My parents are in a memory care facility and I have to sell their home. I really need help and don't know where to find it. They have so many things and I am having a hard time getting rid of it all. Some I want to keep but most of it needs to be sold. I tried having an estate sale with out much success. I don't feel right just having everything hauled away. My health is not very good and I have 2 siblings who live out of state who have not helped at all. This is heartbreaking and and at times just want to call it quits. This is the third Christmas season that I have been taking care of everything and I really do love this time of year but I don't have the emotional energy to enjoy it. Does anyone know where I can get the help that I need?
I don't know where you live, but look online or in the yellow pages for a cleaning service - preferably one that can get you a dumpster, if there is a lot of stuff you cannot sell or donate. The cleaning service will help you remove and dispose of things that have no value and are not salvageable. The house will also look better when the estate sale people come. If you have a question about whether or not something has value, let the estate sale people see it.
Look for places that conduct estate sales. Interview more than one, to see if you feel you trust the representative and see what their fees are. I know you said your folks lived in a different state, but perhaps their neighbors or someone from their church could recommend an estate sale company.
The things that you cannot sell, you can call any number of organizations to come pick up items that are salvageable, but not necessarily valuable. The Salvation Army operates pretty much everywhere, and your things really will go to those in need. They usually will come with a truck to pick things up.
Good luck with this process. I know I am not looking forward to handling this for my parents.
It would be great if you could find organizations that need things that will pick them up. I haven't been able to, but I did find places who were grateful to get things if I could take them. I hired a woman who does cleaning jobs, etc., by the hour just to help bundle up things like clothes, bedding, etc.---things without much garage or estate sale value---and take them out to the car for me. You'd be surprised how much of your energy---and back muscles---that saves. I made sure before taking things anywhere that someone would be available to take them out of my car when I got there. I also got a small, light-weight hand truck at Home Depot for about $30 --- it made moving things around inside the house, as I organized them or boxed them up, much easier.
I'll be in this process for quite a while and I'll be thinking about you. Good luck!