What to do if…
you are asked to clear a home after someone dies and are worried about losing evidence

What to do now

1. Create a stop point.
   Say: “I’m not refusing to help. I’m making a clear record first so nobody loses track of what was here.”

2. Make a dated visual record before moving anything.
   Use your phone to take a slow video walkthrough of each room. Take wide photos of the room, then close photos of valuables, collections, jewellery boxes, safes, lockboxes, tools, labelled boxes, serial numbers, damaged areas, and anything that already looks disturbed.

3. Keep the record respectful in a shared home.
   Only open cupboards, wardrobes, or drawers if you need to document what is there. If another person still lives there, avoid filming their private belongings where possible and note that some areas were not checked.

4. Start a simple inventory that matches the home as it was.
   Use paper or a notes app with: room, shelf or drawer, box number, brief contents, date, and who packed it. “Bedroom 2, bedside drawer, Box 3, watch, mixed jewellery, letters” is enough for now.

5. Separate documents without turning it into a full clear-out.
   If papers appear to belong to the person who died, put them in one labelled folder or box and record where they were found. Include possible will copies, bank letters, insurance letters, property or tenancy papers, passports, driving licence, car documents, benefit letters, utility letters, keys, and receipts. If papers may belong to someone still living there, leave them where they are and record their location without reading them.

6. Secure immediate risk items.
   Move medication, sharp items, cash, jewellery, keys, and small valuables to a labelled safe place only if leaving them where they are could cause loss, harm, or dispute. Write down what was moved, where it came from, where it is now, who moved it, and the time. Do not dispose of medication unless a pharmacist or the person dealing with the estate tells you how.

7. Identify who is giving instructions.
   Ask who is dealing with the estate. This may be an executor, administrator, or executor-dative depending on where in the UK the estate is being dealt with. Ask for instructions in writing before discarding, selling, donating, distributing, or removing items from the home.

8. Send a short written update.
   Message the person giving instructions with: “I have made a dated record. I will pack by room, label each box, and keep documents and valuables separate. I will not discard, sell, donate, or distribute anything without written agreement.”

9. Pack only if packing cannot wait.
   Work one room at a time. Number every box or bag. Write the room, date, and your initials on the label. Photograph the open shelf or drawer before emptying it, then photograph the filled box with the label visible.

10. Use a simple witness step for valuables or disputed items.
    If possible, have another adult present when you record cash, jewellery, watches, tools, collections, electronics, or anything already disputed. Note who saw it, where it was found, and where it was stored.

11. Protect the property without overstepping.
    Lock doors and windows, keep a note of who has keys, and record who enters while you are there. Do not change locks unless there is an urgent and lawful reason. If the home is rented, jointly owned, or still occupied, consider the landlord, joint owner, tenant, or other lawful occupier before changing access.