If you have recently lost a family member, you will realise that the aftermath following their death can be an extremely stressful time. If you are responsible for tying up the deceased estate there are important decisions to be made around the possessions left behind. So apart from the emotional upset, you have additional matters to consider. If they had a lot of possessions it is up to you to make sure that these are secured while the estate is wound up. Getting estate storage will give you some time and space to store their belongings safely and that these assets are not put at risk.
How to Deal with a Deceased’s Property
It can take up to twelve months to finalise the wrapping up of a deceased estate. This is a long time, particularly if there is a household of furniture and other possessions that need to be secured and stored or dealt with in some other way.
Nothing can be sold during this time unless you obtain approval. Once you have this approval you will be free to make some decisions around what do to with the deceased’s belongings and property. It is worth bearing in mind that these processes take time, so communicate these to the beneficiaries of the will so that everyone is on the same page as to how far the process still has to go.
If the property has a full complement of household items and furniture, some of which may be valuable antiques including furniture, art pieces, and various collections, you will wish to secure these. If you are the executor of the estate it is one of your duties to make sure that all assets are secured. Estate storage can be one of your most useful tools.
Beneficiaries of the Estate
The deceased’s will specifies which items have been left to the various beneficiaries so they can take their goods immediately. This is a way of ensuring that some valuables are removed from the property.
Anything that remains will not be able to be sold or donated until the legalities are complete, so one of the ways of protecting these is by placing them in a self storage unit. Estate storage offers a flexible solution in that you can store for as long or as short a period of time as you need to.
As a beneficiary you may not be in a position to take your inherited items as you may not have the space. Keeping the estate in a storage unit will ensure that they are kept safely until you are ready to take possession of them.
Do You Need to Sell the Property?
Once the estate is wound up and the decision has been made to sell the property, there are other ways that hiring a self storage unit can be of assistance.
If the house has been occupied by the deceased for a long time it will no doubt be full of their possessions and may be in need of decluttering. This together with a cosmetic touch up here and there would make it more attractive to potential buyers and improve the sale value. Realtors all agree that a clean, uncluttered house is more likely to sell quickly and at a higher price than one that is full of personal possessions.
So it is worth clearing out some of the belongings into a dedicated estate storage unit where they will be out of the way while the house is sold. Pack up any collections, personal items such as photographs, and any valuable antiques and smaller items so that there is no chance of them being either stolen or broken while the house is for sale.
You can decide what to do with these items, whether to sell or donate if the beneficiaries do not want them. The profits from the sale of these items would go into the estate.
Will You Rent Out the Property?
Self storage can also help if you as the executor plan to rent out the property of the deceased and store the contents for a limited time. This buys you some time before you make a permanent decision about what to do with the property.
Clearing out the property quickly and putting stuff in self storage gives you an opportunity to evaluate the property, give it a good clean, and carry out any renovating and decorating before renting it out.
Packing Up a Deceased Estate – Some Guidelines
- Pack up the valuables such as antiques and jewellery first. These would be secure in a self storage facility such as Stop & Store Lowestoft. These are normally the items that have sentimental value to the family, and it would be a shame if any of these were lost or stolen while they remain in an empty house.
- Once the family members have taken away what they are entitled to, you can start sorting the household items into marked boxes of what is to be kept in storage, what is to be donated to charity, and what is to be sold.
- Sort through old books and newspapers. Second hand shops will normally be only too happy to accept these as donations unless you want to try and sell them yourself.
- Move all boxes and furniture you intend keeping into the self storage unit.
- The garage and the garden shed may present more of a challenge than the house as this is where we all tend to dump unwanted stuff over time. Store any useful items and put the rest out for selling or donating.
- Once you have completed these steps you can get professional cleaners in to give everything a good clean before you decide on your next step.
Why Use Stop & Store Lowestoft When a Family Member Dies and You Need Extra Storage
Our facility is protected by monitored CCTV surveillance, as well as intruder alarms. Your individual PIN ensures that you are the only one that has access to your self storage unit. You can rest assured that the goods that are stored will be secure.
What makes our self storage flexible for you is that we do not lock you into a contract, nor do we require a deposit. We are open from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week for your convenience.
Enquire, book, and pay online using our simple, fully automated operating system, which you can do anytime. There is minimal personal contact. Once you have paid you get access to your unit.
Our units are affordable. Please check our website for any specials we may be running.
Our location in Lowestoft near the railway station makes us perfectly located to service Oulton on Sea, Kessingland and the surrounding areas.
Please contact us on 01502 580005 We look forward to hearing from you!
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