More is not always merrier.
Items can carry memories and sentimental value.
Heirlooms are often passed to family members.
These provide history and connection.
According to a recent Next Avenue article “6 Tips for Dealing with the Aftermath of a Family Hoarder,” some people go overboard on keeping objects in their home.
They keep useless items with no value.
They do not throw out things when they break.
Rather these things simply take over.
The piles grow and overflow.
Bugs and rodents run rampant and build homes.
Well, perhaps that is an exaggeration, but you get the point.
Even in a small apartment, the task of going through these things can be overwhelming.
After your loved one dies, you may have a limited time frame to clear everything out.
What do you do?
Where do you start?
Consider implementing these six tips.
Get help.
Start by asking friends and family to help.
If the task is still too great, look into hiring a cleaning service to help.
Consult the last will and testament.
Your loved one may have left directions regarding specific personal items.
If there are no instructions, close family members should work together to distribute meaningful items.
Do not keep everything.
You do not need to keep "things" to remember and honor your loved one.
Items with no sentimental or actual value can go.
Pick out the trash.
Some things make more sense to remove immediately.
Look for junk mail, trash, and old food first.
Toss these out.
Do not price things to high.
If you have garage sale or estate sale, you will want to get rid of quantity.
If the offer is reasonable, accept it.
Choose to let things go.
Your loved one is not the stuff he or she left behind.
By discarding items, you are not devaluing your loved one.
Following this steps will help decrease your stress in the midst of an already difficult time.
Reference: Next Avenue (August 12, 2019) “6 Tips for Dealing with the Aftermath of a Family Hoarder”
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