You open the drawer next to the stove and find three can openers. The hall closet holds coats for a life you stopped living years ago. Somewhere in the basement there is a box you have not opened since 1994. And you know, quietly, that one day someone you love will have to sort all of it, without you there to explain.
It is not your fault. Nobody ever taught us how to let things go. We were only taught how to keep.
This workbook is the gentle way, one small task a day.
How it works
1Print the pages you need, or read them on a tablet. The Large Print Edition has the same page numbers.
2Do one small task a day, about fifteen minutes. Each day has a short story and its own sheet to fill in.
3In thirty days, your house is lighter, your papers are in one binder, and your family knows what you want.
Look inside
Page 18 · Day 4, turn the hangersPage 19 · your sheet for Day 4Page 78 · where my important papers arePage 115 · Keep, Give, Let Go labels
What is inside, page by page
Part 1 · Before you begin(pages 2–11) The one question to ask of every object in your house (page 5), how to go gently (page 7), what you need, and where things go in your town.
Part 2 · The thirty days(pages 12–71) Two pages a day: the drawer next to the stove (page 12), my sister's hanger trick (page 18), the "Important — Start Here" folder (page 28), the stairs test for books (page 36), the small private box (page 50), labeling photographs with a soft pencil (page 54), the promises you never wrote down (page 62), and more.
Part 3 · The Start Here binder(pages 72–98) About me, the people to call, important papers, accounts, pensions, bills, insurance, health, the house, cars, online accounts (never passwords) and your wishes. Write where things are, not the secrets themselves.
Part 4 · Room by room(pages 99–114) A sheet for every room, from the kitchen to the attic, the garage and the storage unit.
Part 5 · Printables for the family(pages 115–135) Box labels, photo labels, the family conversation guide, Who Gets What pages, gift tags and a once-a-year review.
The honest math
A 10×10 storage unit costs about $80 a month in the United States, nearly $1,000 a year. A professional estate clean-out often costs more than $1,000. Eleven weekends of your children's lives have no price at all. This workbook is $27, once.
What you get
The workbook as a PDF, 135 pages, US Letter
The Large Print Edition, 190 pages, with the same page numbers, so "page 28" is page 28 in both
Every sheet prints on ordinary paper, as many times as you like
Instant download, and a link in your email to download again any time
When my mother died in the spring of 1987, she left me three cardboard boxes and a letter: "Solveig, the rest is already where it belongs." Two years later my husband's mother left a four-bedroom house, a basement and a garage, and it took us eleven weekends to empty it.
I did my own death cleaning the winter I turned seventy-five, one drawer at a time. This workbook is that plan, written down. Put the kettle on. Let us begin.
Solveig
Questions
Is this a book that will come in the mail?
No. It is a PDF you download right away. You can read it on a computer or a tablet, or print it at home or at a print shop.
Can I print it?
Yes, every page, as many times as you like, on ordinary paper.
Is the print large enough?
The Large Print Edition is included at no extra cost. Its page numbers match the standard edition.
Is this a subscription?
No. You pay once, $27.
What if I lose the file?
Your email receipt has a link to download it again, any time.
Is this legal advice?
No. The workbook helps you get organized and ready. For wills, taxes and important documents, it sends you to a qualified professional where you live.
My promise to you
If this workbook is not right for you, write to me within 14 days and I will refund you in full. And you keep the book.
