We recently worked with a client who had lived in her home for many years. She was both an artist and an avid collector, and over time her home had become filled with the things she loved. After her husband passed away, she continued living there on her own until she unfortunately experienced a fall that required a stay in rehabilitation.
Thankfully, she had a close circle of caring neighbors and friends who were looking out for her. They were able to get her the help she needed quickly, and she is now doing well. However, it became clear that returning to live alone in her home would no longer be safe, and the decision was made for her to move into an assisted living community.
Anyone who has helped a senior family member make this transition understands the significant costs associated with senior living. Our client was on a short timeline to sell the contents of her home so the property could be prepared for sale and generate funds to help cover her care.
This was no small project. The house was packed from top to bottom with items—some wonderful pieces with resale value and others that would ultimately need to be removed. While it had the potential to be a great auction, there would still be a substantial clean-out required afterward. Her power of attorney was understandably concerned about the potential out-of-pocket costs needed to empty the home.
We moved forward with an online auction, and it turned out to be a great success. Many items found new homes, and the proceeds covered both our services and the cost of clearing out the remaining contents, with some funds going back to our client. Even so, the home still needed repairs and updates before it could be listed for sale, and there were concerns about how those additional expenses would be managed given her limited resources.
That’s when luck—and a little curiosity—stepped in.
During the final clean-out, one of my team members was working in the shop and noticed three heavy boxes tucked under a workbench labeled “office supplies.” It seemed like an odd place to store something like that. When she opened the top box, she found reams of printer paper stacked neatly inside, which explained the weight. Still, something didn’t quite feel right.
Trusting her instincts, she removed the top layers of paper—and underneath discovered something remarkable.
Hidden beneath the paper was an impressive collection of coins. All three boxes were filled with collectible coin sets.
We were thrilled to have uncovered this unexpected treasure for our client. After discussing the find, we decided to host a dedicated coin auction. The results were fantastic—the sale generated enough revenue to cover the remaining services needed to prepare the home for the market.
When I shared the news with our client, she told me her husband had been a coin collector, but she had no idea how extensive the collection was or where he had kept it in the house.
Stories like this are one of the reasons I love what we do. Sometimes, a little curiosity—and taking the time to look deeper when something seems out of place—can uncover hidden value that even the homeowner didn’t know existed.