You may have thought about how you would like your wealth and estate to be distributed after your death, with a will helping to put those plans in place.

But beyond this, there are some other ways you could support your loved ones, as dealing with the practical elements of a bereavement at such an emotional time can be very difficult.

Sorting through a property, locating paperwork, finding log-in details, and dealing with what feels like an endless amount of admin can often be overwhelming.

The Swedish concept of döstädning, or “death cleaning”, is a practical approach that could help ease the path for your loved ones after you’re gone. Read on to find out more.

Integrating a practical approach with your financial estate planning could be helpful for your loved ones

The idea of döstädning was first mooted by Swedish painter Margareta Magnusson in her book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Essentially, this concept is about decluttering your home and leaving just essentials and meaningful items behind.

While it can be difficult to think about what might happen when you die, this is a pragmatic approach that you can integrate into your wider estate planning.

At Intelligent Pensions, we can support you with the financial side of estate planning, helping you find the optimum and most tax-efficient methods to distribute your wealth after you die.

Meanwhile, you can decide how döstädning could work for you. Here are four ways you could get started.

1. Start decluttering

Death cleaning isn’t about giving away all your belongings and living a Spartan life for the rest of your days. But the chances are, you have plenty of “stuff” in your house that you don’t need. If there’s anything you’re not using and you know your family won’t make use of, then this is a good opportunity to declutter.

One of the first hurdles with decluttering is sentimentality, such as getting lost in photos or letters. Instead, start with bigger items that will create space but don’t have the same kind of emotions attached.

Give yourself a rule, such as anything you haven’t used, worn, or engaged with in a year is no longer necessary. Try to apply a similar rule to books: only keep any that you’re likely to reread or that have a great significance to you.

2. Keep an inventory

Tracking down someone else’s bank accounts, pensions, and logins can be a monumental and frustrating task. Having a “When I die” or “In case of emergency” folder can be a helpful way of storing key information in one place.

While this can be either physical, digital, or both, it’s important to note that you should never store your PIN, usernames, or passwords for your bank accounts, for security reasons.

Your folder could contain your:

  • Will
  • Passport
  • Driving licence
  • List of bank accounts, investments, savings, and debt, such as credit cards
  • Mortgage or property ownership documents
  • Insurance policy information
  • Digital information such as email accounts, subscriptions, and social media accounts
  • Contact information, such as your solicitor, financial adviser, and accountant
  • Funeral wishes, if they are not already addressed in your will or letter of wishes, such as whether you’d like to be buried or cremated.

You could also include an inventory of key physical assets, such as property, vehicles, and valuable or sentimental items of jewellery.

Once you’ve compiled your file, you need to store it securely, which could be in a physical safe or high-security digital vault, or you could leave it as a sealed document with your solicitor.

It can be helpful to let your executors know where this information is stored and how they can access it.

Intelligent Pensions has put together a handy document, which you can find on our website, or you can ask your financial planner for a version with the adviser details already completed in the document.

3. Deal with any “secrets”

They don’t need to be dramatic or mysterious, but there’s still a good chance you have a few secrets you wouldn’t want your family to find out about by default.

If you have any letters or photographs that you would rather they didn’t see, then upfront planning can help. You could create a “Just for me” box, which you lock and leave to a close, trusted friend. Or you could get rid of any of these items completely, depending on how attached you are to keeping them while you’re alive.

4. Settle your financial affairs

Try to leave as little as possible for your loved ones to worry about. While it might not be feasible to tie everything up, settle as much debt as possible, such as paying off any credit cards.

If you’ve taken out life insurance, make sure your beneficiaries are listed so they receive any payouts quickly.

Writing a letter of wishes can also be helpful. While this isn’t a legally binding document, it can accompany your will and give additional information.

This could explain some of your decisions, for example, to avoid family arguments and conflict. You can also elaborate on your funeral wishes, explain if you’ve left any money to pay for it, and add requests such as music or charity donations.

Get in touch

Döstädning is a practical part of your later life planning, which you can adopt as much or as little of as you wish. Meanwhile, we can help with all your financial estate planning queries. Please email hello@intelligentpensions.com or call 0800 077 8807 to find out more.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at individuals only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate planning or will writing.