Your parents worked so hard to give you a good life, and even after they pass, they will give you everything they can to ensure you are happy and successful. That’s largely the purpose of inheritance: to pass along a person’s hard-earned money and possessions to those they most cherished in life.
Yet, when you live in Los Angeles, you might not be prepared to take on all of your parents’ old possessions. Typically, Angeleno apartments and homes are on the smaller side, to accommodate high housing prices and high population density. As much as you might want to make use of your family’s heirloom eight-foot dining table, it just might not fit in your current space. So — what should you do?
Give Yourself Time
Family members might demand that you make decisions about your inherited property as soon as possible — but the truth is that you should try to avoid making hard choices while you are grieving. Unfortunately, inheritances only come to you after a loved one passes; on one hand, you are receiving a large and precious gift, but on the other hand, you will no longer be able to spend time with someone you likely deeply care for. Thus, it is natural for people to act rashly with their inheritances, driven by grief to perform actions they would not normally consider.
Even if you feel clear-headed, you should give yourself time to come to terms with the loss before making decisions for your inherited property. You can find affordable personal storage solutions in Los Angeles, where you can keep your inherited belongings safe as you navigate your grief and become accustomed to your new normal.
Let Some Pieces Go
You can’t keep everything you own throughout your lifetime, let alone everything your parents or other loved ones have owned. Some of the property you inherit will need to be given away, donated or otherwise let go of, almost regardless of how sympathetic or guilty they make you feel.
Fortunately, if you have been living in smaller LA spaces for some time, you have probably become an expert at decluttering and purging unwanted items. Whether you ascribe to the KonMari Method, the Four Box Method or the Minimalist Game, you should do what you can to cut down on the items in your inheritance storage space.
If you are struggling to part with some pieces that simply will not fit in your current space, you should remember that you can continue paying for extra storage until you move to a larger home that will accommodate your inherited pieces. However, if you don’t ever see yourself using or decorating with certain belongings, it might be best to take a picture of the item, thank your loved one for leaving it to you, and let it go.
Reimagine Some Items
It is rare for someone else’s décor to fit perfectly into your home. Even if you love an item you inherited with all your heart, it might not be right for your space’s aesthetic. However, that doesn’t mean it definitely belongs in the “let go” pile. Rather, you might need to reimagine the item in your own taste.
There are several ways to do this, depending on the item you want to keep and what you can envision working in your home. Some ideas include:
- Refinishing. Perhaps the easiest option is to refinish your item to give it a fresh look that matches your style. You can stain, paint, reupholster and replace the hardware on almost all furniture, transforming how it looks.
- Repurpose. You should consider whether an item can serve a different purpose in your home than its original intention. For instance, a desk or dresser might make a good changing table, or dining chairs can serve as accent furniture in living spaces.
- Transform. Some items can be disassembled and used as smaller décor. You might turn curtains into throw pillows, tablecloths into framed wall hangings, or pieces of furniture into small decorative elements on floors or tabletops.
Ultimately, as long as you give yourself time and space, you will make the right decisions for your inheritance and your home.
