Liquidation...

What do you do with a house or apartment full of furniture, collections of things, kitchen items, bedding, books, art and a garage full of tools?  The family has taken out those items that they want, and now there are rooms full of the left overs.  Some things are valuable, most things are not, and a lot of it is just plain junk...


In the bay area, I suggest my clients call a Rick Hudson, of Hudson's Estate Service and Liquidation. 
Hudson's is a family that has been in the antique and estate liquidation business in the Bay Area since the 1960's.  They conduct on-site estate sales and warehouse (consignment) sales to maximize the value of estate contents while minimizing the efforts of the family, executor or beneficiary.  Their approach to estate liquidation leaves the residence ready for sale or rent in a timely manner after generating maximum revenue for the beneficiaries.

One great advantage of using a liquidator, like Hudson's, is that they take EVERYTHING away.  It means you do not have to deal with scheduling charity pick ups or pay for a junk hauler.  This works extremely well if you are on a tight schedule or you are managing an estate from a distance. 


Using a liquidator is not just for clearing out estates.  If you are moving to a smaller home or apartment, a liquidator can take those items that no longer serve or fit into your new lifestyle.


Here's my advice for getting ready to close out a home or estate:


1.  Distribute items to family and friends according to everyone's wishes.   Distribute to charity anything you want them to have.

2.  Discard useless, broken or unsellable items, like paper or the broken toaster that has been in the back of the garage for years.

3.  Check EBAY or with an appraiser to get an idea of the value of art and antiques.

4.  Make sure you have the proper agreements from all beneficiaries before giving anything away.


Planning and managing the distribution of an estate, or downsizing a home, can be time consuming and stressful, so being as ORGANIZED as possible can be a life saver. 

Pay, and pay again....

Last week I was working with one of my elder clients and discovered that she has been paying several well known non-profit organizations repeatedly because they send her money requests that look like invoices. Additionally, she has been duplicating payments for magazine subscriptions because they keep sending invoices.

When I studied these fake invoices I could certainly see how they could easily fool someone. Quite frankly, I am appalled at these tactics, especially by groups who we all know are doing great things for the the world.

Last year I found that one senior client had still been paying AT&T monthly for the lease of her 35 year old Princess phone. And the real shocker was that AT&T wanted that phone back or they would charge her for it again! That useless phone cost her over $1200.

Another client had to pay Comcast for a modem because it was easier than trying to struggle through the calling process to get it picked up. I've seen clients break down in tears over trying to get a human on the line for utility services.

I find one of the best ways to track of memberships, subscriptions and donations, is a good old fashioned spread sheet. I note the date of the payment, the amount, and the expiration date of the subscription or membership.