After someone has passed, their house will often need to be cleaned out, either to prepare it for someone new to move in or to sell. This can be a daunting task, but when you focus on it in a methodical way, you can accomplish quite a bit rather quickly.
Here’s how to clear a loved one’s home after their passing.
Step One: Remove All Rubbish
Every home has a collection of items that are essentially useless to most people. Collect some helpers and go through the house, eliminating all rubbish that is obviously no use. It’s best to hire a skip if you do this so you can plan to haul everything directly to it. The aim is to touch things only once to speed up the process. Next, go through the supposedly useful items, such as furniture. If it’s ruined or broken, get rid of it. Again, a skip comes in very useful for removing these items.
Step Two: Remove Important Papers
Look for any and all important papers and items that you may need in the future. These include birth certificates, diaries, stocks, etc. They may be kept inside other items of furniture, so check before throwing furniture away. These should be kept in a safe place while you move through everything else.
Step Three: Divide Items
Separate everything in the house into four categories:
- Keep: These are items that you want to keep for yourself or someone else in the family would like them. These should be kept in a separate space so they don’t accidentally get removed or sold.
- Sell: If you come across items that are worth some money to someone, you may wish to sell them. Many people hold estate sales, which will allow you to sell off the stuff within the house, but you may also sell online or to collectors if there are specific pieces that are worth more.
- Donate: You may wish to donate some items, particularly if they are of interest to museums or other similar places. Other things may simply not be worth selling, such as dishes and baking items, but would be useful in a shelter or somewhere they could be put to good use.
- Rubbish: Again, as you go through everything, you’re bound to find items that are simply of no use or just not worth repairing. They can go directly to the skip and there’s no need to worry about where to move them to.
Once you’ve finished sorting everything, you can clean the house and get it ready to sell. The key is to be organised and to bring in outside help.
Do you need a skip to help you get rid of items? Contact Cherry Hill Waste to find out what options we offer for waste removal.
