Estate Planning & Preparation Checklist

 

Where Do I Start When I Need to Empty a Loved One’s Home?

 

One of the most common things we hear is:

 

“I don’t know where to start.”

 

If you’re handling the contents of a loved one’s home after a death, downsizing, or major life transition, you’re not alone. It can feel overwhelming to look at an entire house and try to figure out what needs to happen first.

 

The good news is that you don’t have to do it all yourself.

 

If you choose to work with an estate sale or estate liquidation company, much of the sorting, organizing, researching and preparing of the home can be handled for you.

 

There will be many quick decisions to make in a relatively short period of time, and we understand that this can be an incredibly stressful process.

 

First and foremost: Take care of yourself.

 

Especially when you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one, give yourself permission to take a step back.

 

You do not need to personally sort through every item, clean every room, or determine the value of everything in the house before asking for help.

 

Our job is to help make the process easier and take as much of the work off your shoulders as possible.

 

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Before Your Estate Service Begins

 

☐ Remove or clearly mark anything being kept by family

 

Before we begin preparing the home, make sure any belongings that family members intend to keep are either removed from the home or clearly marked.

 

This is especially important for items that may look like they are part of the sale.

 

If several family members are taking belongings, having everything decided and marked ahead of time can prevent confusion later.

 

☐ Check drawers, desks and filing areas for personal papers

 

Take a quick look through drawers, desks, filing cabinets and other areas where personal documents may be stored.

 

Important items can include:

 

• Birth certificates

• Passports

• Wills and legal documents

• Financial records

• Insurance paperwork

• Medical records

• Personal correspondence

• Checkbooks

• Identification documents

 

Don’t forget family photographs.

 

Photos may be displayed throughout the home or tucked away in drawers, closets and albums. If there are photographs the family wants to keep, please remove or clearly mark them before the estate service begins.

 

☐ Arrange for items that need to be returned

 

If there are items that need to be returned to a medical provider, hospice organization, rental company or another business, schedule those pickups before the estate service begins whenever possible.

 

Examples may include:

 

• Medical equipment

• Hospital beds

• Wheelchairs

• Walkers

• Hospice equipment

• Rental equipment

 

Having these items removed ahead of time gives us more room to work and prevents them from accidentally being included in the sale.

 

☐ Make arrangements for pets and animals

 

Any animals remaining in the home should be removed before work begins.

 

We love animals, but having strangers come into their home and begin moving furniture and belongings can be extremely stressful for them.

 

For their safety and comfort, please make arrangements for pets to stay somewhere else while the estate is being prepared.

 

☐ Remove or dispose of remaining food

 

Please remove food from refrigerators, freezers, cabinets and pantries whenever possible.

 

Unopened, usable food may be appropriate for donation. Other food should be disposed of before the estate service begins.

 

☐ Give the floors a quick vacuum or sweep

 

The home does not need to be professionally cleaned before we arrive.

 

A good vacuum or sweep of the floors is greatly appreciated and gives us a cleaner starting point.

 

We will clean and tidy the home again as part of our process before we leave.

 

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What You DON’T Need to Do

 

You don’t need to:

 

☐ Price everything

 

☐ Research antiques

 

☐ Determine what is valuable

 

☐ Empty every closet

 

☐ Organize every room

 

☐ Have the entire house professionally cleaned

 

☐ Throw away everything you think isn’t worth anything

 

☐ Know exactly what type of sale you want

 

That’s what we’re here to help with.

 

Before removing large quantities of belongings, it’s often best to have an estate professional evaluate the home. Items that may appear ordinary can sometimes have value, particularly in homes containing antiques, vintage pieces and collectibles.

 

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Before We Arrive: A Simple Checklist

 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start here:

 

Personal belongings

 

☐ Family keepsakes removed or clearly marked

☐ Family photographs removed or clearly marked

☐ Important documents and personal papers removed

☐ Jewelry and other highly personal items accounted for

 

Home

 

☐ Family belongings removed or marked

☐ Medical/hospice equipment scheduled for return

☐ Pets and animals removed

☐ Food donated or disposed of

☐ Floors vacuumed or swept

 

Most importantly

 

☐ Take care of yourself.

 

You don’t have to have everything figured out before you call.

 

If you’re looking at a house full of belongings and thinking, “I don’t know where to start,” that’s exactly when you should reach out.

 

MWM Estate Sales can help you understand your options, assess the contents of the home and create a plan for moving forward.

 

You don’t have to do this alone.