Before a family can decide who receives what, somebody has to find out what’s there. It sounds like the simplest part, and in practical terms it is. Emotionally it can be the hardest. Every drawer holds something, and many of those things hold a memory.
This guide offers a practical way to catalogue a loved one’s home: room by room, one item at a time, with a record the whole family can see. Go slowly, take breaks, and don’t be surprised if a single box of photographs takes an afternoon.
Why a shared inventory helps
A careful list does more than count things. It:
- Puts everyone on the same footing. Siblings who live far away can see what’s there as clearly as those who live nearby.
- Prevents surprises. Nobody discovers months later that something they’d have loved went to the charity shop.
- Makes fair decisions possible. People can only choose fairly from a list that everyone has seen.
- Protects the executor. A clear record of what was there, and what happened to it, answers questions before they’re asked.
- Keeps the stories. A line about where something came from is often what the family treasures most, long after the things themselves have gone.
Before you start
Keep the house as it is
Agree with the family that nothing leaves the house until it’s on the list and its destination has been agreed. That includes small things and things “nobody will mind about”. Removing things early, even kindly, is one of the most common causes of hurt between relatives.
Secure what matters first
Before the detailed work, spend an hour finding and securing:
- The will, and any separate letter or list of wishes
- Cash, jewellery and small valuables
- Keys, including spare keys held by neighbours or friends
- Bank statements, pension papers, insurance policies and deeds
- Passports, driving licences and other identity documents
- Laptops, phones and any written passwords
Put them somewhere locked, and tell the family what you’ve done. If the home will be empty, check the insurance still covers it.
Decide who’s doing what
An inventory goes faster, and is fairer, when more than one person is involved. Agree who will photograph, who will write things down, and which rooms each person takes. If some of the family can’t be there, a video call as you walk round can help them feel included.
What to record for each item
You don’t need a spreadsheet with twenty columns. For each item, these are enough:
- What it is. “Oak chest of drawers”, “Mum’s sewing box”.
- A photo. Take one clear photo in good light, plus a close-up of any mark, signature or damage.
- Where it is. The room, and where in the room. It saves hunting later.
- Rough condition. Good, worn, needs repair.
- An estimated value, if it might be worth something. A family estimate is fine for most things. Mark anything that might need a professional valuation.
- The story, if you know it. “Grandad made this in 1962.” “The clock from the farmhouse.” This is the part the family will read most closely.
Group small, similar things where it makes sense: “kitchen utensils”, “paperback novels, about 200”. List individually anything someone might want on its own.
A room-by-room checklist
Work through one room at a time, finishing each before moving on. These are the things that are easy to miss.
Living room and dining room
- Furniture, rugs, lamps and mirrors
- Paintings, prints and framed photographs, including the backs of frames, where notes and older photos sometimes hide
- Clocks, ornaments and display cabinets
- China, glassware and silver
- Books, records, and anything tucked inside them
Kitchen
- Everyday crockery and good china, which is often kept separately
- Cookware, especially cast iron and copper that people remember from childhood
- Recipe books and handwritten recipe cards
- Small appliances
Bedrooms
- Jewellery, including boxes at the back of drawers and inside coat pockets
- Watches, cufflinks and small keepsakes
- Clothing, especially anything with sentimental value, such as a wedding dress or a favourite coat
- Bedside drawers, which often hold letters, cards and photographs
Study or office
- Papers: sort into keep for the executor, personal and sentimental, and to be shredded. Don’t shred anything until the executor has looked.
- Photographs and albums
- Letters, diaries and cards
- Computers, phones and storage drives
Loft, cellar, garage and shed
- Boxes that haven’t been opened for years. Open them all; lofts hold surprises.
- Tools and garden equipment
- Bicycles, sports equipment and camping gear
- Children’s things kept “for the grandchildren”
- Vehicles, with their documents and keys
Everywhere
- Anything in a safe, or a lockbox, and the keys or codes
- Items on loan to or from someone else
- Collections: stamps, coins, records, books, models. These are often worth more together than apart, and worth a specialist’s opinion.
Digital belongings
Much of what a person leaves behind today isn’t in a drawer. Photos live on a phone or in a cloud account, letters are emails, and music and books may be in digital libraries. These are easy to overlook in an inventory, and some can’t be recovered once an account is closed.
- List the devices: phones, tablets, laptops, cameras and external drives. Keep them charged and safe, and don’t reset or give them away.
- Note the accounts you know about: email, photo storage, social media. Many services have their own process for families after a death, and some let people nominate a contact in advance.
- Look for written passwords in address books, desk drawers or a notebook by the computer, and keep them with the other important papers.
- Copy photos and videos before anything is closed, so every family member can have them.
Be careful about signing in to someone else’s accounts. Services have their own terms, and most have a process for families after a death, which is usually the safer route.
Things worth a professional valuation
For most household items, a family estimate is enough. Consider a professional valuation for:
- Jewellery and watches
- Paintings and art, especially anything signed
- Antiques and older furniture
- Collections
- Vehicles
- Anything two people want, where the family has agreed to balance shares with money
Auction houses often give free informal opinions. A formal written valuation costs money, but can be worth it for a handful of important items.
Photographs, letters and the things that can’t be divided
Family photographs, letters and home movies are often the most wanted and the least divisible things in a house. Before anyone takes them:
- Scan or photograph them, so everyone can keep a copy.
- Keep albums and bundles together as they were found, at least at first. The order often tells its own story.
- Label what you can while people who remember are still around to help.
The same applies to recipe cards, handwritten notes and anything with your loved one’s handwriting on it. A copy for each person can resolve what might otherwise be a hard choice.
Sharing the inventory with the family
When the list is ready, or even while it’s still growing, share it with everyone who will be involved in dividing things. A shared list lets people:
- Look through it at their own pace, which matters in grief
- Ask about things they remember but can’t see
- Add stories you didn’t know
- Say what they’d like, when the time comes
A spreadsheet shared by email works, as long as everyone has the same version. Once the list is shared, the next step is deciding who receives what. Our guides to dividing a parent’s belongings among siblings and ways families take turns choosing pick up from here.
Looking after yourself while you do it
Clearing a loved one’s home is physical and emotional work at the same time. A few things help:
- Set a time limit for each session, and stop when you reach it.
- Don’t do it alone if you can avoid it.
- Keep a box for “not sure yet”, so you don’t have to decide everything immediately.
- Expect to be ambushed by a smell, a note, a coat in a cupboard. It’s all right to stop.
Where Partage fits
The checklist in this guide maps closely onto an item in Partage: a name and category, a photo, an estimated value, and a note for the story behind it. How much an item matters is left to each heir: when they wish for it, they can say whether it means the world to them, they’d love it, or they’re happy either way. Details like where it is or its condition can go in the note.
The Inventory board shows only what’s there, not who wants what, so it stays a calm place to work while the list grows. If you’d rather keep money out of it, the executor can turn estimated values off for the whole estate.
Building the inventory is free, for as long as you need. The executor pays once, when inviting the family, and heirs never pay. See pricing.
Questions families ask
Do I need a professional to value everything?
No. For most household items, a family member's careful estimate is enough. It's worth getting a professional valuation for things that might be worth a lot, such as jewellery, art, antiques, collections and vehicles, and for anything two people want where money might be used to balance shares.
How long does it take to inventory a house?
It varies widely. A small flat might take a day or two. A family home lived in for decades can take several weekends. Working one room at a time, and sharing the work, makes it much more manageable.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For anything formal, a lawyer or notary can help.