Talk to your employer, if applicable, and arrange for bereavement leave<\/a>. How much you can take will depend on your employer and your circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have a chat with your loved one\u2019s solicitor to see if they have a will which includes their home. Hopefully they do, but in some cases they may not. If they died intestate (without a will), it makes the process a little more complicated. Only direct relatives, married partners or those in a civil partnership can inherit. However, it is sometimes possible to change this within two years of death via a deed of family arrangement or variation. There are set rules, which are detailed in this Citizens Advice Bureau article<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You will also need to talk to people who handle your loved one\u2019s utilities and other aspects related to the home so that you can ensure bills are paid or services are cancelled as necessary. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to clearing your loved one’s property, whether you will be selling it or you or another family member will be living there, you may wish to clear the property yourself. However, it can help to have the support of other people. They may also want a particular item to remind themselves of your loved one, such as a treasured memento or a favourite piece of furniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you start the clearing process, it is usually best to give the house a quick tidy first. Throw away any food or rubbish that is present, and get rid of any disposables, such as toothbrushes, soap and so on. Keep any paperwork that you find, as it may turn out to be important. Give surfaces a dust and the floors a quick vacuum to give you space to work in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you will want to collect boxes to store items in. In each room, create piles for saving, selling, donating, recycling and rubbish. Make sure you reserve the items that other people want separately, and it\u2019s a good idea to put them into labelled boxes. If they\u2019re too big for the boxes, such as a chest of drawers or a freezer, just put a label directly on them. Keeping an inventory of items in a spreadsheet is also helpful and you can note which family member or friend has requested each item. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking photographs of the items before distributing them to family and friends is also useful. There will be times when several people want the same thing, and that can sometimes be a source of tension if the deceased person’s wishes are not clear. If there are several items that are disputed which have not been allocated in the will, you can ask people to put items in order of priority or you can simply alternate between people so that items are distributed fairly in terms of number and value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Work your way from the top to the bottom of the house, but make sure to take regular breaks. This is an emotionally draining time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try and be as practical as possible with personal items such as clothing. You need to decide what you or other relatives can realistically use. In many cases, the clothing goes to charities, and furniture either goes to relatives or friends or is donated as well. Anything that is too worn should end up in the recycling and rubbish piles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you do give clothing to charity, you may prefer to donate to a charity shop which is not local. This means that there is less chance that you might see your loved one\u2019s clothing on display, and that can be quite heart-breaking if it\u2019s an item of clothing that you particularly associate with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may wish to get rid of the bed, particularly if it was where your loved one died. Local councils will often remove it for a fee<\/a>, or you can arrange for a friend with a van to take it to the tip. The same applies to any other large items that you don\u2019t want to keep, but are unlikely to sell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Furniture \u2013 especially bedroom furniture \u2013 often isn\u2019t worth much, but you may wish to talk to a valuer at your local auction house to see if there is anything of particular value. Arts and crafts furniture, for example, will often fetch a few hundred pounds, and Victorian furniture will sometimes fetch even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some cases, the home insurance policy will provide details of particularly valuable furniture, which makes life a little easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking to dispose of the sofa, then many councils will treat a three-piece (a sofa and two armchairs) as one item for the purposes of collecting it from the house. Charities such as the British Heart Foundation<\/a> will often collect donated furniture and electrical items free of charge as well, just make sure any donations meet the relevant fire safety regulations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t forget photos and other small mementos. With photos, if you want a copy, you can usually arrange one with a local photography or print shop. This can help to reduce issues where two or more people want the same photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These rooms can be particularly difficult to clear because they are often what you associate most with your loved one. If your grandfather, for example, wrote a lot or had a cherished book collection, or your mother loved to paint or do woodwork, you may have to look through a lot of personal items, papers and artwork and determine what you want to keep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, these pieces will have sentimental value only, but it could be worth holding onto them if you have the space. If you don\u2019t, take copies or photographs of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There may also be sensitive or private paperwork in an office filing cabinet or safe, so always ensure that the appropriate person reviews this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Quite often, used items that are showing signs of wear \u2013 non-stick pots and baking trays in particular \u2013 should be disposed of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the freezer, washing machine or fridge is to be kept, you will need to arrange to have it moved. It may be worth hiring a large van for a day or two so that you can transport these items. Prices typically run between \u00a330 to \u00a350 per day plus extras, depending on who will be driving and where you hire it from. You can also sell or donate these kinds of items online for collection on Facebook Marketplace<\/a> or sites like Gumtree and Freecycle<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Computers often contain a lot of personal information and passwords. They could also contain files and documents that you may wish to recover, such as pictures and personal documents. It\u2019s usually best to talk to a local computer shop if you can’t access a computer or laptop, and they can help guide you through your options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the circumstances, you may have to choose whether or not to sell your loved one’s home. Such a decision should be reached after talking with family members and considering all the available options. If you do not have access to the title deeds for the property, our article “Can you sell a house without the deeds?<\/a>” offers more advice. You can also find more information on selling an inherited property and what to do if not all co-owners wish to sell in our article If you are a co-owner of a property, what are your rights?<\/a><\/em> Remember, if the house is particularly valuable or the estate is very large, it may also be subject to inheritance tax<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Should you decide to sell it is also worth talking to one of our local Yopa property experts<\/a> who can talk you through your options, give you an accurate valuation and let you know all the options when it comes to selling. <\/p>\n\n\nStage one: Calling people<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Stage two: Clearing the house<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe bedroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In the living room<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In the office or workshop<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In the kitchen<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Computers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Selling a loved one’s home<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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