After you’ve said goodbye to the one you love, the unfortunate truth is that most of us don’t get to sit with our feelings and absorb the grief. Although Alivio Solution is there to support you in dealing with one of the most burdening and time-consuming tasks; downsizing or divesting your loved ones home, the to-do list doesn’t end there. Some of it is intuitive; register their death, share the sad news, plan the funeral…The truth is, oftentimes it’s the “practical tasks” that can be unexpectedly time-consuming and stressful. We hope this list takes the guesswork out and frees you to take the time to mourn and honor the passing of your loved one.
1. Register the death
2. Make funeral arrangements
Verify if any funeral wishes were recorded.
Verify if they’ve pre-arranged funeral plans.
3. Notify family & friends of the passing
Consider making a telephone chain with your family so that you’re not repeating the news over & over again.
4. Notify everyone about the funeral
Although emotionally challenging, these gatherings give everyone a chance to come together to grieve and honor their loved ones.
5. Notify service companies:
Prioritize them by urgency.
- Local authority
- The executor of the will
- Lawyer
- CRA
- Health care and services
- Banks and other financial institutions
- Accountant
- Insurance companies
- Employers (if applicable)
- Memberships ie: gyms
- Home services ie: landscapers
- Utility accounts once the house is sold
- Post office
6. Paperwork
In a good situation, the documents are well organized and all in one place, but the unfortunate truth is that it’s not always the case. It is important to collect these as soon as possible for security purposes.
- Bank/credit cards
- All bank/investment statements
- Cheque books
- Loan agreements
- Wills
- Birth/marriage certificate
- Property deeds
- Proof of vehicle ownership
- Life insurance documents
7. Home, furniture, and effects
It’s important that you notify the executor of the will (if that’s not you) and loop them into the plan, in order to avoid any legal issues in the future.
Generational transitions are what we specialize in. We give you the space so that you can rest easy knowing this piece is taken care of in a straightforward and compassionate way without having to spend countless hours looking after the details yourself. Holding onto property means a slow dissolution of the estate funds, or even of your own. A quick sale of the home is good but you also want to make sure that you’re optimizing the sale. Things to consider when deciding if you want to hire Alivio Solution.
A) With competing priorities when dealing with the passing of your loved one, as well as your own personal matters, how much time do you want to allocate to clearing the house? How many weekends and additional vacation days are you willing to sacrifice?
B) How will you fulfill your legal responsibility to recuperate the most amount of funds for all the possessions in the house?
C) What about the valuable and sentimental items? Will you keep them or distribute them to family & friends? Where do they live?
D) What to do with the items that haven’t been sold but are in good condition? Do you know what charities to contact for all the different types of items?
E) How do you dispose of all of the rest of the items in a sustainable way? [Recycling, Hazmat, Garbage]
F) What about the vehicle you don’t have an interest in keeping? Can you sell it quickly? Or donate it?
G) Do you have someone you can hire to fix and clean the house?
H) Do you know a trusted realtor in the area?
Last but certainly not least
Take care of yourself. The process of dealing with someone’s life after death can take months if not years. Just downsizing or divesting a home can be drawn out to 6-8 months if done in the background of a busy personal life. [Read our An Organized Downsizing Process blog for help].
Life does go on and after taking any compassionate leave, you will probably be back at work, leading a busy personal life with lots of responsibilities competing for your attention. All of this whilst grieving the loss of your loved one.
Take time to look after yourself, consider Alivio as your turnkey solution. We will handle the estate of your loved one with dignity, freeing you from guilt or stress while optimizing the return on furniture, effects, and home, in a sustainable manner. We also offer differentpackages tailored to your needs. Spend time where it matters most, let Alivio look after the rest.
For more information on what to do after your last goodbye in Ontario visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/what-do-when-someone-dies#section-0
