Clients who stroll through my life sometimes ask me why we collect things when they have no practical use. I have often pondered over this while beavering away in my base at Mitcham, or out in the field in the South of England and Wales. However, I generally answer … [Read more...]
How to Calculate UK Inheritance Tax Correctly
Inheritance tax is a toll the UK government levies on deceased estates within its ambit. An executor, or another responsible person is legally obliged to make a full and honest account. Should they fail to do so, and the government is out of pocket then it could hold … [Read more...]
We Don’t Clear Houses – We Recycle Homes
We like to pause before we enter empty dwellings for the first time. So we can sense the people who lived there once, and what the spaces meant to them. Over the years they may have accumulated many precious possessions. We don’t clear houses, we recycle home content so … [Read more...]
What to Do When Collecting Turns to Hoarding
Compulsive hoarders may be hard to distinguish from other people until their habit becomes extreme. They just have a compelling difficulty getting rid of things. However, what sets them apart from serious collectors is the items have little or no real value. At least in … [Read more...]
Avery Associates Reviews – The Scourge of Responsible Recycling In England & Wales
We love to wander through the unspoiled countryside when business is quiet. This was true for many of us during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We find it most disturbing when we confront fly-tipping in England and Wales. This is something Avery Associates would … [Read more...]
Offshore Estate with UK Assets? Resealing a Foreign Probate Grant
If you are closing out an overseas estate with UK assets, you may find it a real bind sorting things out between two governments. However, you may be in luck if the overseas country features in the archaic United Kingdom Colonial Probates Acts. These laws date from the … [Read more...]
Compulsive Hoarding as a Reflection of Broader Social Norms
There are three main streams of human science seeking to explain individual behaviour. The first of these is psychology, which examines the role of the individual mind. While the second, sociology explores the influence of groups to which the individual belongs. But … [Read more...]
Making a Will – Is It a DIY Job in England and Wales?
Making a will is a smart thing to do if you want to save your survivors time and trouble. And perhaps, depending on your circumstances make sure your executor knows who you would like to inherit your wealth. It also provides an opportunity to legally manage any estate … [Read more...]
Hoarding Versus Prosocial Behaviour While Sheltering from COVID
The COVID-19 surge in Australia, and subsequent city lock downs are apparently causing a run on loo paper. Scientists in four cities examined similar pandemic-related hoarding a year ago. They wanted to know whether hoarding, or prosocial behaviour would help them pull … [Read more...]
The Importance of Valuing an Asset Accurately
It’s important to value our assets correctly, whether these are fixed property or open land. The same applies when valuing a movable asset such as old furniture, appliances, and aged porcelain. For how else could we insure them correctly, and substantiate an … [Read more...]