Decluttering After a Death - Dumpster Rental Estate Clean Out
Post Death Roll Off Dumpster Rental - Palm Bay, Florida
An unfortunate need for a dumpster rental is a death in the family. Have you had a recent death in the family? I did. 
My father died suddenly. His death was not at all expected. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t the picture of perfect health. He was only sixty-nine years of age (young in my eyes), when his untimely death forever changed my family’s life. The timing of my father’s death was less than opportune, especially since he passed in late December and the holidays were underway.
Both of my parents were in the midst of downsizing and moving in with my grandmother to care for her in Grant. My father was newly retired and had big plans of relaxing, vacationing, and enjoying his golden years. Unfortunately my dad came down with pneumonia and was hospitalized. As his condition worsened, he went from being on a respirator to a ventilator (life support). After experiencing the emotional roller coaster and its ups and downs of hope, and then bleakness, my family faced the tough choice of letting go. I was faced with dealing with my own grief and helping my mother plan for his funeral, write an obituary, and get rid of some of his possessions she could no longer bear to look at.
Luckily, my husband and I own a roll off dumpster rental company, so this helped with disposing of many of the items my mom couldn’t sell or donate. It was overwhelming at first and painful to look at some of the items in their garage that reminded me of him. My father wasn’t a collector, or a hoarder, and he was relatively organized from what I saw. My father, like the majority of parents had piles of items he no longer used or needed (even when he was alive), and could get rid of.
Have a De-Cluttering Plan
3 Essentials Needed When Doing An After Death Estate Clean Out
Aside from having help of a family member or friend, taking your time, and saving a few keepsakes of memorabilia from your departed loved one, I have a few tips that will help with the daunting task of decluttering after a death in your family. The items listed below, along with prayer, patience and soothing music will help you in performing an “estate clean up” after a family member has passed.
1. Boxes
Having boxes on hand, along with a sharpie to label contents and help separate into categories will help with organization and transport. Many of your loved one’s items can be donated or sold, so having sturdy cardboard boxes for this will aid you in the overwhelming task of arranging their belongings.
Donating many of the belongings that are in usable condition to charity will make the process a little easier emotionally. Knowing that you have helped someone else in need, in spite of the grief you are experiencing is a positive step in the healing process.
2. Your Smart Phone
Have your smart phone handy to call charitable organizations such as: Goodwill or Salvation Army. Many of these non-profits will come to your residence and pick up items if you aren’t able to transport them to their location. Not only are you donating to others in need, but you can also ask for a receipt and use this on your next tax return as a deduction.
You may also wish to have your smart phone handy to take pictures of items you wish to sell. Web sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, 10 Day Ads, Ad to Ad, and AdLandPro are all free to list and sell your items. A picture says thousand words, so it’s advisable to post photos of furniture, clothing, shoes, collectibles, and things of this nature. There are also many free Apps available to post items on locally, such as: Letgo, OfferUp, Decluttr, and Close5.
If you’re in need of social interaction and live in a neighborhood with a decent amount of traffic, and not limited by HOA restrictions, you may wish to have an estate sale, yard sale, or garage sale. This is a lot of work, since it includes: advertising your items, merchandising and tagging them, and physically having the sale. Then their is the aftermath of cleanup and the issue of what to do with the remaining items. If you choose to go this route, have a friend or family member help out. Freecyle and the non-profits listed above, and/or the classified websites and apps can aid in getting rid of the remainder of objects.
3. A Roll Off Dumpster
Some belongings, unfortunately cannot be sold or donated and are just debris. Renting a dumpster for a garage clean out or entire home clean out after a death in the family can greatly reduce stress. It ends up being less of an obligation than renting a storage locker as well. Research has shown that a tiny storage unit (5 ft x 5 ft costs on average $40 - $50/month, while a 10ft x 15ft storage unit costs $75-$140/month). Renting a roll off dumpster for 10 days to two weeks costs the same as renting a storage unit for two to four months.
Express Roll Off has dumpsters for rent in various sizes to accommodate your waste disposal needs. Express Roll Off rents dumpsters throughout Palm Bay and most of Brevard County, Florida in the following sizes: 10, 15, 20, and 30 yard dumpsters. Our roll offs have hinged doors that swing open for was loading too. When renting from Express, there’s no need to lift and launch your heavy, bulky items over the side of the roll off.
Having a death in the family is difficult. Losing my father was one of the hardest times in my life, so I sympathize with anyone going through this grieving process. Fortunately, the majority of my family lives locally, so cleaning out my father’s items, making funeral arrangements, etc. were easier to execute.
If you have elderly family members, ask them if they need help cleaning out their attic, shed, garage, closets, or their home in general. Various research suggests that clutter in the home can be responsible for raising stress levels and can also reduce productivity. As adults get older, having a house full of “stuff” may also increase the risk for falling and create additional health and safety hazards. It is far better to purge a home when our loved ones are here with us and accidents; even deaths, can be avoided. Whether you live locally, or out of town and have a family member in need of a dumpster rental for a clean out call Express Roll Off Dumpsters in Brevard County, Florida 321-253-1080.