Practical Support for Probate and Asset Disposal

 In Probate

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Approaching asset disposal is a potential communication minefield, but that is one of the reasons I started Blue Door Bespoke. That and having witnessed the levels of stress my parents were presented with some years ago when my grandparents died.

Whether to do with probate and estate planning, downsizing or straightforward decluttering, we launched Blue Door, and have since been referred many times by the solicitors, or other professionals involved in the process, as we provide an “under one roof” solution. This means that our clients have only one team to deal with – aside from their solicitor – whom they trust, which simplifies the process and also reduces significantly the amount of potential stress involved with dealing with a much larger cross section of suppliers.

Clients faced with handling a probate situation – which might include dismantling the family home  – are likely to be emotionally very vulnerable and require sensitive handling, empathy and understanding. Trust and transparency are key. Memories are precious and need to be respected as such, not ridden over rough shod or dismissed as part of any number of financial transactions in the course of asset dispersal/disposal.  The size of the asset disposal/dispersal can be completely overwhelming.  They might want complete closure and no involvement; they might undertake the job themselves, only to find that they’ve run out of both emotional and physical energy – and time – before it is completed.  It might be that they just need someone with them to help with the decisions and organisation – a sort of hand holder.  We are a niche business and as such will gear/mould our response to the goals, timeframe and feelings of our clients.

If the client decided for example that there were items that they preferred to be auctioned or sold, we will arrange for an auctioneer/valuer to visit the site for advice, guidance and/or valuations. We will bring in specialist collectors. We will also dispose of unwanted items that can be resold – rather than auctioned – to the charity/charities of choice. We will organise donation to museums or contact up-cyclers if items can be repurposed, and we will recycle household paper/cardboard/glass etc.  Anything that can’t be donated or sold, we will use a local licenced house clearance company to clear the residual.

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When a property needs to be sold as part of the estate, we also have a national team of trusted independent real estate agents, all of whom share our ethos and approach, and with whom we work closely so that we can project manage the whole process, including the final clearing if needs be.

The over-riding point here is that there is no master plan or a “one size fits all” approach. We will fulfil, as far as possible, what our clients need in order to meet the practicalities of their goals. It might be just a guidance consultation; it might be project managing a little or overseeing the whole project. Each family’s situation is completely different to the next, and deserves to be treated as such.

A family also deserves to be treated with care, respect and integrity because this is how we would expect to be treated, and completely unlike how my parents were treated, all those years ago.

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