When parents have lived in the same home for years, belongings tend to pile up. Furniture, books, kitchenware, photographs, and boxes of memories often take up more space than you’d expect.
If your parents are considering moving to a smaller home — or simply want more space and less clutter around them — it’s worth helping them declutter and get organized.
But where do you start? Here are 5 tips to make decluttering easier.
- Go at their pace
- Make a plan — focus on one area at a time
- Start with the easy things
- Keep the items you’re not ready to part with yet
- Create more space — without saying goodbye to all the memories
5 tips to help your parents declutter
If your parents are considering moving to a smaller home — or simply want more space and less clutter around them — it’s worth helping them declutter.
But where do you start? Here are 5 tips to make decluttering easier.
1. Go at their pace
It’s tempting to dive straight in, but remember that many items may carry significant sentimental value. What looks to you like an old chair or a box of papers may be tied to decades of memories.
So talk with your parents about the goal of decluttering. Do you simply want more space, or is this about preparing to move to a smaller home?
When you share a common goal, it’s often easier to get started.
2. Make a plan — focus on one area at a time
Instead of trying to clear out the entire home in a single weekend, break the work into smaller tasks.
Start with, for example, the kitchen, a single cupboard, or one room. Sort items into categories:
- Keep
- Give away or sell
- Dispose of or recycle
- Store for later
This makes the task easier to manage, so you don’t have to decide everything at once.
3. Start with the easy things
It’s best to start with items that carry little sentimental value. This might include extra kitchenware, towels, old magazines, or things that haven’t been used in years.
Photographs, letters, heirlooms, and other personal keepsakes are best saved for later.
Once the easy items are sorted out, the rest often becomes easier to tackle.
4. Keep the items you’re not ready to part with yet
You don’t always have to choose between keeping something and throwing it away.
If your parents want more space at home but aren’t ready to part with certain furniture, heirlooms, or keepsakes, a storage unit is a great in-between solution.
There, their belongings stay safe while the home stays tidier. This is also handy when parents are moving to a smaller home and haven’t yet decided which items will come with them.
Pack items in sturdy moving boxes, protect fragile items, and clearly label the contents of each box. This way, everything is easy to find later.
5. Create more space — without saying goodbye to all the memories
Decluttering doesn’t necessarily mean owning as little as possible. The goal is a home that suits everyday life as it is now.
Some items can be given to children or grandchildren, others can be sold or donated, and the ones you still want to keep can be stored.
This way, your parents gain more space and a tidier home, without having to give up everything that matters to them.
Need extra space while decluttering?
With Pelican, you can rent a storage unit for items you want to keep but don’t need at home.
It’s a convenient solution both during a bigger decluttering project, when moving to a smaller home, and whenever everyday life simply calls for a little extra space.