What’s something you wish you had known sooner before decluttering your home?

My mother passed away 10 years ago. I have 2 brothers and she wrote down the things she wanted us to have. Needless to say it didn't pan out the way she had envisioned. I live the closest so the entire burden of dealing with her stuff fell on me, my husband, and my 2 sons. My brothers couldn't be bothered. The grieving was compounded by the memories of childhood items and just stuff in general. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with and it created resentment towards my brothers for avoiding it. Last year one of my brothers called me asking if he could come by with his daughter to go through "family stuff" and I was livid. I told him, Mom died 10 years ago, what "family things" do you think are still here? The time for that was years ago. Where were you then? He said nevermind and I haven't heard from him since. What did he expect me to do, save her stuff like a shrine? They left it for me to deal with and I took care of it.
Sorry for the rant.
You have good advice and I enjoyed your video very much.
Edit:
Thank you to everyone for your kind words. I appreciate you all.

I am actively decluttering because "stuff" stresses me. I am shocked that my son who is 37 and my nieces 28, 32 actually Want my china, crystal, glassware etc. So I am giving it to them now. They are all homeowners and want "nice things" for everyday. It feels amazing to think they will use these things and think of me.

When you are approaching 80 it becomes VERY hard to declutter, because you don't always feel well, and you tire easily.  Don't wait until you are old!!  The time to declutter is NOW, while you have the energy to do it.s

In the last 12 years I was the estate administrator for 3 very dear people who passed, one was my mother.  I ended up storing their things that I knew they loved, my house was half full of their stuff.  So when I fulfilled my plan to retire to the tropics, I sold my home and assumed I might make around $12,000 selling my own things and the valuable items I was storing.  I had beautiful antiques throughout my home that cost me a fortune over the years, a collection of over 400 cds, huge healthy plants in ceramic pots, exercise equipment, power tools and so much more.  I’d be surprised if I managed to make $1500, those cds that I thought I could get $1 each, a guy took them all for $50.  I ended up giving away over 90% of my things including most of the antiques…seems no one anymore sees value in solid wood often hand made furniture.  No one wants your stuff no matter how valuable that stuff is to you.

Try this:  Look at an item and pretend you see it at a garage sale instead of at your house. What would you realistically pay for it if you didn't need it?

One time I had some hair brain idea that I was gonna resell some of my clothes and stuff I might buy at the thrift store on Poshmark and other websites. One of the smartest things I did was sat down and watched YouTube videos by people who sold it on a different websites and talked about the pros and cons as well as the actual amount of money they were making per hour based on the time they had to spend. One girl did a very good analysis and it came out to about seven dollars an hour. The moment I saw that, that was it I was done and I just donated all of it.

This is so true! My father gave me a great gift. When he turned 90 he said "I can stick you with it now or I can stick you with it later. "
We worked together.  Photos went to family members. Important mementos went to the right person. Furniture went to someone who wanted and needed it. When he died 18 months later we did not need to worry and he had known that what he wanted to give was taken care of.

Start going to Goodwill.  This will wake you up, for sure.  Picture frames with the family photos STILL IN THEM tells you everything you need to know about what will happen to your STUFF.

My brothers and I kept trying to help my 92 year old mother with downsizing but she refused to budge and held onto everything until she passed the following year.  My brother, her executor, was stuck with dismantling an entire 2 story, 4 bedrooms, living room dining room, large kitchen, family room , full basement, and 2 car garage home. She lived there since 1968, so the house was packed full. We helped him, but it was still an enormous job to tackle.

More often than not, the stuff we think we own ends up owning us.

My mom passed away in 2020. She gave my sister and me all of her personal possessions, including her car. She had a lot of expensive clothes that I paid a guy to haul away. I told him he could sell them at a flea market and make money on. I put the recently acquired high end furniture with a consignment shop. I took a few cooking items.
Bottom line: I threw out 90% of my mother’s belongings besides the furniture, jewelry, and some kitchen stuff.
I’m at the age now where I need to start declutterring.
Great video, and important for seniors to hear.

My everyday dish wear is 100 year old  inherited china. I LOVE it.

Since selling my folks' house of 55 years, I've become very "stuff-averse."  And it feels pretty good.

That said, I rotate:  put things away, forget them, then rediscover and USE THEM!  My mom used to call it "shopping in the attic."  Delightful!

I recently decided that beads I had collected for a project I was never going to do, had to go.  Was going to try to sell them at a market or but with the cost of the table and getting there I couldn’t be bothered. I found the embroidery guild and asked them if they wanted them.  They were so excited to take them as they either use them or sell them in order to cover costs of keeping their building upkeep and other things. It felt so good knowing it was going to help people out,  that I was so happy afterwards.

I'm a bronze star child - my grandparents raised me. When they passed, I inherited Grandma's cast iron cookware, piano, sewing machine, recipe box and Grandpa's tools. All of these things are  everyday use... I'd agree about decluttering, but don't get rid of the things you'd use.

I recently sold my home of 40 years and bought a house in another city. When I started packing it was so overwhelming. I found so many things I had stuffed away going back 30 years or more that I’d forgotten about. I got rid of so much. First I asked my family and friends if they wanted any of it. To my surprise nobody wanted my stuff lol. Sold quite alot on marketplace. I only gave it a three days. Then i would place on the curb and put a free sign out. It was amazing how fast things disappeared. What was left after a day or two there I dropped off to donate. I threw away a lot too.  Now I’m in my new house doing renovations and repairs while all my stuff sits in my driveway in a pod that I rented. I’m about finished with the house and have been thinking I will get rid of as much as I can so this house won’t become cluttered. It’s so great being free of all the stuff. I like have open space so much now. Easier to clean too.

One old lady told me a sad story long time ago. She had a huge apartment filled with beautiful things she and her husband collected during their travel all over the world. A that tine there was no limit on what and how much you can bring in. When her husband died she was lonely and  vulnerable. A man talked her into puting her apartment for sale with everything in it and moving into small, modern empty studio. He used the same language . Nobody needs your stuff.
As soon as sale was final, she realized that she was fooled and scammed but it was too late. I learned her lesson. Nobody needs my stuff? Wh6 should I think about it when I am still alive and enjoy my stuff. This is my life, my memories. Who said that when you get older you need less room? Don't let those scammers get your life for a penny

Last weekend, I went to a house some one posted on Face book, every thing free. The lady said her mother had past away, the family came to take whatever they want and this is the leftover. Within an hour, that house the house is clear of thing. They fixed up the house and sold it. It sound really sad to me. My point is, one man trash is other man treasure.