Need some advice on what to do with parents belongings

[ovrszd]

As for small sentimental items I have found old suitcases ideal...

My Mom left me her collection of pictures and documents dating back to mid 1800s. I keep them in my Great Grandfather's wooden trunk.

 

[sandman2234]

If you dont get rid of the stuff, you are just passing the problem on to your children. Is that what you want to do?

I don't see owning a shop full of my Dad's tools and his truck a problem, more like a blessing! My siblings will not get anything when my Dad passes, my step mother will give it all to her grandkid and it will be sold off or trashed. It sounds like the Bdog has the means to build a shop and when he is gone, everything could be sold as a package deal. A lot of people will buy a house fully furnished, or with a shop fully stocked with tools. Not everyone has all the tools that we have! Young couple down the street bought a house and don't own ANY TOOLS, although they have a detached shop. He asked me to look over an electrical issue and when I asked him for a screwdriver, he said he didn't own any tools. I gathered up a small assortment of basic hand tools to work with while fixing his small issue and when I got ready to leave, I told him to keep them in case I came back down to do anything else. He cleaned them up and picked up a small used toolbox to store them in and appears to be very proud to own them. He told me he has used them on several occasions, which makes me glad I donated them. Selling them "with Bdog's shop when he is gone won't be an issue if his heirs don't want them!
The only thing my Dad got from his father was a couple of his guns, and I can only dream about owning those!
David from jax

 

[Rebeldad1]

you are the only one with the right answer for you. not a bunch of us telling you what may be right.

spend a day at their place and make a plan. sounds like you have plenty of room for everything if you want. if so...
move everything and while doing so you can eliminate some stuff you know you dont want.
sell the house and take all the time in life to figure out the rest.

if you want to build a big shop to store all the stuff in... great. If you get rid of it all later you wont be disappointed in having a extra building

Just do whats right for you.

 

[Industrial Toys]

We come into this world with nothing and leave the same way. It's just STUFF! Many of are problems and much of our grief is caused by it. See how this stuff causes you grief right now?

Read a book many years ago. "Clutters Last Stand". Every hoarder or person with lots of stuff (like me) should read it. One thing I read in the book was to take a picture of something you cherish and then get rid of the item.

Also, so many people have never had more stuff. Go to thrift stores and garage sales. We're just drowning in "STUFF". What things really matter anymore in this sea of stuff?

 

[boomer1025]

Take the personal stuff you want then sell the place lock stock and barrel.

 

[crashz]

I'm sorry for your loss.

If it were me in this situation, I would build that shop, take the tools, truck, and sentimental items and set up that shop as a place to remember your parents, but also as a place where you could relax and do the restoration work or other projects as an enjoyable hobby. While your business is on your property, those building are work related and come with all of the headaches and stress of owning and running your business. Not relaxing.

On the practical side - you may be duplicating tools, but you'll never be looking to far for them. And again, those tools are hobby tools. The others are business. They should not intermingle except in emergencies.

Good luck.

 

[Jlblake]

We did this:

Estate Sales & Online Auctions - Caring Transitions

 

[orezok]

We come into this world with nothing and leave the same way. It's just STUFF! Many of are problems and much of our grief is caused by it. See how this stuff causes you grief right now?

Read a book many years ago. "Clutters Last Stand". Every hoarder or person with lots of stuff (like me) should read it. One thing I read in the book was to take a picture of something you cherish and then get rid of the item.

Also, so many people have never had more stuff. Go to thrift stores and garage sales. We're just drowning in "STUFF". What things really matter anymore in this sea of stuff?

That is exactly the problem I described. When you pass, one sibling gets the truck the other gets a hammer. How many times have you heard the story of family feud originating from an estate.

 

[Industrial Toys]

In broader spiritual terms, the stuff really doesn't exist at all. Just energy and matter put together to form our world in a concensus reality. We all create this reality continuously at an atomic level.

 

[Tomtint]

A number of years ago I lost my grandfather, he was the person in my life who taught me how to use my hands to earn a living. He had a very modest home and what at the time seemed to be any tool for any job that needed to be done. When he passed, I was given any and all of those tools that I wanted. Most of them were carpentry tools and not power tools. He had dozens of hand saws, screw drivers, hand planes, jigs, squares, clamps, drill bits etc... About 3 truck loads of stuff along with a few power tools like a drill press, grinder, table saw, saw and blade sharpening machine..etc.
What I have found since then is although those tools were built to last forever..they are really heavy...and slower than modern equipment. ..I still have a small assortment of his hand tools that I kept and will keep in a place for sentamental value, but they will see very little real work like they did with him.