April 2013
Having lived next door to our elderly friends (both now
in their 90's) for twenty years, they became more than neighbors, and much more
than friends -- They became family! When it was deemed time to move near their
daughter in Spokane, they were overwhelmed by the idea of all that needed to
take place. Not only had they built and lived in their home for over fifty
years, but they had kept virtually everything that they had ever owned or used
or collected in their large unfinished basement. Their Depression-era thinking
was that they could retrieve whatever they "might need or could be useful
or meaningful or of interest" one day. As those days became years and then
decades ... Well, we all get the picture.
Enter Rich Old!
When Mr. Old initially met with the family, he was as much a counselor as he was an estate sale professional. He was honest, insightful, respectful, kind and clear. He encouraged the elders to take their time in making their decisions, and actually delayed drawing up a contact until they had a little more time to consider what items they wanted to take with them. Being a most intuitive gentleman, he was quickly able to discern the needs and wishes of both generations of the family, and bring clarity to the tasks at hand. When he did draw up a contract for them, they were most surprised by his extremely reasonable rate.
Once Rich commenced his work, he moved through with a clearly experienced plan and strategy. Sifting and sorting and hauling and moving; he is a true environmentalist, recycling everything he possibly could. After he moved through that first phase, he then began the online auction phase, and lined everything up with clockwork precision, from the listings to the bidding to arranging for the sold items to be picked up. Once all that was done, he began the clean-up phase, both inside and out. The transformation, in such a brief amount of time, was nothing short of amazing. And ... All the while, as he would find "buried treasures" that the family had long ago forgotten, he would set them aside for their remembrance and safekeeping. His attention to detail and his thoughtful professionalism is exceptional. What a gift he is to so many!
Anyone thinking of a move - whether for yourself or loved
ones - ought to consider the very practiced expert that we have in our midst
here on the Palouse. Rich Old is truly a regional treasure.
Kim Forester and Marc Evans
January 2013
We called Richard Old for advice on how to clean out my 97 year old mother-in-law's house in which she had lived for 56 years. Her moving plans were abrupt, our emotions were high, and we needed help. Even though his business would stand nothing to gain because my mother-in-law's house was in California, Richard walked us through the various options in estate services. His information calmed us down because we knew whom to contact and what to expect out of a transaction. We are forever grateful for his calm demeanor and professional advice.
Char Fluster, Pullman
Dear Richard:
Thank you for handling my father, John Elder's estate. I was very pleased with our initial discussion over the phone, our walk-through of my father's home, and the way you handled the sale/removal of my father's furniture and household items. You were professional, courteous, and thorough. After you finished the estate sale, I was relieved to see Dad's
home empty and neat.
Thank you again for all your time and effort on our behalf.
Denise Huber
And the family of John Elder
July 7,
2012
Dear
Richard,
I want to
thank you for your recent services. Estate
Services delivered precisely as we arranged and was very thorough; I was
impressed. Your availability by phone and email was also very helpful. The
provided contract was simple and clear. The house was completely emptied in the
promised time frame which, in my opinion, was aggressive. Even the outside
spaces were cleared including forgotten areas like under stair storage.
Personal items (photographs and documents) that I might have missed were
collected, boxed and returned. The house was left clean and secure.
Estate services took a difficult time and made it more bearable. I can heartily recommend Estate Services.
Franz Hajnal
PO Box 905
Kirkland, WA 98083Dear Mr Old,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Marta Wojcicki who has asked me to tell you that she is truly grateful for everything you have done to help her with the sale of her flat. She says that you were really professional and extremely helpful in her difficult situation and that she is going to recommend you to all the people she knows in Pullman.
Kind regards,
Beata Vetter
ANGLO-PROFI
Beata Vetter, PhD
Warszawa,
ul. Kraszewskiego 40
May
27, 2012
To whom it may concern
I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Richard Old. I hired
Dr. Old last month to clean out my parents’ house, as it was difficult for me
because I live out of the state. I met with Dr. Old and we established a time
frame and budget. The next day, he was busy sorting otherwise useless raw
materials for re-use. Items of value were also returned to me that he thought
might be valuable to our family. Richard completed the work on time and
within budget. When he was finished with the job, he emailed pictures of the
house. It looked very clean and I was quite impressed with the results.
I have no hesitation in recommending the services of Richard Old and would most
certainly call on him again if needed. I really appreciated his honesty and
environmental consciousness. Please feel free to contact me regarding this
recommendation.
Sincerely,
Elliott Mosher
Loma Linda. California
April
18th, 2012
To Whom It May Concern:
I had the pleasure of working with Richard,after calling him late one night and
on short notice, to help get my parents home ready to sell. He promptly met me
at the house and after looking through the house, outlined what he could do for
me. Had I known that his service provides complete removal of any and all
objects left in a house, I could have saved myself countless hours of driving
across the state, countless hours of doing dump runs and a huge amount of gas.
As he explained he prefers to have a person take what they want and leave
everything else for his company to sell for you. This is a wonderful solution
in dealing with clearing a home to make ready for sale.
He was also able to facilitate the immaculate cleaning of the house and
garages. My Realtor was totally impressed with the spotless, gleaming result of
Richards cleaning crew.
This has been an all around positive experience that I would encourage anyone
to use, to make downsizing or the sale of a home painless.
He provided solutions in a caring, compassionate manner and I would use his
service again without reservation!
Karin Bishop
Maple Valley, WA
October 11, 2011
To Whom It May Concern:
My father passed away last year, and this year my mother decided to move from Pullman to the D.C. area in order to be closer to me (her only child) and to her sisters. She was moving from a large five-bedroom house to a small two-bedroom apartment, and had thirty-eight years’ worth of belongings she needed to sort through and get rid of. My mother is sixty-five and has a severe case of fibromyalgia that makes it difficult for her to walk and impossible for her to lift heavy things, and I wasn’t available to go to Pullman to help her, so we had no idea how we were going to pull this off.
Several of my mother’s friends highly recommended Richard Old, so I looked at his website and, impressed, encouraged my mother to hire him. She was initially reluctant to trust a stranger, worried that she wouldn’t get a fair price for her belongings, but I urged her to give him a try because we really didn’t have any other choice. I was a little anxious about how things would turn out, because my mother has very high standards and is suspicious of business people in general, but I hoped for the best.
Here is what my mother had to say after working with Richard Old:
“Thank God for Mr. Old. I don’t know what I would have done without him. He
made me feel very comfortable, and he acted with compassion and generosity in
everything he did. He did all the work so that I could just sit in a chair and
tell him which belongings I wanted to leave and which ones I wanted to take. He
made all the arrangements for things to be sold or taken to charity. If I
didn’t feel well and had to cancel an appointment, he was very understanding. I
have never seen a professional person being so kind.”
Throughout the process, Richard kept me informed about how my mother’s move was progressing, and reassured me that things were going smoothly. It was clear to me that he was a total pro who cared deeply about and took pride in his work. He struck me as the type of person who would excel at anything he did, and I felt that my mother and I were both extremely lucky that he had chosen this line of work.
Thanks to Richard Old, my mother’s move went without a hitch. We will always be grateful for what he did for us.
Sincerely,
Young Jean Lee
Brooklyn, NY
October 5, 2011
Dear Mr. Old,
Thank you so much for the kind assistance you have given to my friend Inn-Soo Lee. She says she could not have managed without your help.
Regards,
Marsha Olsen
Pullman, WA
September 2011
Richard:
Thank you so much for all your work at my mom's place. It was so nice to stop making decisions! Having the place empty was just perfect, we did a little painting and are ready for the Realtor to come this week.Thanks again for coming all the way to Lewiston to take on this job.
Karen Saladin and family,
Moscow Idaho
Richard,
I want to thank you for your services. While we did not have enough left in our parent's house for an estate sale, you still offered to take what was left, sell what you could, donate some to charity, and make multiple trips to the dump. You left us with a very clean, empty house that was ready to put on the market for sale. You also did this on a very short time table.
This service was so very valuable to us, and again we thank you so very much.
Sincerely,
Toni Brantner
Pullman, WA
Dennis L. Dossett, Seattle, WA
This past year, we were needing to prepare my mother's house in Pullman, Washington for the Real Estate market. Before we could market the house, we needed to deal with the rather large, 30+ years accumulation of personal and household items.
After a couple of sorting trips with my brother and sister to remove the items we wanted to keep, we met with Richard Old to discuss just how to deal wit the rest of the "stuff". Richard made us an offer for the remaining "contents" and gave us a time frame for holding an in house Estate Sale and leaving the house empty and clean after the sale. We also asked Richard to keep his eyes open for a few items we had not found in the house, which he readily agreed to do.
The sale was completed within the time Richard indicated and the house was left even cleaner than expected. Richard found a few missing items we wanted to keep and gave them to us while also providing some temporary storage for items we wanted to keep but could not readily move before the sale.
All in all, it was a high quality job done in a timely manner. I strongly recommend Richard Old's Estate Services to any all who need such assistance.
/Terry Shaw/
Prineville, Oregon 97754
Craig Corbeil
Bruning Funeral Home
PO Box 739
Colfax, WA 99111
PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION OF ESTATE SERVICES CO.
Hi Craig,
I wanted to take a moment to enthusiastically recommend Richard Old and his Estate Services company to you for use by your clients. I used Richard to help with my Dad's estate recently. As you know, I do not live in Colfax, so vacating Dad's apartment, disposing of his things, cleaning of the apartment, etc. were all going to be very difficult to do. Richard arrived on a very cold and rainy Sunday night to evaluate the task (I was flying home Monday morning, so his ability to meet me then was critical). In less than an hour, we signed a contract for completely removing all of Dad's possessions from the apartment, completely cleaning the apartment, and re-hanging Dad's curtains. He committed to doing this within 5 days, which would save us a month's additional rent if accomplished.
At that point, I handed him the keys to the apartment, he wrote me a check for the value of the goods in excess of the costs to haul and clean, and we parted ways. I could only hope that he would perform as promised as I flew home the following day.
Well, all of the goods were removed within one day, and the apartment totally cleaned within three days, several days ahead of our schedule. In addition, Richard had offered to facilitate the selling of Dad's car, so once again, in an act of faith, I had signed over the title to him and trusted. I received a call from him at the end of the week indicating that he had sold the car as planned, and received a check from him a day later via express mail!
Needless to say, I can't recommend Richard highly enough. If ever a person was in position to be taken advantage of, it was me. Instead, Richard delivered an amazingly valuable service and proved himself to be very honest and trustworthy in the process. In addition, he went the extra mile to help me sell Dad's car at no gain to himself.
You will do your clients a big service by making them aware of Richard and his service!
Don Maston
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
When my mother passed away several years ago, and again when my bachelor brother passed away. we were confronted with disposing of 70 to 80 years of accumulation of furniture and other belongings. We called on Richard Old for assistance.
We were well pleased with his knowledge of values of antiques and many other items that we had no clue as to their worth. With Richard's help and contacts we were able to dispose of everything in a very short period of time.
Margaret Vogt
Pullman, WA 99163
To Whom It May Concern:
I was tasked with preparing my elderly mother's home in Moscow, ID for sale. Through my Realtor in Moscow, Jeanne Jones of Moscow Realty, I found Richard Old and his company Estate Services.
After contacting Rich Old and talking with him, I knew he was the right man for the job. Rich did a fantastic job of clearing out my mother's junk and other items of value left in the house.
I was very appreciative when Rich called me with a question about a cardboard mailing tube with the label Family Tree. My mother had overlooked this in her preparation for her relocation to assisted living. Rich could have easily thrown this irreplaceable document out, but instead called me to inquire if it was really meant to be junked. I was floored by this attention to detail and so grateful to Rich. He even paid to have it sent to me!
As a Realtor myself, I can only say that the service that Rich Old provides is absolutely the best. I am disappointed that I cannot get him to come to the Seattle area!
Rich, THANK YOU for a job well done and taking such a load (pun intended) off my shoulders.
Sincerely, Scott Watkins
ZIP Realty
(360) 631 5259
Dear Rich:
On behalf of myself and my brother and sister, we want to sincerely thank you for your help in setting up our Estate Sale recently. If you had not assisted us I am sure that we would have still been in a dilemma as to how to begin.
A service such as yours is so needed. The expertise you provided in pricing each item was invaluable. I only wish that I had learned of your service earlier before we unknowingly discarded many items of potential value. Having to dispose of your mother's personal property is such an emotional experience, but having your support and knowledge made it much easier.
Thank you again for all your help and understanding. Please feel free to use me as a reference.
Gail P. Bailey
Operations Manager
Washington Mutual Savings Bank
Pullman, WA 99163
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
When my mother was unable to continue living in her home of 50 years in Moscow, Idaho, it became my responsibility to dispose of much that had accumulated during that time.
Richard Old came to my rescue in my most difficult task... that of disposing of my dad's collection of carpenter and mechanic tools, plus a large assortment of lumber. Mr. Old purchased everything, completely clearing the garage and shop, as well as thoroughly cleaning those areas. Mr. Old impressed me with his knowledge in furniture, glassware, and a wide variety of collectibles and tools. His services were invaluable to me at a difficult and busy time.
I do not hesitate to recommend Mr. Old to anyone who may need the services of an appraiser or must dispose of a wide variety of possessions.
Clarice Glasscock
Twin Falls, ID 83301
Bruce Ensley
Attorney at Law
N. 302 Mill
Colfax, WA 99111
Dear Bruce:
I am writing on behalf of my family to express our gratitude in being able to utilize Richard Old's Estate Services. We found Richard to be very competent and sensitive in the handling of our sale,
It was a task that we simply could not have done as well as Richard was able to do it. After meeting with Richard we felt that he was the right person for the job. The sale went smoothly and the house was cleaned up after the sale.
Thank you for your recommendation of Richard. He helped to relieve a potentially stressful and anxiety-filled situation.
Pat Morton
Seattle, WA 98108
To Whom It May Concern:
I have been in the real estate business in Whitman County for 12 years. I have encouraged many of my residential sellers to contact Richard Old of Estate Services to help with the accumulation of personal belongings over the years in their residences. He not only will pay you for the items no longer needed, but does a great job of cleaning the property.
I have found Richard to be honest, fair and trustworthy with my sellers. It is a much-needed service and I would be more than happy to talk to anyone about Richard Old and Estate Services.
Mike Kincaid
Kincaid Real Estate
401 S. Main
Colfax, WA 99111
Dr. Sam Smith
President
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-1049
Dear President Smith:
The past month of going through the personal effects of Gertrude Gannon-Bryan, has not been without some bright moments.
I would like you to know that Richard Old was especially respectful of our desire to carry out her wishes that Washington State University be given certain papers and memorabilia of interest which had belonged to her father, the first president of your fine institution. Mr. Old's knowledge and interest was contagious. He is to be commended for his loyalty, efficiency and compassion.
We look forward to continuing the family tradition of WSU involvement.
Donna-Marie Hayes
Boise, Idaho 83706
Dear Richard,
Please accept my apologies for taking so long to thank you for cleaning out my house and getting it ready for the new owners. They have let me know what good shape everything was in when they moved in. I don't think I could have done it without your help! Your services and the way you have them designed are exactly what people need to make moving easier for them.
Ruth Morrison
Van Buren, AR 75926
Estate Services
Professor Old
P O Box 272
Pullman, WA 99163
Dear Professor Old:
RE: Estate of Eleanor H. Felton - Deceased
707 East E St., Moscow, Idaho
Our File No. 4924 On Monday, March 25, 2002, I had occasion to be in Moscow to sign the closing papers on the sale of mom's home. To my great satisfaction the home had been thoroughly cleaned out and cleaned up. As you know I was somewhat reluctant to entrust and delegate such a task to anyone. I feared that the closing might be affected if you were unable to perform. All that worry for nothing!
Your work was far above what I had hoped for and you attention to detail is most appreciated. Please feel free to photocopy and deliver this letter to anyone who has concerns similar to mine. I will be happy to talk with anyone who has questions. Thanks again for a job very well done! Your reputation precedes you and yours is excellent!
Very Truly Yours,
MICHAEL H. FELTON, SR.
Felton and Felton, Attorneys at Law
1020 Main Professional Center
Buhl, Idaho 83316
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I recently employed Richard Old to help clean out my mother's house prior to turning it over to a new owner. I had a deadline for this and was pleased to find that he could accommodate this need on short order.
We were entirely satisfied with his work and approach to the whole problem. I felt his advice was sound and honest. His manner is such that I believe that he would be especially good dealing with bereaved families in similar circumstances. He is sensitive, soft-spoken and kind.
He was also able to notice a number of items that I would not have recognized as having special value. He was knowledgeable on the values of a wide variety of items and quick to acknowledge any limitations.
In short, based on my experience, I recommend him for similar work.
Lenna Harding
Pullman, WA 99163