Throw a "Trunk Sale" Party

If your parents are moving to a smaller residence in a retirement community -- or need to downsize to make their current home more manageable -- help them organize a "trunk sale" party, suggests Kathy Pimpan of Total Estate Liquidation. Invite close friends and family to examine those items your parents are ready to part with, and let them choose something special to bring home. Serve refreshments to make the occasion festive, and build in time for your parents to share the memories each object may evoke. This can turn something that's often difficult -- parting with a lifetime's worth of belongings -- into an opportunity for your parents to feel generous rather than diminished, as well as reassured that family treasures will remain appreciated.