In my last post, I said that I would start to take people’s questions about “stuff” and how to deal with it.  The first question is:  My aunt recently passed away and we need to empty her apartment by the first of February.  I am her only relative.  What do I do?
I am assuming that you live close enough to go and see what kinds of possessions your aunt left at the time of her death.  The first thing that I would suggest is to physically go through the apartment and sort things into categories.  The first category includes important correspondence (bills, tax information, stock certificates, phone numbers, etc) that you may need to settle the estate.  The second category includes things that you want to keep.  These items could include expensive jewelry, sentimental items, coin collections, items that have been promised to someone, furniture that will be used in another home, etc.
You will want to identify (and possibly remove) these items before you call in outside assistance in dealing with the rest of the items.  If you don’t sort things before you call in a professional, it will be more frustrating and time consuming than is necessary for both of you.
After you have done the sorting, you can call someone to help you make a plan to disperse the balance of the items.  One possibility is to call an auctioneer.  Since you are working with the contents of an apartment, chances are that there won’t be enough items to warrant having an auction and having an on-site auction may not be possible in any event. One option might be to take the items to a consignment auction house where items from a number of estates are put together to make an auction.  Another possibility to consider might be an estate sale.  You could probably have an estate sale on-site, but there may not be enough items to pay to have an estate sale either. 
At this point, you might be getting annoyed about the whole process and how much time and energy it is taking.  Depending on how many things are left after your sorting process, you might consider donating everything to the Salvation Army, Epilepsy Foundation, or to another charity.  If you choose to donate your items, you may be able to take a charitable deduction on your taxes.  You will typically be given a signed form with the value left blank.  For your own piece of mind, you should probably take pictures of the items donated to provide support for the deduction in case your tax return is audited.  Then you can take a realistic deduction without worrying.
With any of the options above, you will be likely to have items left over, either because they don’t have enough value, or because they just can’t be sold (think burned out fluorescent bulbs, household chemicals, empty boxes and containers).  A final option is to call someone who will make a proposal that includes emptying the apartment of everything.  This is a service that we can provide.  Sometimes this is least stressful alternative.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email or call.