Update
posted 4th March 2025
I have still been working behind the scenes with clients and in my own home. there are two things i am going to cover in this update.
One is how the work in your own home always needs a refresh but gets easier after that first time you have done it.
Two is what happens when you lose a loved one and have to clear their house?
Focusing on One: I find that every now and again, I will have a really good sort out of one particular area of my house like my closet. Over the period of a season, say Autumn and Winter, it gets messy and although I have system of where things go, it's not always done in a neat way. I also acquire new items and as we head into the spring, I have a good sort out again. Having a system in place makes this easier. I tend to go through my wardrobe and any item that I haven't worn for the last two years in that Season, I ask myself why and donate if it's because it will never fit or I actually don't like it. I usually keep what I wear regularly and also occasion wear because you never know!
Two: This was a tough one. This parent was a sentimental person and very organised as well! Despite downsizing several years before they passed and decluttering a year before, they still had duplicate items and items that had never been used and much more stuff than we thought! We donated quite a lot of it to charity shops and sold some items as well. They had made sure that all cards etc received from family went into a plastic sleeve with that persons name on it so it was easy to return these lovely momentos to that family member.
Some of the items were assimilated into our homes like baking accessories, glassware and decorative items like vases and paintings. Even some of their clothes were passed onto family members and some were kept to make a memory quilt from.
I have had the opportunity over the last few years to work with some clients who wanted to help their parents clear out before their time came. All of these parents were happy to do this because in the process it became clear what items extended family wanted and what would not be valued by them and could be sold or donated in the mean time. It was a genuine concern for them that they may leave a houseful of items that actually didn't even mean anything to them or their family anymore.
The hardest items were things like books and photos and documents. It helped organising these so that when it came to it, important documents were easy to find and books that were kept, were actually being read. Photos could be enjoyed by all once they had been stored in a way that made them easy to view. In this case the photos were not digital.
When we lose a loved one, grief is a process. Going through a loved-ones house at this time can often be stressful if a small declutter hasn't occurred before-hand. Finding important documents will be difficult and this can complicate things. Sometimes the house needs to be sold and many items are discarded in a hurry.
We are so glad we did this before they passed because although it was extremely sad, it was clear where we could find what we needed and what was going to happen with all the items too.