Cleaning out a Loved One’s Home (could be your parents, older siblings, relatives or friends)
The task may very well fall on you, Baby Boomers, approaching retirement yourself. Your parents will probably need your help sorting, organizing, “right-sizing” and packing up their home as they relocate into independent living housing, nursing home or in with you.
It’s hard to know if the sentimental items have value and you might not have the time to do the research. Plus, it is emotional and physical sorting through decades of possessions to donate, sell, or give away.
You need to first clearly SET A GOAL to help focus the plan as you clear out your parent’s home. Will the house be sold or inherited by a family member who will move in? Identifying and writing down specific decisions will help you create a plan and a time line for the decluttering and organizing process to proceed smoothly.
Next COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS to avoid arguing over every single item. The process of sorting, organizing, and removing things from the home should progress more efficiently if family members have their say in what they’d like to have. Sometimes photos/video will be enough to keep memories intact versus having the physical item.
BUDGET YOUR TIME AND MONEY. After your parent or loved one has died, clearing out the home is a monumental task. Especially if they never did the downsizing process on their own. This is the time to reach out to a National Association of Professional Organizers member to help with the physical process as well as resources.
The Professional Organizer will help you with the sorting and removal steps written in more detail when you click the link to the full article at the bottom of the page. You’ll be guided to make decisions about items to keep, donate, sell, trash. And junk removal, appraisal, estate sale, consignment, donation pickup resources can be provided.
The entire article with much more detail can be found at:
https://extramile.thehartford.com/family/caregiving/organizing-parents-home/
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