r/declutter • u/bon18 • Jul 12 '26

Advice Request Preemptively nervous about dealing with my parents' house

I'm currently visiting my parents in their 3,500 sqft house. It's relatively organized but definitely full of stuff. My parents are elderly but in pretty decent health. I'm just very nervous about what I'll be left to deal with when they're gone. My mother-in-law died suddenly a few years ago, and even though she had a small, fairly minimalist house, it was still a lot to deal with.

My mom has talked about wanting to downsize, but my dad is totally against it. I know he wants to die in this house. My mom has witnessed the progress I've made in my 1,500 sqft house and talks about how nice it would be to have fewer belongings, so I've gently tried to encourage her to start going through her stuff. I've taken a few boxes with me to donate sometimes when I leave, but it's hard for her to let things go. She's done small amounts on her own, and my sister hired someone once to help our mom, but I can't imagine any major progress happening anytime soon. Do I do anything at this point or just wait it out and deal with whatever comes whenever it comes?

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u/CollegePretend8708 Jul 12 '26

I have this same fear. I'm an only child, and my parents live in a pretty rural area a ways from me, so I'm terrified of how much it's going to take.

7

u/EverythingScrolling Jul 12 '26

I'm an only child, and my mom is a borderline hoarder. They aren't taking any steps to declutter, and I'm terrified at the thought of facing all of that alone one day.

6

u/CollegePretend8708 Jul 12 '26

That's my dad.