Posted on August 11, 2022 by Hunter Hulbert - Home

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Your parents have passed, and now you’re tasked with sorting through the contents of your childhood home. Say hello to cartons of mementos, photos, childhood report cards, camp letters and tons of stuff you couldn’t possibly keep — and probably don’t even want. But first, I offer my condolences; I understand the void it creates in your heart, and the changes in family dynamics after your parents are gone.    

Expect to experience a mixed bag of emotions when you begin, and if you have siblings, I guarantee that you will not agree on how to approach the task at hand. The range of project management styles may vary from getting a dumpster and tossing everything, to sorting through every carton and drawer with great care and detail. How to move forward will depend on the condition of the home at the time you take over.  

Worst-case scenario: The house is a cluttered mess, or even qualifies for the A&E show, “ Hoarders.” If that’s the case, expect to invest in outside help to sort through the contents while searching for hidden treasures, including bank books, cash, jewelry and the missing Woodstock tickets that you thought were lost forever.  

There’s no telling the types of items you’ll find as you go through your parents’ possessions, but take it one container at a time. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

In late March 2020, I was asked to conduct a home assessment by an administrator of an estate and was warned that, until the house was sold, there was no money to pay for organizing services. New Jersey had just gone into COVID lockdown, and we had no idea how the real estate market was going to play out. With a positive outlook, I offered an assessment at no charge and was confident that we would find something of value that could be sold.   

Within the first hour, I found a folder in the living room containing stock certificates from the 1960s for several hundred shares of a Fortune 500 company. A quick sort through the drawers of a bureau in the primary bedroom resulted in the discovery of jewelry and watches that were immediately sold for cash. Take note: Your next steps will require an open mind and a positive attitude as well.   

As you go through the belongings, use good-quality contractor bags by color: black for trash, clear for clothing. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Begin sorting room by room, making piles of items to keep, donate, toss, recycle or sell. Purchase some good-quality contractor bags (black for trash, clear for clothing), and find out when the local garbage collection is scheduled so you can save money on junk hauling. Other supplies should include Sharpies, cartons and packing tape. Be realistic about what you want to keep before you fill up the SUV with Mom and Dad’s furniture. If there are lots of valuable items, there are online services available to track value and explain how these pieces can be fairly distributed among family members.   

These are some of the typical items found in homes: the infamous bag of bags, luggage, trash, expired food and medication, piles of mail, excess craft supplies, clothing, guns/ammunition, musical instruments, books, paper goods, household chemicals, photographs, slides, dishes, old appliances, jewelry, love letters, pornographic magazines, beauty products, home furnishings and children’s games.    

With the help of Google searches, it’s easy to find sites to donate or sell household items. Even though COVID has challenged the accessibility of former drop-off donation locations, they are still out there — it just takes a bit more effort to research. Selling clothing and household items, both locally and online, may be an option. And finally, an ethical junk hauler will remove unwanted contents and make sure they are distributed properly to recycling and donation centers. Fair warning: Before you call in the haulers, make sure you go through the aforementioned “bag of bags” and check to make sure that nothing of value has been hidden. 

If your parents’ house is a cluttered mess, expect to invest in outside help to sort through the contents. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

We don’t think about the effort and time that goes into sorting all our stuff after we’re gone, but as someone who does this for a living, I will tell you it’s exhausting work. I often wonder how homeowners look past these items for so many years, choosing to leave them as their legacy for the next generation, or to the organizers and junk haulers to properly dispose of.    

And while you’re at it, use this experience as motivation for you to look at your home and begin putting a plan in place to deal with your clutter. After handling the piles of your parents’ stuff, it will give you a clear understanding of why it’s important to leave your home in order for the next generation.    

Eileen Bergman is a professional organizer and a proud member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Bergman is listed in the resource directory for the Hoarding Disorder Resource and Training Group. She lives in West Orange and may be reached at eileen@eileenbergman.com.   

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of Jersey’s Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.

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