Most People Do Swedish Death Cleaning WRONG — 9 Rules From a Woman Who Cleared Out 2,000 Homes

The quickest way to give up on Swedish death cleaning is to start with the photographs. More than one customer of mine has done it, and by supper the kitchen table was covered in wedding pictures and nothing had left the house. I have nine rules for döstädning, and if you only do one, start with number four. After 35 years running estate sales and clearing about 2,000 homes, here is how I'd sort a house a little at a time, so your family isn't handed the whole puzzle later. In this video: 1. Ask your children what they want. Once. Then believe them. 2. Change the question you ask yourself. 3. Give things away now, while you can watch them get used. 4. Start where nobody has any feelings: the basement, attic, garage and front closets. 5. Photographs and letters come last, labeled in soft pencil. 6. Make one box that's yours alone. 7. Put names on things, in writing. 8. Know where the leftovers will actually go. 9. Leave one page that says where things are. Tell me in the comments: what's the one thing in your house you're sure your kids will want? Go ask them, then come back and tell me if you were right. If you're still the one living in the house and you'd like to decide where your things go, subscribe. Every week I share what I learned walking through two thousand homes, the things the sale company never says out loud to the family. Tomorrow, open the closet by your front door, set that timer, and leave the photographs right where they are for now. #SwedishDeathCleaning #Downsizing #Declutter #EstateSale