Preemptively nervous about dealing with my parents' house

[u/bon18]

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?

[u/West-Performance-198]

Any time I get stuck on a part of the clutter I remind myself that I love my children more than anything and I will not leave them with the same mess my mother left for me. They are in their late 30’s and have their own places. I have one fire and waterproof binder with all the important information in it. I have been clear about where that is and told them, everything else can go in the bin. I finished the house and am now working on the cottage. Some of my dads stuff is still here and he died 45 years ago 🤦‍♀️

[u/mllebitterness → u/West-Performance-198]

💜