Lately I have worked on several estates. The last one the sisters lost their parents within seven months of each other. When they called, they said that just needed a “jumpstart.”
Its hard enough to be in the grief process, and then have the added responsibility of clearing out a home. No matter how you spin it, emotions arise.
Here are some helpful hints to get you started:
1. Do enlist the help of friends, family, or an organizer
2. Give your team guidelines on what is to be saved, donated, or tossed
3. Have a pick up scheduled
4. Make sure you have lots of trash bags. Zip lock bags are great for money that is found
5. Stage decorative items for the family to make decisions on
6. Close down one room at a time
7. Have a box for pictures and one for documents
8. Put all documents in box and go through at a later time
9. Clear out a space for staging donations
10 Make a list of items that you want to sell and find resources for them
11. Have a staging area for items to be sold
And last but not least, just breathe!
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Tags: clearing estates, estates, grief, home for sale, organizing
