I'm in the process of dealing with my dad's tools. It was always his wish to leave them to me because my brother isn't the slightest bit practical and didn't have room for them.
It's meant a whole lot of stuff has ended up at my place. What I didn't appreciate is that he had also acquired a load of stuff from his brother-in-law when died. In turn, he'd acquired a load of stuff from goodness knows where. Nobody had thrown much away over the years.
Now, in the same position, I find it difficult to get rid of the stuff as well. Too much sentimental value but, half a dozen bearing pullers, about 100 files, 50 screw drivers (the list goes on), far too much?
I have to be practical because I don't have enough space to house everything and some of the larger stuff, like a Kitty combination set up, I simply don't need. I'm in the process of sorting through things to ensure that it is complete, or as complete as possible. Then I have to be a bit ruthless.
Looking back, I think my dad always wanted to pass everything on, but he didn't really know how much he had or how much work it would be (as well as the emotional effort). In his later years he wasn't able enough to sort through stuff and was keen for me to take things (his way of dealing with it perhaps?). Trouble was, at that time I didn't want to confront his demise and I didn't have the space for it. One of the main reasons why we moved earlier this year was to have more space so that we could accommodate some of the stuff which would come our way.
Hi Ian, although our circumstances were by no means the same as yours, there are close parallels. I'm Secretary of the Acocks Green Men's Shed in Birmingham.
One day last Autumn (2021) we received a communication from the National Association of Men's Sheds about a gentleman who had added a bequest to his last will and testament that he wanted all his workshop be given to a local Men's Sheds. To give you some idea of the scale of the task, his workshop comprised a double garage full of a wide range of tools, machines and equipment.
I spent a couple of months trying to identify any other Sheds in the locality which might have an interest in any of the items, and failed to find even one that either had room for anything more, or else was too far away to make collection worthwhile.
I did eventually find one member of another Shed who was able to place a few items. The remainder we either found room for, or with the agreement of the family, sold what was left and used the monies to boost the Shed's funds.
Sheds are part of a loose nationwide organisation, the purpose of which is to help reduce loneliness, isolation or social exclusion among (mainly) older men. Sadly there is little or no regular funding mechanism to support this essential work, whether from national or local government, even though the benefits, of which there are many, would save both the NHS and Social Care considerable sums of money each year.
Anyway, enough about this. I wish you well with what we know can be a lengthy and arduous process.
Dave Rogers.
Secretary, Acocks Green Men's Shed.
anyhow, im also sure @Fitzroy said about an inventory and a guide price which i thought was a great idea. I still havent done it, but i dont plan on dying yet anyway 
too much work to do, plus, if i died suddenly the mrs would nag me 
of course they were incredibly cheap when i bought them, honest 
