Clearing a parent's home: a practical guide

Take it one step at a time

Clearing the home of a parent or close relative is one of the hardest jobs a family faces. It is practical work, but every drawer and shelf carries memories. There is no right speed. Some families clear a home in a weekend; others take months.

This guide sets out a calm, practical order that protects what matters, keeps the family together, and makes the job manageable.

1. Agree as a family first

Before anything is moved, the people entitled to the estate should agree:

• that the home can be cleared, and when;
• who is involved, and who makes day-to-day decisions;
• how items will be shared among the family;
• what happens to the rest, and whether anything will be sold.

If the succession is not yet settled, or there is any doubt about who can decide, speak to the notary handling it before removing or selling anything of value. This guide does not give legal advice, and every family’s situation is different.

It helps to write down what is agreed and share it, so nobody is surprised later.

2. Find documents and valuables first

Before any clearing starts, go through the home carefully looking for things that cannot be replaced:

• Documents: wills, deeds, contracts, bank, pension and insurance papers, identity cards and passports, tax and utility papers.
• Personal items: photographs, letters, diaries, religious items and anything handwritten.
• Valuables: jewellery, watches, cash, coins, and items that may have value even if they look ordinary.
• Keys: for the house, garage, roof, cupboards, safes and other properties.

Where to look in an older Maltese home

Older generations often kept important things close and out of sight. Check:

• drawers, including the backs and undersides, and chests of drawers;
• between the pages of books, prayer books and old magazines;
• wardrobes, coat pockets, handbags and shoe boxes;
• biscuit tins, sewing boxes and jewellery boxes;
• under mattresses and inside pillowcases;
• boxes and suitcases in the roof washroom, the garage and storerooms;
• behind and on top of wardrobes and cupboards.

If you are not sure about something, set it aside. It is easy to throw away later, and impossible to get back.

3. Include family abroad

Many Maltese families have relatives living overseas. They can still take part:

• Walk through the home on a video call, room by room, so everyone can see what is there.
• Photograph items and share them in one place, with a simple list of who would like what.
• Agree a deadline for claims, so the work can move forward.
• Post or store small items for relatives who cannot travel, and let them know when they arrive.

4. Decide room by room

Work through one room at a time. Sort everything into five groups:

1. Keep: items family members want.
2. Give: items for friends, neighbours or the wider family.
3. Donate or reuse: furniture and goods in good condition.
4. Sell: items with real value, if the family agrees.
5. Dispose of: everything else, recycled where possible.

A few things help:

• Start with a room that is less personal, such as a spare room or the kitchen, to build momentum.
• Do not let guilt decide. Keeping everything is rarely practical. A few meaningful pieces usually mean more than a garage full of boxes.
• Photograph things before they go. A photo of a favourite chair can be easier to keep than the chair.
• Take breaks. Short sessions are fine. Clearing a home is tiring, physically and emotionally.

Items nobody claims

Some things, such as old letters, photographs and religious items, may not be claimed by anyone but feel wrong to throw away. Share photos with the wider family, including cousins and grandchildren, who may want them. If nobody does, keep a small box of the most personal items together rather than scattering them.

5. Look after the house while it is empty

An empty home in Malta can deteriorate faster than people expect:

• Damp and mould, especially in older stone houses closed up through the winter. Open windows on dry days and check behind furniture and inside cupboards.
• Heat, which can affect furniture and photographs left in closed rooms through the summer.
• Security, so keep the home looking lived in and make sure only trusted people have keys.

Clothes, books and soft furnishings that have been in a damp room for a long time are often not worth keeping, even if they look fine at first glance.

If the family plans to keep and renovate the house, see what to check in an old townhouse or farmhouse for the chimney, timber windows, roof and tanks.

6. Deal with the practical items

• Hazardous items such as old paint, chemicals, gas cylinders and medicines should not go in the bin. Check with WasteServ about civic amenity sites, return gas cylinders to the supplier, and ask a pharmacy about old medicines.
• Large furniture and appliances can go to reuse, the council’s bulky refuse collection, a WasteServ site or a clearance service. See our guide on how to get rid of old furniture in Malta.
• Fixtures and fittings that are part of the building, such as built-in cupboards, should normally stay, especially if the property is being sold. Check with the family and the notary if in doubt.
• Solar panels, water heaters and stoves are usually part of the property. Contact the installer or the relevant provider about any agreements linked to them before removing anything.

7. Prepare to hand over

When the home is empty:

• Take meter readings and contact the utility providers to transfer or close accounts.
• Redirect post and let banks and other organisations know the address will no longer be used.
• Collect every key, including spares held by neighbours or relatives.
• Have the home swept and cleaned, ready for valuation, viewings or the next owner.

Our house clearance checklist covers the practical steps in more detail.

When to bring in help

Many families do the personal sorting themselves, then bring in a clearance service for the rest. It makes sense when:

• family live abroad or cannot spend days at the house;
• the home has a lot of heavy furniture, a full garage or a packed roof washroom;
• the house has narrow stairs or is hard to access;
• you need the property empty by a particular date, for a sale or a new tenant.

A good clearance team works carefully and respectfully, sets aside any documents, photographs or personal items it finds for the family, passes on what can be reused, and leaves the home empty and swept.

clear.mt arranges deceased estate clearance across Malta and Gozo, at your pace and with a fixed quote agreed in advance. A walk-through can be done in person or by video for families abroad.

If the home has become very cluttered over the years, see helping someone with a hoarded home for a gentler, step-by-step approach.