Clearance date: June, 23 2017
Name of occupiers: Mrs. Shipley
Area in Studley: B80
Size of house: 4 bedroom, 2 bath
Clearance type: Hospice
Time to complete job: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Studley Clearance instructions
The client in this case had recently been committed to full time hospice care due to progressively worsening Alzheimer’s disease. Having spent her early years in the Great Depression, Mrs. Worthy maintained thrifty habits, including socking away cash for a rainy day.
As her Alzheimer’s worsened, she had developed a habit of hiding various sums of cash in hiding places throughout the house and the forgetting where she had hidden them. As a result, along with the usual tasks of removing unwanted household items, we were also tasked with trying to locate hidden stockpiles of cash to avoid throwing them out in this Studley house clearance.
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Overview
Aside from Mrs. Worthy’s unusual habit, this Studley house clearance was rather straightforward. In spite of her condition and advanced stages, the client was able to keep the house courageously neat.
The house included several very nice pieces of antique British Furniture, including a Victorian sideboard, an incredibly heavy solid walnut Armoire, and the usual complement of beds, sofas, dressers, bedside tables and an oak dining room set.
In terms of cash, we managed to find nearly £8,200 in 13 different locations. The stashes ranged from a few hundred pounds to one stash of £2,000. We recovered several hundred pounds stashed in a sock, £1,500 in an envelope taped to the bottom of a dresser, and a baggie full of cash tucked away with the spices. The biggest store, of course, was found in loose banknotes in a shoe box under the bed.
Of course, all this was given back to the family of Mrs. Shipley.
A few Studley Resources:
http://visitbirmingham.com/explore-birmingham/places/studley-castle/ – Studley Castle
http://www.studleyparishcouncil.org.uk/ – Studley Parish Council
http://www.mycounciltax.org.uk/results?postcode=B80+7BL – Studley Council Tax Bands
Client Feedback
The client was understandably nervous about setting strangers loose in a loved ones house. We arranged a meeting with all of the staff that would be involved on the clearance prior to beginning, and the family was satisfied that we were honest and trustworthy. After the Studley clearance, the family enjoyed hearing of all the creative places Mrs. Worthy had found for a rainy day fund.
They of course, found our service compassionate and sympathetic.