5 Tips for Bereavement and Estate Transitioning Clean-Outs

Losing a loved one or the process of transitioning a senior out of home is never easy. It’s emotionally, physically, and at times, financially overwhelming and if you’re the one responsible for settling their legal affairs and sorting out their estate, the task is daunting, to say the least. Good Riddance Hauling has extensive experience in bereavement cleanouts, having helped hundreds of families with transitioning their loved ones and finalizing their estates. We are here to help make this emotional process easier for you and have five tips for navigating through this sensitive time. 

Take A Deep Breath

While this first step may sound obvious, it is often overlooked and might help more than you think. It is important to acknowledge that this is an emotional time for you and your loved ones and that the tasks ahead will undoubtedly present some challenges. Embrace that this is a process, take a moment to prepare yourself, and give yourself a realistic timeline.  

Get in Touch with an Estate Attorney and an Account

The importance of having an estate attorney and an accountant is great, as Leigh Anderson writes in How to Deal With Your Parent’s Stuff When They Die, an estate attorney will help you navigate through your relative’s will and the necessary documents to fulfill your relative’s final wishes. An accountant will handle the process of filing the final estate taxes and tie up any loose financial ends. If your loved one did not have an estate attorney and/or an accountant already established, we highly recommend hiring both to help you. If necessary, you might also want to consider hiring a fiduciary. This process is never easy but equipping yourself with the right people to help can ease things along for both you and your loved ones. 

Consider Inviting Family, Friends, and Good Riddance Hauling to Help

The process of going through a home of a deceased loved one, or downsizing a home for someone transitioning into a care facility is a burden that is shared. By reaching out to family or friends, you provide not only an outlet of support while grieving but also a space where loved ones can share the experience and help you decide which sentimental items should be kept and which items you might be unsure of. As Wendy Schuman states in her article, Nine Tips for Cleaning Out Your Late Parent’s Home, it is important to share this experience with loved ones during the healing process and it allows the opportunity for everyone to decide which items they might want to keep and cherish. Allow yourself and your family members the time to sort through the various personal items, treasures, and photographs that your relative left for you. Consider reaching out to us so we can help ease the process along. 

Select a Room and Start Making Piles

Deborah Goldstein, a professional organizer specializing in hoarders and bereavement cleanouts, recommends working your way from room to room rather than tackling the whole house at once. Seeing progress one room at a time helps you feel a sense of accomplishment. 

We suggest making four piles in a staging area: 

• Trash and haul away items
• Donation and recyclable items
• Items to consider keeping
• Those items you are unsure about

Keep in mind that this process will allow you to revisit your organized piles as many times as necessary before any final decisions are made and will provide you with a visual direction for sorting items from pile to pile. 

Good Riddance Hauling has extensive knowledge and experience in knowing which items can or cannot be donated and we would be honored to help you with this decision-making process. 

Give Us a Call So We Can Help 

At Good Riddance Hauling, we pride ourselves on having helped hundreds of families successfully dissolve their relative’s estates by providing friendly, efficient, and affordable services during these difficult times. When the time comes and you have made your final decisions, give us a call at (707) 935-0530, text us at (707) 721-6742, or send us a message and we will handle the hauling for you. 

Still unsure about final decisions? We have you covered. It is not uncommon for us to help a family multiple times throughout this process and can work with you in stages to see that your needs are fully met.