People often describe moving house as being as stressful as having a death in the family. Sadly, there’s a time in life when we experience both these things at once: cleaning out deceased estates. For families in this situation, it’s a daunting prospect after the loss of a loved one. We’ve put together a guide to help you get through this difficult time.

1. Before you start, take a moment to reflect 

Cleaning out a deceased estate differs from moving house in one significant respect: you’re moving someone else’s house. Even if you have a fair idea about the quantity of personal chattels and the layout of the house, much of it will be unfamiliar.

Depending on the size of your family, how many people are involved in clearing the estate, and the wishes of the deceased, clearing the estate comes with many more challenges than moving house. And now, with assisted dying passing into law, you may find yourself doing this before your loved one has passed.

2. Nominate responsibilities

In many cases, the person who takes charge of the process is the person who held the Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for the deceased. This person was selected by the deceased to act in their best interests when they no longer become capable of doing it themselves. If no family member held an EPA, nominate someone to lead the process to avoid having family disputes.

Tip: Delegate duties to the people most capable of doing them, or seek help instead of trying to handle tasks you find burdensome.

3. Clear a space

Disposing of an entire house lot is a big job and it’s difficult to know where to start. Start by clearing a space, such as a bedroom, even if it means piling the belongings into other rooms. Once empty, clean the room from ceiling to floor. This space becomes your control room for the operation. Plus, clearing one room will give you a sense of achievement!

4. Set achievable goals each day

Especially during times of grief, we forget about our own needs. We try to do too much, we forget to eat and drink, and we don’t get enough rest. You’ll need to watch your workload, hydrate, eat and rest to get through this task. Set achievable goals for each day, so you don’t overdo it, but still get the sense of achievement for ticking another job off the list.

Tip: Tackle one room at a time, even if it takes many days. You’ll feel like you’re making progress.

5. Keep, sell, donate, recycle or throw away

Sorting your possessions into the above five groups is the usual process we go through when moving house. It differs when clearing a deceased estate as there are more considerations to make.

Keep

As you sort through rooms, you’ll need to find and distribute any possessions named in the will to their respective beneficiaries. Find and clear all these items first. Usually, the will also states who gets the residue of the estate. If this is divided between many family members or is left unspecified, you’ll have to agree amongst yourselves who’ll keep what.

Once the beneficiaries have taken what they want, look at what remains of value. Offer items to extended family, friends or people who have been good to the deceased throughout their life, such as neighbours. A video call to a relative overseas is a good way to discuss what’s left to distribute. Use your control room to store these items before they get shipped or taken away to avoid mistakes.

Sell

Sell everything else of value once you’ve decided what everyone will keep. Second hand dealers take furniture, household appliances and many other items. They’re a good solution if you need to clear a lot of stuff fast. If you have antiques, contact an auctioneer and ask about what you can take to auction if you’re unsure about what items have value.

Donate

Contact charity shops if you still have useful items that deserve a second lease on life. Ask them what they need, as many charity shops get inundated with certain items and may refuse to accept them when you show up with boxes.

It pays to group items, such as kitchenware, pots and pans, small appliances, DVDs, clothes, shoes, bags, puzzles and games, books, linen and so forth. Take them as one lot according to what the charity shop needs. 

Tip: Clothing bins are another way to donate clean, usable clothing to charity, including shoes. Choose the bins that distribute clothing to people in need.

Recycle and throw away

Send everything else that can go to the recycle centre for disposal. Organise a run to the tip for everything else. By now, you should see the end in sight.

6. General tips

• You’ll likely have to clear the outside, garage or garden shed, so don’t forget about doing this too.
• Get secure document destruction bins for the disposal of private documents and papers.
• Don’t be proud about asking for help.
• Be kind to one another. It’s a stressful time for everyone.

If we can help to make this process easier for you and your family, please give us a call.