Bereavement Archives • Uncluttered Wales

January 19, 2019May 3, 2019

4 reasons to declutter before selling your house

Are you thinking of moving or selling? You might want or need a change; perhaps there’s been a bereavement in the family. Whatever the reason, I outline in this post four very good reasons to declutter before selling your house.

keys in a door. Reasons to declutter before selling your house. Before moving

1. Help your potential buyer to fall in love with your house

Your potential buyer is looking for a place that they can make their own. When they see pictures of your house or come round to view, they want to see the house itself. They want to see its potential and start thinking what they might do with the space. They don’t want your belongings and clutter getting in the way of their dreams!

And talking of space, your house will have more floor space and look so much bigger when it’s neat and tidy.

2. Quicker sale and better price?

A presentable house sells more quickly and at a better price. This is a great reason to declutter. In fact, I’d say that decluttering is an essential step towards making your house presentable to your potential buyer!

3. It will be easier to move

Some of us don’t move very much. That’s people in Anglesey, Blaenau Gwent, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, amongst other places, according to the BBC. If this is you, that probably means you’ve accumulated a fair amount of stuff over the years, possibly more than the average person.

You’ll find it much easier to pack up your things and move when you’ve got a clean and tidy house. And remember, we’re not just talking about the main part of the house. If you’ve also decluttered under the stairs, the loft, rooms you don’t use much, the garden, the shed and the garage before moving, then there won’t be any surprises or shocks.

4. You’ll save money

Some of us move a lot but somehow forget to unpack boxes from the previous move. When you’ve decluttered, you won’t pay to move things you no longer want. You know, those things you never unpack or you end up throwing away when you’re in the new place.

House with sold sign in lawn. Reasons to declutter before selling your house

Summing up

These reasons to declutter before selling your house make good sense to me. Plan ahead and just contact us if you need professional help. We’d be pleased to help.

January 7, 2019February 11, 2019

Professional organising and decluttering in North Wales

Uncluttered is a professional organising and decluttering service in North Wales. Our base is Parc Menai, just beside the Britannia Bridge on the Gwynedd side, so we’re ideally situated. It’s moments to Anglesey, just a short journey to Pen Llyn and Meirionnydd and not very far along the coast to Conwy, Denbighshire and beyond.

We are also happy to work further afield. Recent clients have been in Dorset and London. Get in touch for a chat and let’s see what we can do. If we can’t help, we’ll certainly know someone who can!

Decluttering in North Wales

I think I need help with sorting, clearing and organising stuff. Oh, and paperwork! Do you do this kind of decluttering in North Wales?

We certainly do, and we work further afield as well.

Getting professional help is a great step to take. That’s because we’ll help you to decide exactly what you’re aiming for, and we’ll work with you to get there. It makes it do-able. (And we won’t be shocked or judge you.)

What sort of jobs have you worked on?

All sorts!

Firstly, helping households run more smoothly. The old saying ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ really does makes a lot of sense. If you don’t take determined action to keep clutter under control, it has such a nasty way of building up. Yes, we’ve been there!

Decluttering in North Wales — Everything in its place. Nuts, seeds and pulses organised carefully into large bags. Photo by Frans Van Heerden from Pexels

Then, moving house. Getting ready to move, managing to sell a house and then moving into a new place takes a lot of work. In short, we can help you make the most of your old property so it sells, and organise the new property so it’s easy to live in.

Bereavement touches all of us, and affects us in different ways. Often the best thing to do is to wait a little while, if you can. There’s such a lot to do, though, after a death in the family or the death of a friend. That’s why engaging an understanding professional organiser for some (or all) of what has to be done can help enormously.

And then there is, for example, paperwork, clothes, kitchens, garages and garden sheds, books and art collections … In other words, you name it and we can probably lend a hand with it!

What do you do with everything that’s decluttered?

It depends entirely on what the client wants, but most items are usually recycled at a recycling centre or a charity shop.

Do get in touch if you think we can help you

If you think we can help you with professional organising and decluttering in North Wales and further afield, do get in touch.

You’ll find our contact details under the ‘Contact’ tab.

November 15, 2018June 3, 2019

Helping families and friends after bereavement

After the shock of bereavement and the condolences and the arrangements, someone has to sort out the belongings and paperwork. It’s the job of the executor of the will to do this: hard, but it has to be done.

No-one is exempt from bereavement. At Uncluttered we’ve been there, as friend, member of the family, and executor. We’ve also worked closely with bereaved clients, going through relatives’ personal belongings together.

Everyone reacts differently but here are a few pointers which might help if you’re faced with this task.

Signpost surrounded by cow parsley in full bloom. Bereavement — Deciding what to do next can be a challenge

Take your time and do what you can

◆ Think about what has to be done and draw up a plan of action.
◆ If you don’t have to empty a house or flat immediately, then take as much time as you need.
◆ Go at your own pace. Some people can sort everything out in a few weeks. Other people take many years.

Think about who could help you after bereavement

Two people talk and listen to one another — Someone who will listen can be helpful after bereavement (photo credit: Cristina Gottardi)

Clearing someone’s possessions can be too much to do alone but think carefully about helpers as this is a potentially tricky area. Everyone is sensitive after a death in the family and emotions can run high. It could be that no-one is available locally to help out or that it’s impractical for anyone to lend a hand.

Options for help could be:

◆ someone with you all the time as you clear
◆ extra pairs of hands at different points in the process
◆ talking things through with someone
◆ someone unconnected and objective.

Be kind to yourself after bereavement

Sorting through possessions and paperwork is tiring and dehydrating at the best of times. When it’s those of someone dear to you then it can be exhausting and sometimes overwhelming.

◆ Take breaks and drink water. Have a snack to keep your energy levels up.
◆ Leave the house if you feel you must – one Uncluttered client went for short walks around the block, and sometimes much longer ones.
◆ Do something else if it helps – another client read a chapter of her book.

How could a professional organiser help you?

◆ By supporting and encouraging you in a gentle way.
◆ By helping you to make practical decisions about what to keep, how to pass things on, and organising clearance to charities or recycling centres.
◆ By helping you to feel positive and that you are moving forward.

Uncluttered is available to help you sort out belongings and paperwork after a bereavement. You can find other professional organisers on the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers website.