When a parent dies, you're left facing one of life's hardest moments. The grief is overwhelming enough without having to think about the practical side of things. But eventually, most families need to clear their parent's home, and it's rarely a simple task.
We've worked with hundreds of families through this process at After Death Cleaners UK, and we know how emotionally and physically draining it can be. Studies suggest it takes families up to 18 months on average to fully sort through and clear a parent's belongings. That's not surprising when you consider the average UK home contains over 300,000 individual items.
This isn't just about moving furniture and boxing up clothes. It's about handling your mum's recipe cards, finding your dad's old letters, and deciding what to do with a lifetime of memories stored in every room. The task can feel impossible when you're already dealing with loss.
There's no rule that says you have to start clearing straight away. Give yourself permission to grieve first. Some families need a few weeks, others need months. That space is important for your mental health and for making better decisions later. Many people also find themselves asking how to clean up after an unattended death, but it’s important to remember you don’t have to face that immediately.
However, there are a few time-sensitive things to sort early on. If your parents rented their property, the landlord will need to know what's happening. If there's a mortgage, the lender needs informing. Utility companies should be contacted, and you'll want to make the house secure to prevent break-ins.
These practical tasks might feel overwhelming when you're grieving, but they're necessary. You don't have to tackle the belongings yet. Just handle what needs immediate attention and give yourself time to process everything else.
Around one in ten houses cleared after a death contain some form of hoarding, which can significantly extend the time and cost of the process. But even without hoarding, family disagreements can make the task twice as hard.
Before anyone touches a single box, have an honest conversation with your siblings, your mother or father if they're still living, and any other relatives involved. Talk about who wants what, how you'll divide sentimental items, and what the overall plan looks like.
Personal possessions can trigger strong memories, and research shows that handling sentimental items can increase stress and decision fatigue. This makes the process more emotionally draining than most people expect. Having a clear plan helps.
Decide early on how you'll handle disputes. Will you draw names from a hat for contested items? Will certain family members get first choice on specific categories? Having these systems in place prevents arguments when emotions are already running high.
Many families underestimate the scale of the job. On average, it takes several weeks to properly clear, clean, and prepare a property for sale or rental. Breaking this down into manageable chunks makes it less overwhelming.
Start by walking through the house room by room. Make notes about what's in each space and what needs to happen there. Some rooms will be straightforward, others will need more time and care.
Think about timing too. Can you take time off work? Will friends be available to help? Do you need to coordinate with a house sale or rental deadline? These practical considerations shape how you'll approach everything.
Don't try to do it all in one weekend. That's a recipe for exhaustion, poor decisions, and family arguments. This is a process that deserves time and attention.
When you begin going through belongings, having a system helps. We recommend four main categories: keep, donate, sell, and dispose.
Keep: These are the items with real sentimental value or practical use. Your dad's war medals, your mum's wedding ring, family photos, important documents. Be honest about what you'll actually treasure versus what you're keeping out of guilt.
Donate: Clothing in good condition, kitchenware, books, and furniture that's still usable can go to charity shops. Many clearance companies work with charities to recycle furniture, clothing, and household goods, which helps families feel their loved one's possessions are going to good use.
Sell: Valuable items like antiques, jewellery, or collectables might be worth selling. A local auction house can help with this, or you could try a car boot sale for smaller items. This can offset some of the costs involved in clearing the property.
Dispose: Unfortunately, not everything can be kept or donated. Broken items, old medicines, and worn-out furniture need proper disposal. Some things require special handling, which we'll cover next.
This is where many families run into problems they didn't expect. Hazardous materials such as old medicines, cleaning chemicals, sharps, or even biohazard risks like blood and bodily fluids are commonly found in homes, and many people are unsure how to clean up bodily fluid spills safely.
Never pour chemicals down drains or throw them in regular bins. Your local council has specific disposal points for hazardous waste. Old medications should go back to a pharmacy.
If your parent died at home, especially in an unattended death situation, there may be biological contamination. In some cases, deep cleaning is required, as unattended deaths can cause contamination of carpets, flooring, or furniture. This isn't something family members should handle themselves.
Professional after-death cleaners often work alongside clearance teams to ensure the property is not only emptied but also sanitised and restored to a safe, liveable condition. We're trained to deal with these situations safely and with the respect they deserve.
As you're clearing, you'll discover piles of paperwork. Some of it matters, most of it doesn't. Look for wills, insurance policies, property deeds, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and financial documents.
Bank statements, utility bills, and old tax returns from recent years should be kept temporarily. A handwritten shopping list from five years ago can go straight in the bin. Use your judgement.
Keep anything legal or financial in a secure place. You'll need these documents for probate, closing accounts, and managing the estate. Everything else can be shredded or recycled once you're certain it's not needed.
The physical work is exhausting, but the emotional side is often harder. You'll find things that spark memories you'd forgotten. You'll discover stories about your parents you never knew. You'll feel guilt about throwing away items they valued.
This is completely normal. Grief doesn't follow a schedule, and clearing your parents house can bring up anger, sadness, and even moments of unexpected joy when you find something that makes you smile.
Take breaks when you need them. If holding your mother's old coat makes you cry, let yourself cry. If going through your dad's workshop feels like too much, come back to it another day.
Having friends or relatives there for support can help, but only if they understand when to give you space. Some moments you'll want to share, others you'll need to experience alone.
Sometimes the task is simply too big to manage alone. If the property is large, if there's hoarding involved, if there are biohazard concerns, or if you're just overwhelmed, professional help makes sense. Families often ask who cleans up after a death, and the answer is that trained specialists are needed to manage both the physical and emotional challenges.
At After Death Cleaners UK, we handle everything from light clearance to deep cleaning after traumatic deaths. We've seen it all, and we treat every home with the care and respect your loved one's house deserves.
Professional house clearance services are often brought in not just for the heavy lifting, but also to handle sensitive or biohazard situations. We work quickly, carefully, and with complete discretion.
The cost varies depending on the property size and what's involved, but most families find it's worth it for the time saved and the stress avoided. We can work around your schedule and include family members as much or as little as they want.
These are the belongings that matter most and cause the most difficulty. Your mum's jewellery, your dad's tools, photo albums, and family heirlooms all carry emotional weight.
Be realistic about how many sentimental items you can actually keep. Do you have space for your mother's entire china collection? Will you really use your dad's golf clubs? Sometimes a few meaningful pieces matter more than keeping everything.
Consider taking photos of items before you donate or sell them. You'll still have the memory without needing to store the physical object. For things like children's artwork or handwritten notes, scanning them creates a digital archive that takes no physical space.
If multiple family members want the same item, talk it through calmly. Perhaps it can be shared, displayed in turns, or photographed so everyone has a copy of the memory.
Once the belongings are cleared, the house itself needs attention. Professional after-death cleaners ensure the property is sanitised and restored to a safe, liveable condition, especially important if you're selling or renting.
Check for any damage that needs repairing. Look at carpets, walls, and fixtures. Sometimes clearing reveals maintenance issues that weren't visible before.
Many families choose to have the property professionally cleaned even if there weren't any biohazard concerns. It helps create closure and presents the house well if it's going on the market.
Remember to cancel or transfer utility accounts, redirect post, and return any hired equipment like mobility aids. These final practical tasks bring the process to a proper close.
Clearing your parents house after death is one of the most challenging tasks you'll face during the grieving process. Whether you need help with the entire clearance, specialist cleaning, or just support with the most difficult parts, After Death Cleaners UK is here for you.
We understand that every family and every situation is different. That's why we offer free, no-obligation quotes tailored to your specific needs. Our team handles everything with professionalism, compassion, and complete discretion.
Don't struggle through this alone. Contact After Death Cleaners UK today for your free quote, and let us help you through this difficult time with the care and expertise your family deserves.
