Death in the Family: What To Do With Their Belongings

Losing a loved one is difficult for everyone. It can be hard to accept they’re gone especially when death comes suddenly. If you have a death in the family, what to do with their belongings can be a common issue to arise. 

In addition to dealing with the fact they are gone you have the sad and difficult task of figuring out what to do with their belongings. It can be tempting to leave everything in place, just the way they left it but that is not healthy for the surviving family members and in some cases, it’s simply not possible. When you’re ready to tackle this difficult but necessary task, the following tips can help.

Do They Have a Will?

When there is a death in the family, the first thing you must do is find out if the person has a will. If there is a will, you will know exactly what they want you to do with a large portion of their belongings. Normally, the will addresses the important issues like what to do with their real estate and bank accounts. If the person had anything special they wanted a specific family member or friend to receive, it should also be in the will.

Take Your Time

Whether your loved one had a will or not, there will still be many things that you have to decide what to do with. It’s important to realize that you do not have to go through everything at once. You can take your time when deciding what to do with the remaining items. If for some reason you need to remove the person’s belongings from their location quickly, you can place everything in storage until you are ready to go through it. For example, if you live in the Dallas area, you can use Closetbox concierge storage in Dallas to take care of all your storage needs until you have time to sort things out.

Separate the Items

When going through your loved one’s personal belongings you’ll want to separate everything into groups as you go. The groups will consist of the things you want to keep, give away and there may even be some items that you want to sell. When you find something you’re not sure about, put it aside in a separate group or place it in storage until you can go through it again later.

There will also be some items that end up in the trash. Keep in mind that not everything that looks like trash is, so be sure to go through everything carefully, especially papers, before you trash it.

Talk with Other Family Members

Before you get rid of anything, talk with other family members. For example, when your spouse passes away, you may feel completely alone but there are others that miss him or her as much as you do. Even if you don’t have children, their brothers and sisters or other extended family members will appreciate you talking with them and allowing them to help you sort through your loved ones personal belongings. Family members and friends can also be there for moral support.

Give Their Clothing to Charity

One of the hardest things to go through is the person’s closet. Their clothes and shoes are so personal that it can be difficult to get rid of them. You might decide you want to keep a few special items and donate the rest. 

Going through a loved one’s personal belongings is not easy and you will find things that touch your heart in different ways. Be prepared for all sorts of emotions and it will help you deal with them when the time comes. Take your time (when possible) and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to clean everything out by a certain time. If you have questions or need help with this, contact us today!