My ODD Job

[Laurie in Bradenton]

Several folks have asked what I do that I'm cleaning out dead peoples home so heres a how, why and when.

About 15 years ago my husband and I started a painting compnay. We started out like many folks repainting existing homes. Well I was giving a bid to a freind of mine who was a real estate perrson she had just been contacted by Fannie Mae to list a repossed home. She needed to get a few minor repairs done including painting and cleaning the house out. She wanted to know if I knew anyone who would do the cleaning. I told her we would do that along with the painting and repairs. Dear Hubby is a very talented guy.When the governemet reposses a home quite often the folks moved out and leave lots of stuff behind so it need to be removed. Well we would take the stuff home and have a garage sale with the stuff. We'd sell it really cheap so it would go and we'd get paid twice. Once for hauling it away from the house and when we sold it.
One day my friend called up, she had a client whos mother had passed away. The client lived up north and only wanted a few things out of the house. Get rid of everything eles and sell the house and send us the money. So she called me to clear the house. Now think about this. If you dropped dead right this minute all the things in your home. Well here in Floida this happens alot!
Lots of retired folks have families up north and when they pass the family has enought on its plate. Dealing with all the items in a home, garage and outside storage units is just too much. Soo I get the call. Come clear it out and get the house ready to sell. We box and bag up everything in the house. Bring it home to our garage and deal it out. Alot goes to charities I've got a running list of 6 charites with specific wants, then I break it down to freecycle and others. Finally we have about 6 garage sales a year and make alittle extra.

Laurie in Bradenton (Whatcha looking for?)

[miss_thrifty]

Well sounds like a interesting job. And plus your do8ing a great service for people who cant be there to do that. alot of work, but well worth it.

[AmyMCGS]

It sounds like a job I'd like.

[Katybird]

That sounds like an interesting job. What is the most unusual thing you have came across in your cleaning out of homes?

[Darlene]

Good for you! A little sad & a lot of hard work but nice benifits for many.

[PrairieRose]

That's a very interesting job Laurie. I don't think I'd mind it too much but not sure I could do it alone b/c of my back.

B.T.W. I'm always looking for collectable beer steins for very low prices

[Laurie in Bradenton]

Well the most intresting place we ever cleared out was on St. Armands Circle on Longboat Key. It was the home of a National newspaper writer and his wife. It was about 10 years ago. They had been killed in a small plane accident. Their children came from New York and took what they wanted from the home. We met the real estate agent their and he said clear the place out in the next week so that it could be sold. The couple had lived in the home over 20 years!!! We started in the bedrooms with wonderful sets of books, awards from different newspapers, etc. They had traveled the globe and collected from every where. A freezer full of crown roasts and lobsters. A liquior cabinet full of all kinds of fancy brandys and whiskeys. A chiller full of wines and champagnes. The garage was packed full of old newspapers that he had written for under them was a 1938 studabaker in the process of being restored. A frind of mine who has a model T still thanks me for that find! He paid us $5,000.00 for the car and parts and came down and cranked it ouf of the garage. We had a yard sale for the furniture and stuff made over $7,000.00 more. It was alot of work but they had lived an intresting life and it was intresting to sort throught it. The local historical society and libarary came and collected lots of books and papers.

The worst was a dead body is a refrig. We met an agent at a home in Palmetto Floirda that had been emtpy for about 4 monthes. There was a horrible odor!! As we walked throught talking about repairs she wanted made we stopped in a back room. DH who Always comes with me open the refrig. in the corner and there was the body of a young man in it. We left right then went outside and called police. 3 Days later when the police were done that room was almost clean. The odor was gone because of the fans they brought in. Turned out the man had lived there with a room mate the roomamte killed him and fled back to Mexico. Don't know how it ever turned out.

Laurie in Bradenton

[MarshHen]

OMG, I would have fainted right there on the spot I think! I did a house once for a real estate friend on mine. The house belonged to her neighbor who was a 73 year old man. Man's daughter lived in Atlanta and wanted nothing from the house, which was old and very run down, but instead wanted everything out of the house so it could be torn down so she could sell the property, which was on the water and worth alot of $$$.

I have never in my life seen so much PORN! Magazines, films, you name it he had it. I made a big fire in the back of the house and burned the mess. No way was I gonna be seen taking the filth to the dump, especially fearing that some kid would maybe get hold of it. I did however, come away with a nice set of silverware, some nice Fiesta serving pieces, some small old tables that I refinished and $300.00 in my pocket for clearing out the house.

I did a few more houses for my friend as well, but then I was in a serious car accident and my back just wouldn't let me do any more lifting. It is interesting work though cause you never know what (or in your case) who you will find.

[AmyBoz]

Fascinating job! That actually sounds like something I'd enjoy!

[Scattymum]

sounds really interesting - i would love a job like that!

[tervsforme]

That does sound like fun. Here in Michigan, there are companies that the families hire to hold Estate Sales, to sell everything in the house. The company comes in and puts prices on everything and then opens the house and people just walk through and buy any and everything. My mom and I love to go to these kinds of sales, we find all kinds of stuff! Oil paintings, silverware, pots and pans, dishes, you name it, we probably bought it. I always look for cookbooks to add to my collection. I have to say though, that it is kind of sad to walk through peoples houses and see all of their stuff getting picked over...

[Goodwin17]

I would love that kind of job. It is sad when you clean out the house of your own loved ones though. I can see why some people wouldn't want to do it. I would love all those interesting finds!

[ktsmama]

That seems interesting and strange at the same time.