By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

Do you have friends or family members who have experienced cleaning out their parents’ home after they passed away? If you have, you probably heard many stories from them about how difficult it was because they were not only grieving the loss of their loved one but they were also tasked with clearing out a lifetime of belongings while still running their own homes and lives.

Many of them were probably so overwhelmed and emotional at that time that it was just easier for them to bring many of their parents’ things back to their own home, or to put them in the storage unit until they could deal with it “someday.”

Years later, many complain that the furniture and boxes from their parents’ home are still sitting in their basement, their attic, and the garage… or they continue to pay for a storage unit to house the things they did not deal with at the time.

Fast forward…

You didn’t deal with it, so now, your kids have to not only deal with your things but also your parents’ things… and chances are many of your parents’ belongings will end up just getting thrown away.

Not a pretty picture or subject that we like to talk about, but one we all have to face whether we like it or not.

So how DO you honor your parents, and their lifetime of possessions, while also respecting yourself and your own home… especially if you are trying to declutter and downsize?

So how DO you clean out your parents’ home without filling up your OWN home?

For sure, clearing your parents’ home after they die, is one of the hardest things for us to do in our lifetime.

But if you follow these 3 minimalist tips or principles, they will help you create a foundation for a better decision-making process.

In the long run, during this very emotional time of your life, these principles will help you avoid the mistake of cluttering your own home with things you don’t want, need, or will not use.

Check out My Top 7 Summer Reads on Living A Simpler Life with Less.

3 Top Minimalist Tips When Cleaning Out Your Parents’ Home

1. Commit to your own values and what matters most to you

If you are trying to downsize and declutter your own home if you are committed to living with less, why bring things into your home that cause additional clutter?

Be firm about what you allow into your home.

Bring only the things that really matter to you and will add value to your life.

For example:

Ask yourself if you really need all of that extra furniture, the accessories, etc. or would it be a better choice to keep just that one special chair that your dad used to read in every night? It’s a chair you like and would use every day.

2. Set boundaries and prioritize what you need and what will fit into your existing home or new smaller home

Get real about just how much space you have before allowing anything more into your home.

Having a list of what you could use as you go through your parents’ things, you will be able to make better decisions about whether it fits or not.

3. Make intentional decisions

Have the confidence and self-assurance to say “No.”

When you know what you value (like living with less and having a less cluttered life)

When you set priorities and boundaries about what you will allow into your home…

You will have the confidence to be true to yourself and not be influenced by outside pressure to say yes to things you don’t want, don’t need, or will not use.

This will provide true freedom to live the life you really want, free from unwanted clutter and excess stuff.

It will allow you to experience far less stress and overwhelm during a very difficult time of your life. You will know that you have honored your parents and their memories when you surround yourself with only the items you need and will use.

These fewer items will serve as reminders of your loved ones each day while helping you avoid the undue stress of additional clutter in your own home.