How to Declutter After Death of Parents

Unfortunately, death is a part of life. While this time is never easy, it is inevitable. If one or both of your parents have recently passed, you may have inherited a lot of their belongings. In between old documents and underneath sweaters and winter coats, you will likely find items that bring back a lot of memories. When you inherit one or both of your parents’ belongings, it becomes your job to sort through the boxes and determine what to hold onto and what you no longer have space for.

As you probably guessed, this process can be incredibly difficult, emotional and draining. But, following a few simple steps can help to make this process a little bit easier. Check them out below.

4 Tips for Cleaning Out the House After Death

1. Look for stories while your parents are still alive: Some items in the house will mean more to your parents than others. If possible, start talking to your parents about the story of their items and belongings before they pass. This will help you to easier identify what you want to hold onto.
2. Ask for help: It is important to never try and tackle sorting through your parents’ items on your own. Always enlist help from your siblings, family friends and extended family members. This gives people that also loved your parents an opportunity to look through the items and find anything they might want.
3. Take your time: Unless you are under a time constraint, take your time with this process. Rushing through it can not only cause extra stress, it may also lead to you getting rid of items that you will later wish you would had held onto.
4. Know when to let go: It can be hard to part with items that bring back memories. This can be especially true if you were very close to your parents. Unfortunately, though, you can’t hold onto everything. When you first start sorting through the items, you may feel that there is just nothing you can let go of. As the weeks go on, you may start to feel differently. If there are items that you wish you were able to hold onto but do not have the space, consider donating the items to a charity or organization. Donating items can give these items a second life and help out someone in need.

Let Us Help with the Extra Items

As you’re digging through your parents’ items, you may discover that there are some items that you want to keep but may not have room for in the house. Maybe these are items from your childhood that you just can’t part with, or maybe they are items you want to later pass on to your children. If you do not have room in your household for all of the items you want to hold onto, consider a storage unit rental. A storage unit rental can be a great temporary solution for storing items you want to hold onto but do not have the room for.