BEST PLACE TO SELL HOUSE CONTENTS?!

swingaloo

I think its a very hard thing to have to do, I remember emptying my dads and it was awful. He had decorative plates all over his walls which he treasured but sadly no one wanted them. Its very easy to see your parents things as being worth something but to anyone else they are not going to be as valued. I work in a very busy charity shop and not a day goes by that we don't have someone come in with bags containing their mums/dads belongings and tell us that there is some 'really good stuff' in there and that 'a lot of it is new or expensive'. 
Sadly a great amount never sells at all. We have beautiful complete tea sets/dinner sets which we struggle to get a fiver for. I find it very sad sorting out the bags and boxes which I see as the contents of someone's life reduced to a few carrier bags. 
Are there perhaps any friends or neighbours who would like something of your dads to remember him by? It may feel better emotionally to give someone something rather than find it sells for peanuts and be upset by that.

Gers

A very depressing thread though it's pointing out the realities of the aftermath of a family death.  My DM is very ill, has a houseful of carefully stored 'stuff' which I've been trying to reduce slowly.  Sometimes she's agreeable and eager to 'make things easier for you' and other times she resists. It's very difficult indeed.

When my beloved Dad died (he lived alone) he had nothing worth anything as he was the opposite of Mum and kept nothing. I have his army tankard, his sugar / tea work container and tons of happy memories.

It's a shock when treasured possessions are worth very little.  Last week I took some jewellery to an auction house where two people brought in a huge number of cardboard boxes of household goods.  They were extremely disappointed when most of it was not as desirable as they had thought.  All that huge effort with not much reward.

In the fulness of time I intend to give as much as possible to specific client-facing charities such as homeless and refugee places.

DCFC79

What about donating any clothing for example to a homeless shelter ?

wizzywilc

I hope helpful rather than depressing for the OP and others. And there can be a great deal of comfort in knowing that you have done your best in  dealing with a loved one's affairs, and in seeing items go to a good home. I will never forget the look on the face of a stranger to whom I gave an item through Freecycle. He was so glad and delighted to get something he needed, for free.

When I cleared my parent's house, I spent months finding good homes for things while the house went through probate and sale. There were still many boxes of small items left when the time came to complete the sale. I actually built a new shed in my garden to store it all. A year later it was really easy to deal with it. Worth a think if you have the space.

GaleSF63

-taff said:

 Even if the house clearance firm sell stuff on, then you know at least whoever buys it, will really want it.

In the mid 1970s I largely furnished and stocked (pots, cutlery etc.) my first house from a house clearance auction and I appreciated everything I bought.  At a quick count I still have 5 things I bought then (so probably more), and I doubt if I will ever get rid of them.  These things are still valued by me, over 40 years on, as they were by the person who had died. 

pip895

My sister and I have recently been through this process.  It really brings home how little "stuff" is worth - even when its good quality.  As an example my parents purchased a quality hand made dining room set - I believe it must have been just over ten years ago for a sum well into 5 figures - it had been little used (Mum died within a couple of years of its purchase) - there wasn't a scratch on the table top it was lovely. The auctioneer took one look and declared - out of fashion - that wont sell, you will be lucky to even get a charity to take it!  Thankfully one of my Dads friends took it in the end - I wouldn't have been able to face dumping it!

We are actually quite proud how many of my Dads things we managed to rehome - but he didn't have rubbish and would always replace stuff if it got tatty or broken and he was no hoarder.  Quite a bit at the end we got rid of advertising it free on Facebook marketplace.