Arguably the best name for anything in real estate, Swedish Death Cleaning isn’t as dramatic as it sounds, but it can have a dramatic impact on how you live in your home.
Like all the other Scandinavian nations, the Swedes take their experience of living at home very seriously. That’s probably because the weather is so dire for about nine months of the year.
When it comes to Death Cleaning, you might think the Swedes are overthinking the whole house cleaning caper.
Called “döstädning” in Swedish, it’s a mixture of decluttering and organizing your belongings with the awareness of your own mortality.
At one level, it’s similar to downsizing. A related goal of Death Cleaning is to simplify and reduce your possessions so it’s easier for loved ones to clean out your home once you’re dead.
The concept gained global notoriety with the release of the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson. It’s since been a TV series.
This is how you approach the challenge:
Declutter with intention: You should assess the value and significance of your possessions and eliminate unnecessary items and keep only what truly matters.
Ease burden: A primary motivation is to prevent your family from having to sort through a lifetime of clutter after your death. In Sweden, this is a considerate act in preparing your estate.
Time of reflection: It goes deeper than that, though. For the Swedes, it’s a process of reflection, allowing you to revisit memories and decide what you want to leave behind.
Any age: These principles sound like you need to be on death’s door to get the benefits, but that’s not so. It’s seen as a practical and mindful approach to organizing your life, recognizing the importance of leaving a clean and organized legacy.
Death Cleaning targets: It depends on the individual. But obvious items might be unwanted art, china tea sets, old clothes, dolls, teddy bears, old electronics, DIY tools, engine parts – really, all sorts of bric-a-brac. The aim is to relieve your family of having to go through your belongings because that’s a heavy burden at such a sad time.