5 Essential Questions to Simplify Your Home and Your Estate

Estate organization and estate planning share a common goal: simplifying and prioritizing what matters most. Just as estate planning helps ensure your legacy is clear, organizing your home creates physical and mental clarity while offering peace of mind for you and your family.

In this blog post, we’ll explore guiding questions for decluttering and creating an intentional space. By letting go of what no longer serves you, you not only simplify your surroundings but also take a step toward making your estate—both tangible and intangible—easier to manage. In the process, you might even discover important family heirlooms to document or stories to share.

Let’s start with these five simple questions to guide your journey toward a more simplified home and legacy:

5 Guiding Questions to a Simple & Organized Home

Use these questions as a guide to simplify your home and help you decide whether to keep, donate, or discard each belonging.

Is it still usable?

o   If the item is broken, torn, stained, or otherwise unusable, ask yourself if it’s worth repairing or replacing. If not, it’s likely time to let it go.

o   Examples: An old shower curtain, a ripped pair of jeans, or a kitchen gadget that no longer works.

Have I used this in the past year?

o   If you haven’t used or even thought about this item in the past year, it’s a strong signal that it’s not serving your current needs. Exceptions might be for specific seasonal or sentimental items.

o   Examples: Packaging and manuals from electronics, clothes that do not fit, or tools you don’t touch.

Does it bring me joy or serve an important purpose in my life right now?

o   If the item makes you smile or fulfills a daily function, it earns its place. If it doesn’t, consider whether you really need it taking up space.

o   Examples: An appliance that has been replaced, a decorative vase you never loved, or sentimental knick-knacks that no longer hold meaning.

Would I buy this again today?

o   Think about whether this item still fits your style, needs, or priorities. If it feels outdated or irrelevant, you probably wouldn’t spend money on it again—and you don’t need to keep it “just in case.”

o   Examples: Clothes that don’t fit or suit your current lifestyle, outdated tech gadgets, or furniture you don’t love anymore.

Does it earn the space it takes up in my home?

o   Space is limited and valuable. Ask yourself if this item contributes enough to your life to justify the room it occupies. If not, let it go to make space for something better.

o   Examples: An exercise bike that’s become a clothes hanger, boxes of old magazines, or duplicate kitchen items like extra mixing bowls.

With Familial, you can go beyond organizing your physical space and gain complete clarity over your digital assets, financial life, and estate, ensuring everything important is seamlessly managed and easy to access for you and your family.

Start your journey toward total peace of mind—try Familial for free today!