The death of a loved one is a difficult time for anyone, whether they are a family member or even an old family friend. Coming to terms with their death and attending their funeral are, unfortunately, just the first steps following a bereavement. If they lived alone in a property, then for the relatives a house clearance after a bereavement can be a particularly stressful extra task to deal with.
If you have been charged with dealing with clearing out the belongings from their house, then this is a challenging job that you may find yourself faced with, and it can be difficult on both a physical and emotional level. Removing, donating, recycling, and rehoming possessions and any other material is often a big job to manage.
A person’s home is made up of more than just bricks and mortar and furniture. There are personal effects and the memories that they hold. Anything from their favourite book to an old photograph may spark a special memory, but if the house is to be sold then all of these items will need to be removed in order to make this possible. This all makes house clearance after a bereavement very difficult.
Our short guide will help you to plan out the stages of this difficult process and hopefully make it a little easier.
The reading of the will
Before any belongings can be given away or cleared from the property, the will must be read. This will give an indication of any particular bequests like important items that have been left to named individuals or other items with special meaning. If you are in any way uncertain, over your rights and responsibilities here, a legal professional will be able to help with this.
Set yourself a target
As we have mentioned, clearing a loved one’s house can be physically and emotionally draining so set yourself a realistic timeframe for sorting things out. Let other family members know what your target date is. They may be able to help and reduce the burden. A person’s house is usually their largest asset, and as such its sale will need to be completed for all the assets to be distributed according to the will. Having a timescale can help. We at CleverClear have worked with clients many times who have had a property requiring clearance for a long time, sometimes years, because they have been overwhelmed by the task.
Have a system
It is a good idea to have a system to help you as you go along, so work in one room at a time and sort as you go. Have a box for things people want to keep, and make sure to put any paperwork aside that is relevant to dealing with the estate. Leave those things you don’t want, and can’t donate to deal with last. If there are any items you think are valuable and want to sell, you may want to put these to one side as well to get them appraised. CleverClear can also help with this. At this stage, you may want to take some photos to help you keep the memories and assist with the grieving process.
Consider using a professional to help you
Clearing out an entire property, even a small one, can be a mammoth task. And if you live a good distance away or have a tight deadline because the property is a rental or has sold quickly then it makes sense to get in a professional house clearance company to assist you.
Ask around for recommendations of companies other people have used and do a some research to find a company that suits you. You should make sure that any company you do use for house clearances has all of the appropriate licences to conduct clearances and does so in a professional manner. Something else to look out for is a company, like CleverClear, who offers an eco-friendly and sustainable process for their house clearances, as everyone wants to do their bit for the environment.
CleverClear can handle the whole process of emptying the property for you. We recycle, reuse, and donate everything. We will provide a free appraisal and quote for the job, leaving the property empty and either ready for sale or for re occupation.
