How to Help Your Parents Declutter

If your parents are looking to downsize their home, you may have wondered how you can help. Assisting them through the decluttering process is a great way to start.

Decluttering is one of the biggest steps involved in downsizing and if you’re not sure how to tackle it, it can get overwhelming in a hurry. Luckily, we’ve got advice for you. 

Helping your parents downsize? We’ve got more tips for you. Click here to read our list of 3 things seniors should know before selling. 

Get Started Early

Downsizing from a larger family home to something smaller is a big transition. Even if your parent’s next home isn’t super tiny, they will still need to slim down their belongings. Therefore, decluttering will be an important part of their downsize. 

To avoid being overwhelmed by a task of this size, encourage your parents to start this process early on. Begin by discussing their goals and creating a realistic timeline for their journey. 

Decluttering is an essential step in selling your home quickly and for top dollar. For other home-selling strategies, check out these blog posts. 

• The Top 5 Common Mistakes Home Sellers Make
• What to Look For in a Listing Agreement
• Why Agent Feedback Matters When Selling Your Home

Stay Organized

Organization is key when tackling clutter. Help your parents develop a system to sort their belongings efficiently. 

Targeting one area at a time, break down various tasks into manageable sections to reduce the chances for them to become overwhelmed. Encourage them to establish specific objectives for each area or room, tackling the most cluttered spaces first. 

Next, help them sort items into three main groups: keep, donate/sell, and discard. Suggest using boxes or bins for each category and placing labels on larger items like furniture.  

Be Patient 

Downsizing is an emotional process – especially when your parents are moving out of a home they’ve lived in for many years. It’s not uncommon to feel attached or sentimental about moving on from the home itself, and the same goes for their belongings. 

There’s a good chance that your family will feel sentimental about certain belongings, which can make it difficult to decide what they’d like to do with them. This is another reason why it’s good to start the decluttering process early. 

Decluttering is the first step in what will be a fairly big life change. As you help them through the process, be patient with their feelings and emotions. While sorting through their belongings, take moments to reflect on and celebrate the memories made in the home. 

Looking for even more tips on selling your home? We’ve got you covered! Check out these related posts from our blog.

• Questions to Ask Your Vaughn Real Estate Agent Before Selling
• The Dos and Don’ts of Selling Your Home
• A Seller’s Guide to Multiple Offers

Know When to Ask For Help

Decluttering an entire home is a significant undertaking, and it’s essential to let your parents know that they don’t have to face it alone. Offer your support and encourage them to ask for help from other family members and friends. You can also ask for help from a dedicated real estate team – like the Lino Arci Team!

We understand the unique needs of downsizers and even have a specialized selling process for clients in their golden years. Our approach is supportive, empathetic, and all-encompassing. 

Whether you and your parents need help decluttering their current home or moving everything into their next place, we’re happy to go the extra mile so you don’t need to lift a finger. Of course, we also have top home-selling strategies to ensure your sale goes as smoothly as possible. 

Your Home Sold Guaranteed

There are enough stresses in the downsizing process without even considering the real estate side of things. Far too often downsizers list their homes and have to deal with the anxieties that come with an uncertain market. That’s why we came up with our Your Home Sold Guarantee. 

Put simply, we guarantee to sell your home. If for any reason that doesn’t happen, we’ll buy it from you with a cash offer. This promise takes the uncertainty out of the equation, allowing you and your family are able to relax and focus on what’s most important to you. 

Looking for a senior-specialized home sale? Our team is proud to offer industry-leading support for our clients. Get in touch to learn how we can offer you a low-stress selling journey with great results.