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Pre-planning your burial wishes for the people you love is far more compassionate than leaving the overwhelming decisions associated with a death.

There can be no more personal and life changing experience than losing someone we love. The loss of a loved one brings with it many unanswered questions, difficult decisions and unforeseen expenses.
Pre-planning your burial wishes for the people you love is far more compassionate than leaving the overwhelming decisions associated with a death to those left behind. The first steps to effective pre-planning include gathering your thoughts and ideas and designing a plan which reflects those desires.
Your planning should address three areas of concern. One covers the practical issues survivors face in those first few days after a death such as “where is the will located” or “what insurance policies are in force?” The second concerns funeral/cremation issues such as “should your wedding ring be left on or removed”, “should we choose cremation or burial” or “what cemetery or funeral home should be contacted?”
The last area of concern addresses emotional comfort issues that help bind a family together rather than tear them apart. Combined, there are literally hundreds of questions that need to be answered. Most of these questions will be easy for you, but very difficult for those you love the most, particularly when they are saddled with heavy hearts, time restraints, and financial uncertainty.

Benefits of pre-planning for you and your family:

Ensures individual wishes are known
Personalizes your life event as a tribute to the life you lived
Spares your family from making decisions at a difficult time
Can remove financial and emotional burdens from those you love most
Can freeze costs at today’s prices eliminating inflation and providing significant savings
Eliminates indecision experienced by many grieving families
Allows families to focus on comforting one another
Most of us prepare for the potential, misfortunes of life that seldom happen. Why not prepare for the inevitable? No one intends to compel their family to make decisions alone, confused, and in grief while faced with unusual expenditures and unfamiliar responsibilities.

Plan your arrangements now, calmly and sensibly, without the pressures of time, money or grief. You will ensure that someone you love will never have to make these decisions alone on one of the worst days of their life.

Article Provided by:
Dan White, Northern Territory Manager
Abbey View Memorial Park by Washelli
Kevin Smith, Manager
Lifetime Celebrations by Washelli
425-486-1281
www.Washelli.com

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Seniors who downsize, reorganize, move or sell personal property have a lot of decisions to make and any of these can quickly become a daunting prospect.

Seniors who downsize, reorganize, move or sell personal property have a lot of decisions to make and any of these activities can quickly become a daunting prospect. There are plenty of companies offering services to assist. Here are some insights into how to assess what is right for your needs.

Moving Property

It seems as we grow older moving gets more complicated as we have more “stuff” to move as the years go by. Move management services helps reduce stress and lower moving costs. These services typically include a move plan, packing, unpacking, decluttering, and the sale, donation or dispersal of unwanted property.

What to look for:

Look for companies that have a high standard of service, solid reputation and good referrals. Companies should have regular W-2 employees who are trained and fully background checked. Companies should also possess liability insurance, worker’s comp and offer reliable pricing and project estimating tools to protect your budget. Services should be hired under contractual agreement and fees and payments should be discussed prior to any work being done. Van lines, or those who actually transport your property, have their own set of regulations. You can find out how to avoid common moving scams through the government’s “Protect Your Move” program.

Organizing or Downsizing Property

Professional organizing is a growing industry. Certified Relocation and Transition Specialists have this training.

What to look for:

Similar to moving services above, families should look for companies with good reputations and referrals, as well as fully trained, insured and vetted employees.

Selling Property

Families are subject to the most risk when hiring companies to help with their liquidation services. The liquidation industry accounts for hundreds of thousands in annual revenues but remains largely unregulated.

What to look for:

Again, seek companies with employees who are trained, vetted and insured. Estate sale companies should be willing to disclose all fees up front and contract through formal, written agreement. Find out in advance which services will be included. All in all, you want a company who will provide project management, organizing, sorting, merchandising, fixtures, advertising, labor, security the day of the sale and who will “broom sweep” the home after the sale. You should receive an invoice explaining profit and costs after the sale.

Plan Ahead In many cases, projects related to personal property start out small and then seem to increase in size and complexity. Planning ahead and understanding your final objective may help families avoid being overwhelmed.

Article Provided by:
Caring Transitions
844-220-5427
www.CaringTransitions.com

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