Handling an estate is complicated enough without considering the monumental task of cleaning out a house that has been a loved one’s home. Sometimes adult children see a houseful of “stuff” and “junk” to sort and toss, where parents – or grandparents – saw treasures, essentials, and a lifetime of memories. Here are a few ideas that can make this process of going through a loved one’s possessions and your memories less stressful.

  1. Tackle one room – or even one drawer or closet – at a time. You may feel that it’s more efficient to do this quickly so you can be done. However, cleaning out a home can actually be stressful emotionally and physically. Enlist the help of other family members when possible.* Dealing with items that bring back memories may indeed slow the process, but it can be very cathartic and even in moments of pain, you can feel the joy of your memories. Be completely realistic about your expectations. If you want to go through every drawer yourself, plan to spend weeks or even months, not days, tackling this effort. Sort items into “keep,” “sell,” “donate,” “shred,” and “trash,” and then manage them accordingly. Be decisive in making choices and handle things only once.

  2. Keep representative bits of favored items instead of trying to save them all. Photos, memorabilia, and collections can occupy a lot of space! There are services available that digitize images and papers for reasonable prices – you can even share these files with your family members. Pick key prints to display on the walls; large tabletop displays take up a lot of precious space. Take photos of the rest of a collection and display them in a special book or collage.

  3. Deal with paper! This can be a time-consuming task. You do not need to keep every bill that was ever paid or old cancelled checks. Keep important papers related to work and updates on the house for the purchaser. Keep only as many years of tax returns and documentation as your tax adviser tells you to keep. Shred papers containing sensitive information (i.e., Social Security Number, account numbers, name, address, emails, passwords, etc.).

  4. Think twice before selling items on your own. There are many outlets for selling items on your own. Keep in mind, though, that people may need to come to the house to pick up or you will have to ship items you sell. Remember, too that you will only get what others are willing to pay. If you are unsure of the value of your items, seek a professional opinion.

  5. Hire someone to haul away large amounts of refuse. While the local trash collection service may pick up bagged trash, they often have limits of what they will take. If you find that you have a lot of items to be removed, hire a hauling company to do this for you. It will save you time, your back will appreciate the support, and you will feel that you have accomplished a lot when you have cleared some space!

*Bonus Tip: Know when to bring in the pros. Family cannot always be as helpful as you may want or need. Or, perhaps they mean well, but they are too helpful! Professional move managers and estate liquidators understand how to navigate the path that leads to successful transitioning, from both physical and emotional perspectives. These experts can handle everything from sorting to disposing. They will make reasonable suggestions on how to handle items that may have value, or help you decide how to proceed from the outset. Families often provide them with a list of items they want to keep when located. And, they can make decisions with you regarding what to do with everything. Their role is to help reduce your stress during a difficult time and help you accomplish what needs to be done so that you can feel comfortable with your choices.

Article submitted by Dawn Converse, J&S Property Services, MSRN MEMBER     Contact: 410-336-8566 or dpconverse@gmail.com

Posted by Pat France, MSRN MEMBER