If your parents are planning on downsizing to a smaller home, there’s a good chance they’ll want some help. Moving is a huge process in and of itself and in some ways, most of the hard work takes place before the house is even sold.
Decluttering is one of the biggest steps involved in selling a home, and it can be even more daunting if your parents have lived in the same place for several years or even decades. That said, with the right approach, you can help them clear out their Toronto home with as little stress as possible.
As real estate agents who directly specialize in helping folks downsize, we’ve got the process down to a science. In this blog, we’ll go over a few ways you can help your parents declutter their home.
Wondering what a full-service home sale could look like for you? Click here to discover our approach.
Where to Get Started
Like with any big project, one of the hardest parts about decluttering can be knowing where to start – and the longer you wait, the more intimidating it can be. Our best advice is this: start with a proper conversation. Sit down with your parents and talk about decluttering. Ask about expectations, ideal timelines, and any items that are must-keep.
On top of discussing the practical stuff, be sure to talk about feelings as well. Downsizing can be a highly emotional process, especially when you’re sorting through and getting rid of items with sentimental value. Allowing your parents to express any concerns or hesitations they might have about decluttering can prevent conflict down the line and ensure the process is a positive one.
Helping an older parent sell their home? You may find these other blogs helpful.
- How Do I Become an Estate Executor in Ontario?
- How to Sell a Home for a Family Member in Ontario
- Should You Downsize to a Townhouse Instead of a Condo?
Go One Room at a Time
If you go in without a plan, trying to declutter your parents’ home can get overwhelming in a hurry. Instead of picking away at multiple areas in their home all at once, take it one room at a time. Not only will this make the task itself feel less enormous, but it will also help you stay organized as you move through the house.
Start with the easy, lesser-used areas of the home. This could be a bathroom, spare room, or storage closet. While they’re working on this, you can tackle the basement. Then, steadily work to the rooms and areas they use every day like the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom. Don’t forget outdoor areas like the garage or shed either.
Have a Sorting System
Another important part of decluttering is sorting. Rather than removing items from the home individually, it’s a lot easier to label belongings first, and then take bulk action on them later.
The best way to implement this system is by categorizing everything in your parents’ home into one of four groups: keep, recycle, donate, and throw away. An easy way to do this is with coloured painter’s tape.
When deciding on which belongings they’ll keep, try to stick to a “yes” or “no” system. While having a “maybe pile” can be tempting, it’s often counterproductive.
Searching for catch-all home selling advice? Check out these blogs next!
- The Dos and Don’ts of Renovating to Sell
- How to Have Your Home on the Market in One Month
- The Importance of Strategically Pricing Your Property
Choose the Professional, Full-Service Approach
All the advice we’ve shared so far is a great jumping-off point. However, if you’re looking for the easiest, most effective way to help your parents declutter their home, you’ll want to work with a professional. More specifically, a full-service real estate team like ours, Mutch Property Group.
While the benefits of working with a full-service real estate agent are practically endless, there are two particular advantages when it comes to decluttering.
The first is efficiency. When you take a DIY approach to helping your parents purge, the onus is entirely on you to ensure the job gets done. On paper, this is usually a seemingly straightforward project but in reality, it’s easy for life to get in the way. We’ve had countless clients tell us that they’ve been chipping away at their parents’ property for years before calling us.
As professionals, we take the reins and can help you sort through (and get rid of) several decades’ worth of belongings on whatever timeline works best for you. We can even have your parents’ home decluttered, spruced up, and on the market in just four weeks. We have everything you need – including a delivery truck that can drop off donations, recyclable furnishings, and anything in your throw-away pile. Have something you want to give to a friend or family member nearby? We’ll do that too.
The second benefit of going the full-service route is that you don’t have to lift a finger. When you work with our team, we take care of anything and everything. You (and your parents) can sit back, relax, and allow us to work our magic – it’s really that simple.
Searching for a full-service real estate team to manage your parents’ home sale? Call us at 416-903-3695 or send us an email at team@mutchpropertygroup.com.