Moving out the home of a deceased family member

The process of moving in West Vancouver can be stressful enough, but when you add the emotional pain and stress of losing a loved one, it may seem unbearable. Trying to decide what to keep, or what to do with things you are willing to part with, can be a difficult task. As movers in West Vancouver, we are aware of these kinds of situations and would like to share the following tips with you.

See our related article:

Moving in Vancouver with Elderly

Take your time before calling West Vancouver movers

The most important thing you can do in this situation is to take your time before sorting through your loved one’s possessions and calling up movers in West Vancouver. This process will not be easy, but it will become less painful after some time. Don’t feel the need to start going through your loved one’s belongings right away. Rather, wait a while and take the time to deal with your emotions.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore your emotions. According to the Grief Healing blog, “you will know when it is the right time to go through your loved one’s things.” Taking your time also includes only sorting through as much as you can handle in one day. Once you start, you shouldn’t feel pressured to get it all done immediately. Two hours here or there is plenty to deal with.

And if you feel like you need help sorting through your emotions, don’t be afraid to seek some help from a family member, close friend, or a professional.

Need to be clear out immediately? Try storage companies in West Vancouver

Sometimes there will be circumstances that force you to think about the process of moving in West Vancouver much sooner. For example, if your deceased family member was renting or if their house was recently sold.

This does not mean you need to start the process of going through their belongings sooner than you are ready to! Rather, this is a perfect opportunity to call up portable storage companies in Vancouver.  By keeping all of your loved one’s possessions in a climate-controlled and secure environment, you can start going through things whenever you are ready. Portable storage in West Vancouver can even be brought right to your home so you can sort through it in your own space, when you are ready.

See our related articles:

Benefits of Climate-controlled Storage in Metro Vancouver

Things to know before renting out a Portable Storage unit in Vancouver

Use tips from West Vancouver movers to sort through your loved one’s things:

1.     First of all, buy moving boxes to help with your sorting. A simple decluttering tip that works wonders is to categorize your boxes with different labels to help through thesorting process.  Always have one ‘to keep’ box, one ‘give away’ box, and one ‘throw away’ box. You may also want another box for items going to specific family members, rather than general donations. This will make the process more organized and easier to come back to wherever you left off, no matter how long of a break you needed.

See our related articles:

Packing food for donation

5 Packing Tips For Moving Stress Free

Vancouver Movers: Info on Recycling Your Mattress Before Your Move

Helping the Community When Moving in Greater Vancouver

2.     According to whatsyourgrief.com, you should consider how much space you have in your home. As much as you want to keep all of a memorable collection of china plates from places all over the world, you may only have room for two or three. Same goes for pieces of furniture or other large items- you will have to accept you can’t keep it all.

See our related articles:

Moving Antique Furniture or Selling for Cash?

Protecting valuable collection when moving in Vancouver

How to Auction Furniture in Vancouver: Buying & Selling When Moving

5 moving tips for downsizing when moving to a smaller home in Vancouver

3.     For the things you don’t have room for but also don’t want to part with, take pictures to put in a memory album. This way, you will always be able to look back and appreciate those items.

4.     According to grief expert Gloria Horsley, it is a good idea to put papers in their own box to sort through later. Going through every paper as soon as you stumble upon it will take forever, and is something you can easily leave to the end.

5.     If you need to, don’t feel bad about hiring for help.

See our related article:

Moving to Vancouver? First, Hire a Professional Organizer!

When it is time to move, contact West Vancouver movers

Dealing with the death of a loved one can be heartbreaking and unbearable, but just remember to take your time going through their belongings and reach out for support if needed. Movers in West Vancouver are ready to help you with your move no matter how difficult it is, so just give us a call when you are ready.

Give us a call at 604-922-2212 or request a quote online through our website.