How To Conduct An Estate Cleanout: A Step-By-Step Guide

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An estate cleanout is the process of eliminating excess belongings from the home of someone who has recently passed away. This can be a very emotional experience for everyone involved. However, it’s also an important process that must be completed in order to finalize the estate and move forward with other arrangements. Read on to learn more about this process, as well as tips and tricks you can use to make it easier to get through this challenging time. An estate cleanout is a very personal, often emotional process that involves going through your loved one’s belongings and getting rid of everything that doesn’t have sentimental value. It’s important to remember that this process is temporary and will give you back your home once it’s complete.

 

What To Expect During An Estate Cleanout

At the beginning of an estate cleanout, you’ll need to inventory all of your loved one’s belongings. This includes everything in the home, including closets, drawers, cabinets, and storage units. If your loved one lived in a nursing home, you’ll also want to inventory their personal belongings and rooms. This can be a very overwhelming process, but it’s important to stay methodical if you want to get through it as quickly as possible. After you’ve inventoried the belongings, you’ll want to separate them into three piles: keep, donate, and throw away. Be sure that every item in the “throw away” pile is something that can be thrown away and is not hazardous, perishable, or valuable to someone else. After you’ve separated everything out, you can begin tackling the piles.

 

Hiring Professional Help

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the estate cleanout process or would just like some extra help, there are professional organizations that can assist you. Some of these organizations charge a fee for their services, but others are free or low-cost, depending on your situation. Check with your city’s government to see if they offer any assistance. Other options include religious/community organizations, funeral homes, and senior/veteran groups.

 

What Needs to Be Discarded?

This will vary from person to person, but there are some items that almost always need to be discarded. These items include: Other items that you may want to discard, but should check with family members first to make sure they don’t want them. These items include:

 

What Does Not Need to be Discarded?

There are a few items that you don’t need to discard. These include: While you may want to discard these items, you must keep these items in the estate if they were given as a gift or were used as an item in a will.

 

How To Decide What to Keep and What to Toss?

You can decide to use two different methods when it comes to deciding what to keep and what to toss. The first is what’s called a “reverse” method. To use this method, you’ll want to start with the “throw away” pile and work your way up to the “keep” pile. The second is a “standard” method, which means that you work from the “keep” pile to the “throw away” pile.

 

Where to Store the Things You’re Keeping?

There are several options for storing the items you’re keeping, including: If you’re keeping an item that’s valuable, you may want to consider hiring a professional to help you store it. If you’re keeping an item that you want to keep close by, you can store it in a safe location in your home. If you’re keeping a lot of items, you may want to consider renting a storage unit or purchasing a mini-storage unit. This can help you keep your home clutter-free while still being able to access the items you want.

 

Conclusion

During an estate cleanout, you’ll want to go through each room in the home and go through everything. Don’t forget to check the garage, basement, attics, etc. You’ll want to look through everything, including drawers, cabinets, closets, and storage units. You’ll want to separate items into three piles: keep, donate, and throw away. Once you’ve separated everything, you can begin tackling the piles. This can be a very overwhelming process, so it’s important to stay organized and methodical if you want to get through it as quickly as possible.