Clearing Out a Loved One’s Home After Their Passing

Clearing out a loved one’s home after they’ve passed can be one of the most difficult parts of the grieving process, taking a huge toll on us emotionally. It’s also a considerable task to take on both physically and logistically, making the whole thing just that much more difficult. If you have recently found yourself in this situation and are looking for guidance, the team here at Brown Recycling has put together some tips to help during this difficult time.

Wait for the will to be read

While this might be a task you would like to deal with as early as possible, it’s best to wait until the will has been read so you know exactly where and to whom certain items will need to go; for example, items of jewellery might need to go to specific family members. This sort of information should make the whole clearing process a little more straightforward and easier to manage.

Try to set yourself a completion date

Given how emotionally taxing this task can be, we understand that it might be easier to split it up into stages. However, with that said, we would still recommend that you try and set yourself a realistic completion date. This way, you can have this important task done and out of the way, allowing you to continue processing your loss in the way that best suits you.

Enlist family members or supportive friends to help

This sort of task can be extremely difficult to do alone, both physically and emotionally, so it’s always best to enlist the help of family and friends if possible. You will have someone to help with the lifting and the clearing, as well as someone you can turn to for support if things get a little too much.

Try to have a system

Once you have a supportive team to help you, it’s time to sort through your loved one’s belongings. It’s best to have a system when you’re doing this to make the process as smooth as possible. We would recommend sorting everything into the following six piles:

• Items that need to be kept
• Items that should be donated to charity
• Items that can be recycled
• Items that can be sold
• Items that need to be appraised by a professional, such as antiques
• And items that can simply be thrown away.

It’s always best to carry out this sort of task room by room, rather than trying to do the whole house all in one go. If you have family and friends with you, you could take a room each, or if you would prefer, you can all tackle the same room together. It might be best to choose to start in a room that’s least likely to elicit an emotional response; the garage, for example.

If you’re not sure whether some items need to be simply thrown away or could be recycled, hiring a skip could be an option. Once the skip has been filled and taken away, the waste management team in charge will ensure that items that can be recycled will be recycled, giving you peace of mind and alleviating some of the stress.

If it’s too much, stop

Just because you’ve started the clearout, it doesn’t mean you have to continue if it’s proving to be a bit too much. Just stop, take a break, go for a walk, go for lunch – whatever you need to do to reset. Of course, you can always stop the clearout and try again a different day too, we’re sure your family and friends would understand.

Brown Recycling is Stoke-on-Trent’s leading skip hire and waste management company. We’ve helped people throughout our local community clear their waste quickly and efficiently, so if we can be of any help to you during this difficult time, all you have to do is give us a call and a member of our friendly team will be there to help.