February 11, 2014
What could be better than starting the new year with a tidy home? If you have an elderly loved one whose New Year’s resolution is to downsize and start planning his estate, consider helping him not only clean house, but preserve the memories and possessions that mean the most to him using the four boxes system.
With the four boxes organizing system, you simply place four boxes in each room of your loved one’s home marked in the following ways:
- “Keep Until I Die”: For heirlooms or items of sentimental value.
- “Appraise and Sell”: For unwanted, yet valuable items.
- “Keep with Me”: For unsentimental items, such as furniture or art.
- “Garage Sale/Donate”: For all other unwanted items.
Take pictures of larger items that won’t fit in boxes—like furniture, workout equipment, etc.—and put the pictures in the appropriate boxes.
Learn more about this system and how it can help your loved ones get started with their estate planning in this article from Forbes.