wanted to see if there was an easier way than going through everything piece by piece and putting it on ebay/craigslist. Also, we want to fix up the house before we sell it, but not sure what renovations we should focus on and what we should skip. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

4/12/2012 10:09:22 AM

Do you have an estate lawyer that has advised you on what you need to document as far as possessions go? Are you the executor of the estate?

As far as estate sales go, you can advertise them as such, or hire someone to run it for you. People will be much more interested in an estate sale as a whole than they ever would looking through ebay/craigslist.

http://www.life123.com/career-money/wealth-management/estate-taxes/the-characteristics-of-a-successful-estate-sale.shtml

Also, be sure to let TWW know when it will be, I really want to go to an estate sale!

As far as renovations, I would focus on getting the house clean first, and then see what needs to be done most. Some people are looking for a fixer-upper and would like the charm of an old house. Others would tell you to focus on kitchen and baths because that's where you'll get the best return on your investment. However, you likely will not be able to recover what you put into fixing it up entirely.

[Edited on April 12, 2012 at 10:19 AM. Reason : ]

4/12/2012 10:16:06 AM

sorry about your grandpa. idk how close you were but i know how much it can suck to lose them. my condolences.

my grandma died 2 years ago & my grandpa last year. mom & my uncle have been dealing w/ the estate, but i've paid a little attn to what's been going on. idk how helpful it'll be but i can tell you what they've done, from what i know of/remember.

first, my grandpa was a hoarder & had a large garage packed FULL of shit. he also liked to hide money and/or precious metals in weird spots in the house (under floor boards, tops of curtains, etc)...so we HAD to go through EVERY DAMN THING to make sure we weren't giving away thousands of dollars.

after stuff had been looked through & the closer family members chose what they wanted to keep, we had a yard sale last september to get rid of the bulk of the stuff in the garage & some other random items from inside the house. they left the furniture & whatnot inside & not for sale during the first one bc the house was also put on the market (& houses sell better with furniture in them). they had the carpets cleaned, cleaned out the closets, & just generally cleaned the entire house & aired it out.

the second yard sale, or estate sale, was february. it was held in the house & everything inside was for sale except for fixtures/stuff that stays with a house typically.

there were a couple of bigger things we sold on craigslist: truck, car, suv, & sailboat.

the house is still for sale but there are renters in it now. mom let the realtor's office handle the renting thing & they thoroughly checked out the couple (background, credit checks, etc). the couple is extremely interested in buying the house & i think they're planning on doing it once they sell their properties back in michigan.

renovations to the house will depend on what the house needs. my parents recaulked around some crown molding, scraped & repainted the carport ceiling, & had the hvac unit checked out. other than that, just cleaning the shit out of everything.

4/12/2012 10:36:20 AM

We don't have a lawyer. But my dad is the only close family member, so everything will go to him. Also, a lot of my grandfathers stuff was already in my dad's name.

Anyone know how/where I would go about selling an organ?

4/12/2012 10:42:04 AM

...not one from his body, right?

4/12/2012 10:42:58 AM

Ahahha. I'm retarded. Pipe organ.

4/12/2012 10:45:36 AM

Craigslist would be my guess. I have no idea what my grandmother did with hers.

4/12/2012 10:48:36 AM

I would advertise is as part of the estate sale. Really, you're going to find people will spend more money if you have a wide variety of things. You might have four people come to look at the organ, and leave with a chair, or something.

Or if it's a pretty nice piece of equipment, contact a church or music organization.

[Edited on April 12, 2012 at 10:51 AM. Reason : ]

4/12/2012 10:50:56 AM

Would it make more sense to donate it and write it off via taxes for full market value?

4/12/2012 11:50:28 AM

Depends on the value of the estate I would think, and whether or not a tax deduction would help you more than the cash.

And how valuable is the organ?

[Edited on April 12, 2012 at 11:59 AM. Reason : In other words, it's likely not an easy TWW question.]

4/12/2012 11:53:31 AM

incorporate the organ into your doorbell

it'd be baller

and a remembrance of your grandfather every time someone came over

4/12/2012 12:00:07 PM

I have been going through this process since January.

My aunt and uncles farm just sold, I sold it to a neighbor for a good deal for him and us, he got a good deal money wise, but we got a good deal because he can close fast.

The stuff we picked through piece by piece to make sure nothing valuable or sentimental got tossed. The rest we put in piles and invited the friends and neighbors to come pick up anything they wanted, with the stipulation that they took the rest to the Salvation Army. There was also quite a bit that went to the dump, but I only threw away what really was trash, I think you should donate things that someone might want or be able to use.

The only thing left in the house are some furniture items and tools, most of which will be coming back to Raleigh in the next few weeks. The rest is going to the Salvation Army.

A couple of things I learned in the process.

1) People will help if they get something out of it, make sure for every good thing they take they help get rid of some of the rest.
2) Used CDS are now worth nothing
3) Most of what we accumulate personal property wise will be worth nothing when we die. (computers, tvs, stereos, books, kitchen stuff, linens, etc)
4) Your time and gas are worth something, if you have to put stuff on Craigslist be ready to field a million phone calls and emails, might not be worth it for 25 bucks or even 50 or 100.

4/12/2012 12:02:39 PM

Quote :

"incorporate the organ into your doorbell it'd be baller and a remembrance of your grandfather every time someone came over"

lol that would be insane.

4/12/2012 12:09:09 PM

lol that would be insane awesome!

4/12/2012 1:53:16 PM

Sorry for your loss

4/12/2012 1:56:14 PM

Thanks. It would be cool, but I'm content with his baller grandfather clock.

4/12/2012 2:02:09 PM

Does he have any cool old artwork/painting?
What about gold coins or super old newspapers/magazines?

I'm interested in buying

[Edited on April 12, 2012 at 2:08 PM. Reason : .]

4/12/2012 2:06:08 PM

I love grandfather clocks. Definitely post info on what you guys end up selling.

4/12/2012 2:06:31 PM

Def has some old artwork/paintings. Going to have to check on the other stuff.

4/12/2012 3:44:35 PM

Anyone know of an auction house I could use or at least a place to get things like china/glassware appraised?

4/15/2012 5:52:03 PM

You can look up the china/glassware on Replacements Limited Website. Their prices will likely be high, but it's a good ballpark.

4/15/2012 6:37:38 PM

post the links on tww

who knows, we might want something.


I could be persuaded to buy a humidor, artwork, or mid century furniture.

4/15/2012 6:40:24 PM

Not really sure how to look it up without knowing the manufacturer.
I don't have any links to post. Just trying to get rid of most of the stuff in one swoop.

4/15/2012 6:47:35 PM

For the china, it should have the manufacturer printed on the bottom of the dishes. You can also take your stuff to Replacements (just outside of Greensboro), and they can try and ID it for you. Also, if you post photos, I bet someone can tell you what it is (maybe not on this site, but I know there are IDing sites that can tell you).

4/15/2012 6:58:11 PM

Sweet. Thanks for the info. I checked the bottons, but they just had the country of origin. I'll try to snap some pics next time I'm there.

[Edited on April 15, 2012 at 7:08 PM. Reason : sp]

4/15/2012 7:08:05 PM

any guns?

4/15/2012 7:31:06 PM

Yes, actually. No clue what kind though.

4/15/2012 7:32:20 PM

if you send me pics and/or any markings on them, i can help you ID them and i might be interested in buying some if you're willing to part with them.

4/15/2012 7:37:29 PM

Still not sure what my dad is selling/plans to keep but these were recently found in a crappy fire safe

1899 liberty nickel
1942 silver mercury dime
1907 liberty nickel
1935 & 1936 buffalo nickels
1939 copper Lincoln head penny
1943 35% silver Jefferson warts nickel

4/16/2012 9:49:56 AM

yo, shoot me info on the guns too.

4/16/2012 12:43:49 PM

My dad said he needs a permit first before he'll send me the info. Not sure what that's about, but whatever.

4/16/2012 1:26:56 PM

a permit is only required of the buyer (gives it to seller) when purchasing a handgun, not a rifle or shotgun. just fyi

assuming this all happens in NC

4/16/2012 1:34:30 PM

A permit is required by law for handgun purchases in NC. A copy of a valid concealed handgun permit, or a handgun purchase permit satisfy this requirement. Many people have one or the other, and if he can give us info on the guns (make, model and caliber), they might be interested in buying them. A permit is not required to just obtain information about the gun.

4/16/2012 2:19:18 PM

"Model 200 ASTRA Automatic Pistol, .25 caliber
Imported by Firearms International Corp. Washington DC
Weights only 11 4/5 oz. Mag. capacity 6 rounds
Length 4 1/3" Height 3"
Very old.

Smith & Wesson Sigma Pistol
SW9VE
9 MM
$370. new (with price tag!)


Amadeo Rossi - 38 special
Made in Brazil
The Garcia Corp, Washington DC
SAO Leopoldo RS
Marble-like handle "

4/16/2012 7:46:20 PM

I got three cast iron skillets from my grandmother that I had to re-season (a neat first time project). They remind me of all of the amazingly yummy breakfasts she made when I was a child.

4/16/2012 7:58:06 PM

I'm 10 months into settling my grandmother's estate. For whatever reason, the lawyer for my grandmother's estate had us get someone out to appraise the contents of her house. She had designated that certain things go to family members and left the rest to me. The man who came out to do the appraisal was very helpful in pointing out items of significant value that I may not want to just dismiss out of hand. For example, my grandmother had a shabby syrup pitcher that is ~150 years old that is of some value that I would have probably just throw away for the sake of expediency.

4/16/2012 8:04:55 PM

Who did you use?

4/16/2012 8:11:13 PM

I don't know the name of the person who did the appraisal. We're also out of Greenville, NC. I do know that you're going to want a "personal property appraiser." Sometimes you can go through an antique dealer or auction house to find someone.

4/16/2012 8:18:54 PM

Quote :

"my grandpa was a hoarder & had a large garage packed FULL of shit."

Mine did too, only it was the old large tobacco barns he filled with shit before he passed.

One of the things you can do to help separate things of value from the true junk is contact local/regional pickers.

4/17/2012 9:13:06 AM

Quote :

"super old newspapers/magazines?"

I have found a number of documents (deeds) in early 1900s and one at the end of 1800s.

4/20/2012 12:01:04 PM

As far as renovations, it depends on if you want to get it sold quickly. You probably won't recoup all the money you put into things like new kitchens and baths, but they'll help it sell faster as it becomes more "move in ready". So you may come out ahead financially if you hold off on the major renovations and just do a really good cleaning/fix any small things, but it may take longer to sell as a fixer-upper. We went through that decision with my great-uncle's house last year and decided to forgo the renovations, which proved to be a good move as the buyer is going to demolish and build new on the lot (it's on an island in Florida so something of a special case).

Thankfully his possessions were easier to go through as he didn't have a lot of things stored/squirreled away and we were pretty certain what was and wasn't valuable. We ended up donating the majority of it as most of the furniture and housewares were well-used and none of the family lives nearby, so doing craigslist/ebay would have been impossible and an estate sale a big hassle for not a lot of money. The things that had sentimental value we kept, of course (he was a ship's captain for 30+ years so I have a few reminders of that and his vintage sextant.)

4/23/2012 9:20:26 AM

I'd be hesitant to renovate. You will likely not get that money back (50%-75% return generally), so you may get less money from the sale as opposed to just selling as-is. That's exclusive of any code/inspection problems that have to be fixed. The kitchen and master bath are the 2 rooms that are most important, thus deserving of upgrading; however, they are the most expensive. And if the rest of the house is shit, you certainly won't get your money back out of it. Renovating also opens you to a lot of risk, which is unneeded here. Renovating these rooms may help it more quickly, but if the rest of the house is need of updating, you'll likely still turn buyers off. Buyer, for the most part, look for move-in ready or for a fixer-upper.

My advice is to fix what has to be fixed, clean it up, and sell it.

4/23/2012 10:08:41 AM

Quote :

"That's exclusive of any code/inspection problems that have to be fixed. "

Yeah, I told my parents they should probably just go ahead and get it inspected now so they can figure out what they have to fix and worry about any additional things later on.

4/23/2012 11:03:53 AM

The renovations will may be more trouble than they are worth. Whenever you start renovating an older home most anything you touch(change) has to be brought up to code, so there are surprises along the way.

I would talk to your real estate agents as to what (if anything) would be beneficial when trying to sell the home, they may just tell you to price it aggressively factoring in the necessary updates.

They may tell you to just do paint,carpet,light fixtures, those three things are fairly inexpensive and can really improve the appearance of the home.

I doubt they will advise you to tear out the kitchen and baths unless you are in to construction and have a way to get it done economically...its going to be time consuming and expensive and unless your up for it may not be worth it.

4/23/2012 11:18:09 AM

bump

7/24/2012 1:37:05 PM

Just put the guns in the gun thread.
I have a bunch of china that sells for a decent price online.
Any ideas where I can unload it?

7/24/2012 1:48:13 PM

Try Replacements, Ltd. They're located in Greensboro.

They buy china so they have that variety, especially older pieces that are hard to come by and not easily found online.

http://www.replacements.com/misc/packship.htm

It looks like they already have some of the pattern your have online...
http://search.replacements.com/texis/search/main.html?query=carmela+infield%3AManufacturerName%3DNORITAKE&pr=Meta_20120716&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=0&rwfreq=0&rlead=1000&rdepth=0&sufs=1&order=ClientCount-d&cq=&sr=-1

7/24/2012 5:15:06 PM

However, Replacements will usually give you a really cheap price. You'd probably get more by listing on craigslist or ebay or taking it to an antique store.

7/24/2012 5:16:38 PM

Yeah, I had looked at this http://www.replacements.com/webquote/N__CARM.htm
But I have almost a whole set so was hoping to sell it elsewhere.

7/24/2012 5:32:38 PM

It seems like you're waffling on whether or not you want to put in the effort to get best value out of the items or take a hit in the name of expediency.

Keep in mind that people who make their living flipping items often spend 12-14 hours a day driving around and sifting through junk. That's their job. You already have the items, so that cuts down significantly on the grunt work, but finding the right buyer takes time and energy.

Quote :

"Used CDS are now worth nothing"

This is not true. Any used CD in good shape is worth a dollar. Something new/cool is worth a few. A lot of old classical/jazz things that are out of print can be worth hundreds of dollars a piece. As I said above, though, finding out which things are worth money and finding the person who will pay what those items are worth, even with the convenience of the internet, is a time-consuming process.

7/24/2012 7:40:15 PM