Cleaning the house after a loved one dies, is one of the toughest situations you ever face in life. It will be your last goodbye to the loving souls; you are performing the final rituals as you sift through memories and material possessions. At the same time, you need to manage your own life. It is overwhelming to deal with the management of the entire estate and the financial matters. It can be overwhelming to clean the property, and it is essential to ask for professional help. Do not decide to tackle the job yourself. It is a tiring task, and you will be probably exhausted long before the work is finished.
8 Tips for Cleaning the Property
Experience the Feelings
Embrace this phase of life. Let the feelings emerge on the surface. Do not run. It is important to accept your feelings and the current situation so you can move on in your life.
Hire Help for Physical Labor
Extensive physical labor is involved in cleaning a house. Taking away dishes, sorting out ornaments and general cleaning are just a few tasks you will handle on the way. Hiring someone ensures that you do not spend unnecessary time on moving furniture and doing day to day chores. You can find someone to help you out at $10-$20/hour. Feel free to ask friends and other family members for help.
Pay Attention to Details
Do not give away things without checking them first. You do not want to lose memories and precious gifts because you did not pay attention to the old coat in the closet.
Collect All Financial Papers
You may not need original documents, but you must have a copy of all necessary financial documents. That includes the will, income tax returns, titles to automobiles, retirement account statements, bank statements, stocks and bond certificates, life insurance policy papers, and mortgage documents. It is best to scan the documents and store them in the digital format.
Work with an Estate Appraiser
What is the value of the furniture, electrical equipment, and other important items in the house? Some things might be outdated, but furniture, antiques, artwork and musical instruments can be sold at a reasonable price.
You do not know the market value of those things unless you call an estate appraiser. The appraiser will give you an estimate of the value of the household equipment. Furthermore, you may also receive advice regarding how to sell that equipment.
Ask the Family to Create a Wishlist
You cannot sell things before you know the requests of your family members. The family should be your priority. Immediately make a call and ask everyone what everyone wants to take. If someone wants to keep an expensive item, he should be willing to pay others a fair amount that covers the monetary value of the thing he is receiving.
Sentimental Photos are Irreplaceable
Financial papers are important. However, it is impossible to replace family photos. These pictures will make up your family history and a photo gallery that you can show to your grandchildren. That includes precious moments such as the wedding of your parents, the birth of each child (your sibling), and fancy world tours. You may want to consult a photographer to understand the best way to save old photos.
Donate to Charity
Is it better to sell old clothes or should you give them away? Think strategically. Old clothes may get you a $100 as they won’t sell at the retail price but giving them to charity means you are buying a smile for someone. Think about this option before arranging a yard sale.
There could be many reasons why you may decide that you don’t want or have the means to clean out your late parent’s house. Are you considering getting the house ready for sale on the open market? Contacting a reputable cash buyer could give you the opportunity to structure a sale with minimum effort since they will buy As-Is and can close on your timeline. The right cash buyer should be able to even assist you with cleaning work. The team can help you separate trash from valuables as they clean out the property to help you decide what to keep or what to discard on an agreed time frame.
We aim to make the process of selling your property as easy and convenient as possible. We will be delighted to talk to you and see if we can be of service.
