The No. 1 Problem in Organizing Inherited Items: "Too Many Items." Demand for a Lump-Sum Appraisal and Purchase Service for Antiques and Art is Approximately 72%.

## What was the biggest problem you faced when organizing inherited items and tidying up your parents' home? After the death of a parent or family member, organizing inherited items is an unavoidable task. When people actually start, many face unexpected difficulties, such as being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items or being unable to decide what to keep and what to dispose of. In particular, if antiques or art-like items are found among the inherited items, many people may be troubled by how to deal with them. Therefore, this time, in collaboration with Eijyudou, a specialty antique buyer, we conducted a survey on "organizing inherited items and tidying up parents' homes" targeting 136 men and women nationwide who responded in a preliminary survey that they "have experience organizing inherited items." *When quoting the content of this press release, please do the following: ・State that the source is "a survey by NEXER Co., Ltd. and Eijyudou." ・Provide a link to Eijyudou (https://www.eijyudou.com/) "Survey on organizing inherited items and tidying up parents' homes" Overview Survey method: Internet questionnaire Survey period: March 27, 2026 - March 31, 2026 Respondents: Men and women nationwide who responded in a preliminary survey that they "have experience organizing inherited items." Valid responses: 136 samples Questions: Question 1: What was the biggest problem you faced when organizing inherited items or tidying up your parents' home? Question 2: Please tell us the reason. Question 3: If there were "items that might be antiques or works of art" among the inherited items or old items in your parents' home, how would you deal with them? Question 4: Please tell us the reason. Question 5: If there was a "lump-sum appraisal and purchase service" by a specialist for antiques and art in organizing inherited items, would you use it? Question 6: Please tell us the reason. *As a general rule, percentages are rounded to the second decimal place, so the total may not be 100%. ## 43.4% responded, "There were too many items." First, we asked what was the biggest problem they faced when organizing inherited items or tidying up their parents' home. The most common answer was "There were too many items" at 43.4%. This was followed by "Couldn't decide whether to throw it away" at 33.8%, and "It costs money" at 6.6%. The top two answers accounted for approximately 77% of the total, indicating that "the large volume of items" and "the difficulty of deciding what to dispose of" are the two major challenges in organizing inherited items. We asked for the reasons for each answer, and here are some of them. **Those who responded, "There were too many items."** ・There were so many items, including mementos from when we were young, so it was difficult. (30s, female) ・The deceased had accumulated so many items that it took a lot of time to organize and dispose of them. (40s, female) ・They passed away without warning, so there was no time to organize things myself, and various items were left behind. (50s, female) **Those who responded, "Couldn't decide whether to throw it away."** ・I didn't know what was important. (30s, male) ・There were many documents and other things that I probably didn't need, but I thought it might be better to keep them just in case. (50s, male) ・My father had many siblings, so it took time to decide what to keep as a memento and what to discard when organizing his inherited items. (50s, male) **Those who responded, "It costs money."** ・I was shocked by how much it cost to remove furniture and home appliances. (30s, female) ・Because the actual cost is higher than the information in flyers. (50s, male) ・I thought 300,000 yen was too expensive for such a small amount. (70s, female) Among those who said "There were too many items," the struggles of facing a large volume of inherited items without preparation due to a sudden passing stood out. For "Couldn't decide whether to throw it away," comments were received about the difficulty of discerning what was important and the time it took to coordinate among relatives for dividing mementos. Regarding costs, there was a common opinion of being surprised by unexpected expenses, suggesting that organizing inherited items is a triple burden of volume, judgment, and cost. ## 26.5% responded, "Take it to a recycle shop." Next, we asked how they would deal with "items that might be antiques or works of art" among inherited items or old items in their parents' home. The most common answer was "Take it to a recycle shop" at 26.5%. This was followed by "Research it myself" at 23.5%, and "Keep it as is" at 16.2%. A tendency to deal with it through familiar means can be seen, but conversely, it may indicate that access to experts who can accurately assess the value of antiques and art is not sufficiently known. We asked for the reasons for each answer, and here are some of them. **Those who responded, "Take it to a recycle shop."** ・It might be valuable. (40s, male) ・Anyway, I'll ask for an opinion. (50s, female) ・I think the staff at the recycle shop will be able to make some judgment. (60s, male) **Those who responded, "Research it myself."** ・First, I'll try searching online. Nowadays, you can search just by taking a picture, so I'll probably do that first. (30s, female) ・For now, I'll look for similar items on flea market sites. (50s, female) ・I'll take pictures and research online, and if there's a possibility, I'll consult with a buyer. (50s, male) **Those who responded, "Keep it as is."** ・Because I don't know if it has value. (30s, male) ・It's troublesome to research it somewhere, and if it was something important, I'd want to keep it. (40s, female) ・I can't easily convert it into money. (50s, male) Among those who responded "Take it to a recycle shop," the main reason was wanting the staff to assess it because they couldn't judge it themselves. Among those who responded "Research it myself," the use of digital tools like photo search and flea market sites was prominent, especially among younger generations. Those who responded "Keep it as is" showed resistance to letting go of items whose value is unknown, and the sentiment that they couldn't easily dispose of items cherished by the deceased. ## 72.1% responded, "Would like to use" a lump-sum appraisal and purchase service. Next, we asked if they would like to use a "lump-sum appraisal and purchase service" by a specialist for antiques and art when organizing inherited items. "Definitely want to use" was 20.6%, and "Somewhat want to use" was 51.5%, with a combined 72.1% indicating an intention to use the service. "Don't really want to use" was 22.1%, and "Absolutely don't want to use" remained at 5.9%. Since over 70% of respondents gave positive answers, it can be said that there is high latent demand for a service that can collectively appraise and purchase antiques and art found among inherited items. We asked for the reasons for each answer, and here are some of them. **Reasons for wanting to use the service:** ・Depending on the number of items found, if there are multiple items, it would be convenient to have them appraised all at once. (30s, female) ・If a proper professional comes, I'd like them to take a look. (30s, female) ・If it's an amount I can't handle myself, I want to ask a professional. (50s, female) ・I wouldn't have to worry about throwing away valuable items, and they would handle both organizing inherited items and purchasing. (50s, male) ・I think it's good because they handle both organizing inherited items and purchasing, saving me effort. (50s, male) **Reasons for not wanting to use the service:** ・I'm hesitant to have them look at it because I can't judge if they are a trustworthy company. (40s, female) ・Lump-sum appraisals often result in low purchase prices. (50s, male) ・I feel like I'd be ripped off with a lump-sum appraisal. (50s, female) ・I'm worried they might handle things roughly. (50s, male) ・There are companies with bad reputations. (60s, female) Those who want to use the service often cited the ease of having items appraised all at once and the desire to avoid the risk of unknowingly discarding valuable items. Many were attracted to the idea of having inherited item organization and purchasing handled simultaneously. On the other hand, those who were reluctant to use the service mainly expressed concerns such as "I feel like I'd be ripped off" and "I don't know if they are a trustworthy company." Clearly demonstrating the transparency of the service and the basis for appraisal amounts seems to be key to promoting its use. ## Summary This survey revealed that many people who have experienced organizing inherited items struggle with "the large volume of items" and "the difficulty of deciding what to dispose of." When items that might be antiques or art appear, many choose to take them to recycle shops or research them themselves, but the problem of not being able to accurately assess their value remains deeply rooted. Over 70% expressed an intention to use a lump-sum appraisal and purchase service for antiques and art, with many hoping to reduce effort and prevent overlooking valuable items. When faced with organizing inherited items, why not consider requesting a purchase from a trustworthy specialist? ・State that the source is "a survey by NEXER Co., Ltd. and Eijyudou." ・Provide a link to Eijyudou (https://www.eijyudou.com/) **[About Eijyudou]** Location: 1F, 135 Nishihara-cho, Nishi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 452-0848 Representative: Hiroshi Ogawa Phone number: 0120-060-510