If you have kids pass it to them. I can tell there’s a lot of love in that house. I hate to see old houses go on the market and be knocked down to put new ugly houses or apartments on that land.

I assume you're in the region where the house you posted is located - that's a very nice region, about halfway between where the house I'm selling is (LI) and the vacation home I have moved into (Adirondacks)! Good luck!

No children. I've also offered to other family members and nobody wants anything. People these days are becoming "minimalists" an don't want a lot of clutter and dust-catchers in their homes.

You're correct, mtvhike. Between Albany and Saratoga Springs.

I would be very cautious about the fixed cost rental that Peter Bernard wrote about. While the rent does not go up the fees do. Before my husband became worse I looked at all kinds of "senior" housing for the two of us and separate housing for what I knew was coming. Several guaranteed the rental/leasing fee would not go up but then there were the various extra fees that had no cap but were required. Always expect costs to increase no matter what is told to you or is in the brochures.

As far as the stuff while it is nice even before the virus hit it had little monetary value. You could sell it on some place like Etsy but the cost of shipping and handling you will receive little return for it. I think you or someone with a similar collection has posted in antiques. Find some place that will take it or hire and estate closeout company to sell it for you along with every thing that you do not want to take with you. It is an anchor that will not go away.

Do you think you in 5-10 years could continue taking care of the place

You’re correct debodun. When my parents passed away several years ago the consignment stores weren’t interested in their Waterford & Lalique crystal, fine china, etc. My parents held formal dinner parties where everyone dressed up. Today’s generation, for the most part, live a more casual lifestyle & aren’t interested i things that can’t be put in the dishwasher. I donated most everything to local charities Since I had similar items & didn’t have room for more.

I would not fixate on the tactics and details. I would take a step back, look at which path sounds preferable to you based on your life goals, and then develop a plan towards that end.

Regarding all of the "stuff" we accumulate and inherit over the years, I agree with others on here that you will probably be better off mentally if you pick through for the items you want to keep, and the have a consignment place deal with the rest.

Another possibility to get rid of some things that consignment shops might not want is to see if there are any charities who would want them for free -- better than them ending up in a dump. Do you have a Furniture Bank or women's shelter nearby? A place that helps settle newcomers, etc?

All of us come to the unhappy realization that all this stuff we have collected really isn't worth much. While we remember how precious it was to the previous owner and how much pride they took when acquiring it, the ugly fact is no one today treasures it. That makes most of it worthless. Select two or three of the very best items and let the rest go to the estate sale agents. At the end of the sale, you will be paying the last people to haul the stuff away.

I am in the process of the "next life". While I must have spent probably $20,000 on peonies of various kinds since about 1994 if I would dig all the ones that I have they might sale for a couple of hundred. Tastes change and more people collect the same items so that they have less value. While mentally it is difficult to understand this it is just the cycle of life. In 30-50 years the things that are of little or now value now will once again be of value but few that are alive now will be able to benefit. It is a major mental adjustment which many of us will have to go through.

Give yourself permission to let things go, I doubt your mother would expect you to dwell on trying to sell items that people are not interested in. If you donate them to Goodwill, they will most likely be purchased and someone will enjoy them. Clean them, pack and donate. Live your own life.

I have to agree. I finally got rid of most of my mothers glassware that I have moved around with me for years. I kept a few special pieces, and the rest I boxed up. Family wanted none of it, and it took up a lot of storage space. I think now, that I kept maybe more than I should have, but, at least, now, there is space to display them. I have a couple of other collections, that are my own, that I like to display. Actually saw a couple things in your picture, that would go well in my collections. LOL and I want the room for the stuff that I enjoy. Maybe talk to a realtor, instead of just looking on the internet. They may find a place you would like, before someone else buys it.

Wow!!! Your mother’s collection is AMAZING! I’m a food photographer and have friends who collect some of these items. I wish we lived closer. I’m particularly drawn to the pink glassware. Feel free to message me directly.

I'd sell. I live in a 1920s home in good condition (been doing repairs - professionally - for 20 years) and its still alot of money to maintain. There's always something to fix.

if you have any of the pink federal glass I might be interested in some of those pieces. I have even building on what my mom had so that my granddaughter can eventually have them. As for the house, if you love having it and the memories then the renivations are with it and if not then its an easy answer. it has beautiful bones. I would renovate.

I have some pink Federal pieces, but there are several different patterns. Besides, I don't like to ship fragile items like glass and china.

I suggest you sell and move on. Is moving to another town or another state an option? If so, the possibility of finding something affordable opens up. As you age you'll need more of your financial resources to cover medical costs. Can you do that and maintain a big old house?

I'd like to stay in the area I'm in now. I'm familiar with things.

Well, if there is nothing else for sale in that area, then maybe its time to make sure you have a lower level bedroom, and to put some money into safety items, like wiring, plumbing, and heating and cooling, at least, and then just plan on hiring the yardwork when the time comes that you cant do it. Also, you dont know yet, if you can continue doing it. I see people in their 90's in this area, mowing their own yard. You may not have health problems like some do, and be able to do things for a very long time. To be truthful, it sounds like you really do not want to move, just by some of your comments. Your heart is arguing with your head. Maybe just go with your heart for a while longer.

Why do you want to stay in a relatively high priced area with high taxes as opposed to moving to somewhere where the cost of living might be less. I lived on Long Island until September 2019 when we finally made the decision to move full time to FL. Best decision ever. No more snow, ice, etc. No more having to get in our car to drive everywhere. No more high taxes. And so much to do. Pre-pandemic, we could be out every night of the week doing activities if we had wanted and same during the day.

Plus you'd be surprised how quickly you become "familiar with things" in a new location.

Is there a way the house can earn money for you, and would you have interest in being a landlord or guest house operator, or something? That way you can write off a portion of the repairs both major and minor, plus utilities, depreciation, etc. What is the zoning, is it possible to divide up the space in such a way to make sense (would NOT recommend moving walls and extensive remuddling - would be expensive and also ruin the historic value.) Ive owned a duplex for many yrs and rented out the bottom apt. - its worked out very well. Am thinking of moving, only cos Im tired of this neighborhood and city, but as a single retiree Istill would want to get SOME sort of income from whatever I get next.

EDTA- if you dont want to be a landlord there are co's that can handle managing the property , for a fee, while you live elsewhere. Whether or not that makes sense and is profitable enough to be worth the bother depends on the market and a lot of other variables. IMHO it's worth looking into at least - see what kind of monthly income you can get out of it. If its enough to offset cost of renting somewhere else, then you are coming out ahead because you wont be using up your $$$$

You can also rent rooms to foreign exchange students. That could be a good income if you have room for one or two.

Fixing it up has become a major hassle. I've hired contractors who consistently mess up. Some even refuse to work for me saying the house is "a can of worms". I'd rather have that than some over-confident workman getting in over his head or ability.

One of the issues is the windows. there are over 30 windows in the house which are about as effective in keeping out winter cold and summer heat as a sheet of fishnet fabric. On a windy winter day I can stand near a window and actually feel the cold drafts coming in. I put a thermometer on one window sill and when I checked it later, it measured 53F. When I showed them to a window contractor, he said that my windows were not "standard" and he'd either have to make custom size windows or rebuild the wall and casements to fit what sizes are available.

I also hired a painter to paint the front porch. $8000 wasted. His paint job peeled off in sheets within six months.

Now apply these scenarios to roofing, plumbing, wiring and masonry.

Home Depot sells custom size windows, they don't cost much more than standard sizes. You just need to tell them the sizes. Your contractor have to measure them for you, he doesn't need to make custom size windows or rebuild the wall and casements to fit what sizes are available. You need to find a reliable and honest contractor. A good contractor is the key.

Ah, there's the rub - finding a good and honest contractor.

We had an energy audit a few years ago and, although the recommended many things, including a lot of additional insulation to fill cracks, replacing single pane windows was NOT one of them. We do have those old 1950s triple track storm windows, however. As mentioned above, our house is 120 years old.

It does sound like you are a bit burned out on working on the place (or finding people to work on it). For every one of those items we could give you some diy or cost saving suggestions . Windows - if the original wood double hungs are in good shape, look into good quality exterior storms with e glass (fraction of the cost of all new windows) AND address other heat loss points as suggested above. Paint - sounds like guy did not properly address weathered, soft, or rotting wood - would need to be cleaned, throughly dried, patch and harden wood with epoxy wood repair products)..... or replaced.

However if you are ready to move on from all that - I totally understand! Im interested in your decision process cos I too have had a lot of the same hassles and have thought I might want to ive somewhere else.

You're correct about the painter not preparing the wood beforehand. He just painted over the oil-based pain already there with no stripping the old paint or priming. When I called him to complain, I mentioned that my father painted that porch in 1975 and the paint lasted 30 years. He said, "You can't get that kind of paint anymore." And as to the primer, he indicated that the primer was already in the paint. I don't know what kind of paint he used, but it came in 50 gallon tubs and was more like whitewash. I paid him because it did look good when he finished, but the paint did not hold up over winter. I took him to court and I won the case, but winning can't force him to refund anything. My only victory was that it would be on his record. I have not been able to find a contractor that takes any pride in workmanship - it's just hurry up and get to the next job.

Everything just seems to snowball. I wanted to get new shingles on the back porch roof. The roofer said that the power line was too close to the roof. Then I had to call, the electric company to raise the cable. The power company tech said he couldn't get to the power line unless I had the yew trees cut down. Then I 'd have to hire a tree service. It's like being the little red hen - you have to do one thing before something else can be done, and then another before the original plan can be accomplished.

Storm windows over your existing windows would certainly help the cold drafts and help your energy bill a bit too.

I would have been happy if at 53 degrees a few inches from a window. A little point about places like Home Depot making custom sized windows and doors. They do not. They send the measurements to Larson Windows/Pella/Anderson and they are made there. Nothing is standard in this house and that is what both Home Depot and Lowes does. This area does have several companies that manufacture some types but they are not really quality windows. I have to agree that a good storm and screen window would help keep the house warmer. You should consider yourself lucky that the window contractor was upfront with you and did not simply start the work and inflate what you owed because of the extra work to install.

I do not know when Larson took over Pella but parts are now handled by Larson along with servicing warrantees.

A suggestion about those drafts is to run your hand along the edge where the frame touches the wall sometimes because of shifting and wood shrinkage there will be a small crack that can be filled very carefully with a thin bead of clear caulk. It was amazing the difference in made in our old 1913 house. Then see if your utilities offer low or no cost Energy Audits. They can pinpoint things that will make your home more efficient. Some like removing the exterior electrical outlets and placing a made for the use foam insulating pad there then replace the cover. Be aware that over time the foam will shrink so it is not a once and done thing. Is currently on my to do again list.

You may or may not be able to rent any of your house legally. If you do have an attorney draw up a contract after discussing it. Here it is six months or never without written proof that moving in was a business transaction and not a personal one.

It's an elephant, you have to bite one piece at a time - if you choose to stay.

Get someone to cut that yew tree. They probably only need to cut some of the limbs so the electric company can have access.

I'd bet dollars to donuts that a 120 year old house that has not had maintenance in 23 years is full of Air Leaks and in need of insulation and Air Sealing. Call these guys for an energy audit. There is a contractor not far from you.

It sounds to me like you have a largely intact gem that someone would love to restore! If you sell, don’t worry about what needs upgrading so much, but focus on how it’s a great opportunity for restoration . There are a lot of people out there that would view your maintenance nightmare as their dream restoration project.

That exactly what I was hoping for. Like the the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". The Baileys, a young couple, bought a train wreck of a house that makes mine look Versailles Palace. It had been abandoned for decades and hardly even had windows and the roof leaked like Niagara Falls, and they fixed it up. Nowadays, young couples don't have the ambition, know-how or financial resources to both buy and repair a vintage home. Everyone wants a house to be in "move in" condition. Also today's youth don't like Victorian style. As I stated in the original post, it is livable if one isn't too fussy, but it seems to me people today are. The year after my mom passed I put it on the market for $195K. Only two people came to look and none followed up on it. One woman only stayed in it a few moments and rushed out fanning her face and exclaiming, "Phew!" I guess it was too musty for her. I am so used to it I don't even notice.

Maybe I should get a home inspector to tell me what it really needs and prioritize those needs. I may getting my knickers in a wad over the back porch roof when the old galvanized iron pipes should be replaced first, etc. Would you buy a house that had a toilet that looked like this from mineral deposits?

There is a big difference between 2006 and the current market. People are buying houses that would have been passed up years ago. As others have mentioned talk to a realtor or three and ask for an estimate if you sold it "as is". Someone who is going to rehab the house would not care what that toilet looked like because it would soon be replaced.

There are some good products that will remove those stains with a little work on your part. I would suggest wearing double gloves if you do it.

If you are a bit apprehenisve now, how will you feel in 10 years.

Sell it and get something you can manage for the rest of your life.

You won't be able to manage any type of rental management. Too much upkeep.

Check out cheapoldhouses.com There are enormous numbers of people buying old homes and restoring them now. My husband and I just moved into an abandoned 200 year old house that was literally falling apart. We spent the last year on the restoration and couldn’t be happier in our lovely old house. BTW, It’s a Wonderful Life is my husbands favorite movie. Trust me - people still love old houses and love them.

NO, I would not buy a house with a toilet like that. It's Nasty. You are right - there's a lot of folks who would not buy a Victorian style house, and I'm one of them.

You can buy iron out a lot of places. Any hardware store will have, and it will clean that toilet right up.

There's great value to be had in old, falling-down houses, if you have the skills, time, and patience to do the renovation/restoration. That's not true for a lot of people, but it's a great option for those that fit that bill.

It really sounds like the house is a burden—probably best to let it go. I think you would be surprised at the market for it. Houses are going so quick and fixer uppers are in demand. Get a realtor because I think you might be surprised at what it’s worth. Maybe you should rent for a year or so and see how you enjoy that lifestyle. If that’s still too much or too lonely, then senior living is for you.

Oh my dear, please don't go Grey Gardens on us! I am super sentimental and realize how hard it is to part with things but even I, in my pandemic homeboundness, have been clearing out "precious" objects. As I do, I realize these things were dragging me down and I feel so much lighter as I give them away, sell them, or ugh, send some to the landfill.

As an example, I was just sure someone would want my 1950's chair I had intended to reupholster so I was going to put it on Craigslist. I put it in the driveway for a photo but needed to move my car to give it better lighting. As I backed up a few feet, I heard a crunch. Sure enough, I had tipped the chair, causing one of the legs to break unrepairably. I decided that was the universe telling me to let it go. So it's slated for bulky trash pick up tomorrow. Now if I put it on the curb and someone takes it before that... :-)

As for the house, sell it now. It has become your albatross. What once gave comfort and shelter is now an annoyance and budget drain. It has served its purpose for you and your family and now it's time to let it serve a purpose for someone else. Don't deny that someone else of what is a wonderful opportunity for them! Contact a reputable realtor and explore options for both selling and buying. Once you decide your path and goals as @Luke Hagenbach Real Estate advises, the universe will open up endless possibilities. Don't block the blessings!

I can tell this is all overwhelming and depressing you. Imagine a day not far in the future when you have sold the house, sold the possessions through a good estate sale company, and are living in your new home. You can't see that now because you are depressed so turn it over to the pros. Lots of people are working from home now and are looking to get out of big expensive cities. Your home might be just what they are looking for.

All the best to you.

"Oh my dear, please don't go Grey Gardens on us!"

That's hysterical! I agree with you, but your way of saying it is (chef's kiss) perfect.

A few years ago I did contact and estate liquidator. We had an appointment all set up for her to come an look at what I had. She asked me to send her photos of the house contents. I waited home all day waiting for her and she never showed up. She did not answer any further emails or phone calls. Go figure!

Then I contacted an auctioneer. He actually showed up, but his comments weren't encouraging. His almost exact words were, "Take my advice. Rent a dumpster and put everything you don't want in it." I get the impression that everyone wants Louis XIV or Chippendale furniture and doesn't want to be bothered with what they call "low-end" antiques since it would be more trouble for them to bother with than they could get selling it.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. You need to find the right estate sale company. I had a friend who was downsizing and the first company they contacted was quite snooty and turned them down. This was a family who owned an original Whistler and the husband had been an art director of The New Yorker magazine, so you know they had good taste in their possessions. Having been to hundreds of sales myself, I turned her on to a company who I knew was more realistic. They came to her house and said, "Throw out nothing! We can even sell half eaten boxes of cereal." And $25K later after the sale, my friend was a very happy person.

Look at estatesales.net. You want to look at the types of sales each estate sale company puts on. Some are high end but some are what we regular folks possess. I put in the town of the house you showed us, and many sales came up. Here's one that is run by a company that is listing a sale that is no where near as nice stuff as you showed us https://www.estatesales.net/NY/East-Greenbush/12061/2804067.

Poke around on that site for a few weeks, and you'll get some good options to contact. And the good news is, if these folks are posting on estatesales.net, they are actively working and looking for estates to sell.

You have received a lot of genuine support both on this thread and your one from last year. Maybe it’s time to revisit your previous thread?

What should I do about my parents estate?

You have to really ask 'what gives'. Someone on this thread was excited about some of the pieces and the OP response was the below. They make boxes for shipping fragile stuff.

I have some pink Federal pieces, but there are several different patterns. Besides, I don't like to ship fragile items like glass and china.

Was the last time you put the house on the market in 2007? Now is a good time to try again. Right now, because the spring market has already begun. The pandemic has prompted people to rethink their living situation. Don’t wait. At least consult a real estate agent.

Just read your other thread. If there truly is no market for your stuff, then try to sell the house as is with all the contents. The son of my neighbor who died did that. He had to discount the house a bit but in the end, it was worth it for him. A couple bought it and were happy to have the house and even kept some of the stuff.

Thanks to all who replied. Some gave good advice. I had forgotten I had posted before. Must be having a "senior moment".