Clearing Your Parents' Home with Your Siblings: Step by Step with OWNAMIC

Published by Adrian Vogel · Reading time: approx. 14 minutes · Last updated: October 2026 · Jurisdiction: Germany

Before you start: This guide is not legal or tax advice. It describes the general legal position in Germany. And it shows how to organise the work with OWNAMIC. Some questions are for a notary or a specialist inheritance lawyer: Does someone turn down the inheritance? How large are the shares or a compulsory share? How do you balance out differences in value? And how do you put your agreement in writing?

In short:

• At the end you have one shared list. Every item shows where it went.
• You need an OWNAMIC account. Every sibling needs their own.
• Preparing takes about 30 minutes. Recording takes longer, depending on the house.
• OWNAMIC gives no advice on inheritance, shares or tax and divides no money.

What a shared space is is covered in Sharing is Caring – When Ownership Concerns More Than One Person. That article also explains why financial data stays private there at first. This article is the practical part. It shows who clicks what, from the first room to the last collection.

What you should know

You inherit together, not item by item. When several people inherit, they form a community of heirs (Erbengemeinschaft). This means everything your parents left belongs to all of you jointly (§ 2032 BGB, the German Civil Code). What they left is called the estate. You manage it together (§ 2038 BGB). You can only decide about a single item together (§ 2040 BGB). In practice, nobody sells, gives away or throws out anything alone. That includes things that look like junk.

Anyone can demand the division. Splitting up the estate is called the division (Auseinandersetzung). Each co-heir can in principle demand it at any time, unless the will says otherwise (§ 2042 BGB). The law first divides the things themselves. Equal parts are allocated by drawing lots (§ 752 BGB). Whatever cannot be divided is sold, and you share the money (§ 753 BGB). For furniture and other movable items, this happens by public auction. For household goods that rarely pays off. Specialist articles name another route: one co-heir takes an item over at its estimated value. In short: agree among yourselves.

Six weeks to disclaim. To disclaim means to turn down the inheritance, for example because of debts. You have six weeks for this. The period starts when you learn of the inheritance. In cases involving another country, it is six months (§ 1944 BGB). After that, the inheritance counts as accepted. Even clearing out a home can count as accepting it. Anyone still deciding should not help clear.

Compulsory share and inventory. Sometimes a will disinherits a sibling. That sibling then usually has a compulsory share (Pflichtteil). This is a claim to money, not to things. It is worth half of what they would have inherited without a will (§ 2303 BGB). They can also ask the heirs for information about the estate, as an inventory. If they wish, a notary draws up this inventory. The estate pays the costs (§ 2314 BGB). A recorded household is a basis for that, not a substitute.

Household goods and inheritance tax. Children are in tax class I. For them, household goods up to €41,000 per recipient are exempt from inheritance tax. This means you pay no inheritance tax on household goods up to this amount. For other movable items such as a car, the limit is €12,000 (§ 13 ErbStG, the German Inheritance Tax Act). Cash, securities, coins and precious metals do not count. Clarify the rest with a tax adviser.

Was it a rented flat? Then the heirs can end the lease early. They have one month for this, from the day they learn of the death. The statutory notice period then applies (§ 564 BGB). Rent keeps running until the flat is handed back.

Preparation: rules before the first room (30 minutes)

Settle these questions together, by video if need be. Only then does anyone touch anything:

1. Who inherits, and what does the will say? Some wills already say who gets what ("Paul gets the watch"). Such instructions on division and specific bequests come first.
2. Is anyone still deciding whether to disclaim? Then wait before clearing.
3. Who coordinates? One person records the household in their OWNAMIC account. From here on, that is you.
4. How will you share things out? Fix the method before you see the list (Step 6). If everyone knows the rule before they know who wants what, there is less to argue about.
5. Which value counts? The estimate from OWNAMIC, an appraisal or both? And above which amount do you need an appraisal?

An honest note about the app: in OWNAMIC every object has exactly one owner. That is the account it is recorded in. There is no joint ownership across accounts. So in the app, your parents' home sits in your inventory. Under inheritance law it still belongs to all of you. A shared space holds at most five members, you included. Every sibling needs their own account. The free 14-day trial is enough to join. Afterwards they can still read the space.

Step 1: Set up the house as a structure

1. Tap Plus and, under Manual, choose Template.
2. Choose "Home" and also "Order & Legacy". You can select both at once.
3. Name the first structure under Name, for example "Berger family home". Living room, kitchen, bedroom and so on are already there.
4. Use Add your own for the cellar, attic and study.
5. Name the second structure something like "Sharing out the house". It contains three collections: Keep, Sell or give away and Discard. You will need them in Step 6.
6. Tap Create Structure.

Did your parents keep receipts, appraisals or certificates of authenticity? A certificate of authenticity is a paper confirming that an item is genuine. Attach such papers to the right object with Upload File. Check the type with Change type. OWNAMIC never shows documents in a shared space. Your siblings get them through the export in Step 9.

Step 2: Record room by room

Photograph each room as it is first. Only then does anyone move anything. Then record:

• Video capture for the bulk: one room per video, panned slowly. OWNY analyses the first 30 seconds.
• Photo series for cupboards, drawers and boxes: up to five pictures, many objects.
• Detail shots for everything you will talk about: jewellery, watches, art, porcelain, collections. Up to five pictures, including a signature or hallmark (the stamp punched into silver and gold).

Under "What the photo cannot show", enter what you know: origin, year of purchase, "wedding present from Grandma". Under "Adjust the analysis", leave the valuation type on "Market observation". That is the price an item fetches second-hand. It is the figure you settle up with among yourselves.

Then check the Findings. Correct names and assign everything to the right room. Recognised objects use AI credit. Anything you enter by hand is free.

Has your brother already taken the watches home? Then he records them in his own account. Later he adds them to the space with Contribute your objects. That way, even what is no longer in the house is on the same list.

Step 3: Bring your siblings into a shared space

1. Open Shared Spaces and choose New space.
2. Under Create the space, enter a Name and Description. For example: "Berger family home" and "Mum and Dad's household, where everything is going".
3. Include financial data: for fair sharing, everyone needs to see the same values. With the switch off, OWNAMIC removes all values before they reach the others. You can change it later.
4. Switch on Share “Intended for”, Share status and Share events. Then everyone sees whom an item is intended for. They also see whether it has been sold, given away, donated or disposed of. And they see the wishes from Step 5.
5. Tap Continue. Then, under Contribute objects, tap Collection. Choose "Berger family home" and "Sharing out the house", each Including everything inside.
6. Tap Continue to reach Invite people. Enter the Email address and tap Invite. Invitees are Viewers: they see everything and can contribute their own objects.
7. Copy message gives you the ready-made invitation text. You send it yourself, for example by messenger. OWNAMIC does not email anyone. The invitation is valid for 14 days.
8. Tap Done, then Go to space.

Your siblings open the link and tap Accept. They see the Hierarchy of all rooms and things. If financial data is shared, they also see the Value. They can use Search this space … to search. They cannot change, delete or export your objects.

Step 4: Agree on values

With financial data shared, everyone sees the same Total value. OWNY's values are non-binding estimates, not appraisals. Objects without an amount are missing from the total, without any notice. This is how you reach common ground:

• For most things the estimate is enough. Set a threshold, for example: "Anything under €200 we take as it is."
• For important pieces, update the values with Re-estimate. It uses AI credit. Only you as the owner can trigger it. So your siblings ask you.
• For truly valuable items, get an appraisal from an expert. Or ask an auction house or specialist dealer. Agree beforehand on what it costs and who pays. Upload the appraisal to the object as Certified Appraisal. Only then does the value count as documented in OWNAMIC.

What papers mean for the price is covered in Value Loss Without Papers: Why Documentation Decides the Price.

Step 5: Collect wishes

To be honest up front: in a shared space, members can only look. There is no wish list, no reservation, no comments and no voting. This is how it works with what is there:

1. Everyone writes down their wishes at the same time. Each sibling goes through the hierarchy. They note the items by their names in OWNAMIC, in order of priority. Set a deadline. By then everyone sends their list to you privately. That way nobody adjusts their wishes to the others'.
2. You record each wish on the object. Open the item, tap Add Event and choose Special Event. Under More details, enter an Event Name such as "Wish: Anna (priority 1)". Then tap Save.
3. Everyone sees the same wishes. The space shares events. So each item's detail card shows under Events who would like it.

The wishes stay in the object's history. On a transfer they go with it. That keeps it clear how the sharing-out came about.

Step 6: Share fairly and record the result

Now the rule from your preparation applies. You can combine these methods:

• Uncontested items first. One wish, no competitor: allocated.
• Take turns. Draw lots for the order. Pick in snake order: Anna, Ben, Clara, Clara, Ben, Anna. That way first place does not bring a lasting advantage.
• Points. Everyone spreads 100 points across their wishes. Where two want the same item, the higher stake wins. On a tie, draw lots.
• Taking over with a balance. Whoever takes a valuable item has the agreed value counted against their share. So they get less of the rest. For larger amounts, settle how with a notary or specialist lawyer.
• An auction among yourselves. If several want the same item, you bid against each other. The money goes into the estate.

You record the result in the Order & Legacy edition:

1. Tap the name of your edition and choose Order & Legacy under OWNAMIC editions.
2. Open Sort. Under "Which collection are you sorting out?", choose a room.
3. For each item on the card:
   • You get it: Keep.
   • A sibling gets it: enter their name under Intended for, then Sell or give away.
   • It will be sold or donated: Sell or give away without a name.
   • It goes: Discard.
   • Still open: Not sure yet, later.
4. When a room is done, tap Mark collection as finished.

The item stays in the living room. It also sits in one of the three collections. "Sharing out the house" is in the space. So everyone sees what goes where. Thanks to the shared "Intended for", they also see for whom.

The list for everyone: open "Sharing out the house". Choose Export, then This object and all descendants, then Export as PDF and the type Collection file. The collection file starts with a cover page listing every piece. Then comes each piece with its story and whom it is meant for. It is the basis for your written agreement. It is not the agreement itself.

Step 7: Hand over what your siblings receive

Open Order & Legacy collections. Under Sell or give away, every allocated item shows "Meant for Anna" and Promised.

If Anna has an OWNAMIC account, tap Transfer to someone:

1. Enter the Recipient's email.
2. For a display cabinet with its contents, choose Also transfer all objects contained within this object.
3. Optionally choose Hand over without prices and values (e.g. as a gift). Between siblings you will usually leave the values in. They count for the balance.
4. Under Appear to the recipient as, choose how your name appears.
5. Tick the confirmation and tap Request transfer.
6. Tap Copy link. When handing over in person, tap Show QR code.

Anna accepts in her own account. Images, files, events and valuations go with the object. This cannot be undone. Afterwards the item is no longer part of the family home in your account. If Anna wants to keep showing it in the space, she contributes it herself.

Without an account, record Gifted on the item with the date. Under More details, write in the Description something like "Taken over by Anna in the division of the estate, counted at €400". The word "gifted" is just the app's wording. Legally, one co-heir taking over an item is not a gift.

Step 8: Sell, donate or discard the rest

Whatever sits under Sell or give away without a name is leaving. Agree beforehand who may sell on everyone's behalf.

• Selling: for single items, OWNY drafts an ad. Open the object, tap All details, then Create listing template. Nothing is published. You copy the text and photos to the platform yourself. After the sale, tap Sold and enter the price. Once saved, the buyer can confirm the sale. To do this, tap Create signing link. For valuable pieces, an auction house or specialist dealer is an option.
• Donating: second-hand charity shops (Sozialkaufhäuser) and charities often collect furniture in good condition. On the item, record Donated.
• Discarding: for the rest, get several quotes from house-clearance firms. They view things on site or by video. Ask about a fixed price and a "broom-clean" handover, meaning empty and roughly swept. Also ask whether they credit usable items against the cost. Usually not much comes of that. Enter the date under Discard with Add pick-up date. Then mark each item as Discarded.

At the top of the page, the Letting-go balance shows how many items have gone. It splits them into Sold, Gifted and Donated and shows the Total proceeds. The proceeds belong to the community of heirs. Dividing them is up to you.

Step 9: Document everything and share it with everyone

Your siblings cannot export your objects. You do it for everyone:

1. Open My documents and tap New export.
2. Select "Berger family home" and "Sharing out the house".
3. Switch on Include all files and Include contained objects.
4. Under Name (optional), enter something like "Berger family home, at handover".
5. Under Report type:, choose Full report or Collection file.
6. Tap Create export.

You get a ZIP file. It contains a PDF report, the data as tables and all receipts and appraisals. OWNAMIC keeps it for 30 days. Download it and send it to all your siblings.

Common mistakes

• One person clears ahead. Nothing leaves before everyone has decided. That also protects whoever is doing the clearing.
• Memories end up in the skip. Secure photo albums, letters and papers before the clearance firm arrives.
• Asking for wishes one after another. Whoever is asked last feels passed over.
• Throwing out underrated things. Old porcelain or a stamp album is sometimes worth more than expected. Session 2: What survived two decades in the cupboard shows this.
• The kitchen is missing when sorting. Sort leaves out collections holding consumer goods such as food. If need be, put crockery and appliances in a collection of their own.

What OWNAMIC does not do here

• OWNAMIC does not advise. It calculates no shares, no compulsory share, no balancing payment and no tax.
• No joint ownership, no co-editing. Every object belongs to exactly one account. There are no wishes, reservations, comments or votes. The route via events is a workaround.
• No estate inventory. There is no dedicated export for an estate or asset inventory. The PDF has no grand total, no attached documents, no accounts and no debts.
• No appraisals. Estimates are a guide.
• No division of proceeds. The letting-go balance counts; it does not distribute.

Checklist to take with you

• Disclaiming settled for everyone, will read
• Coordinator, sharing method and basis for values agreed
• "Home" and "Order & Legacy" templates set up, cellar and attic added
• Every room photographed and recorded on video, valuable items with detail shots
• Shared space set up with financial data, "Intended for", status and events
• All siblings invited and joined
• Important pieces re-estimated, appraisals uploaded
• Wish lists collected by the deadline and recorded as events
• Every room sorted and finished, collection file sent to everyone
• Promised items transferred or recorded as handed over
• The rest sold, donated or collected, proceeds divided
• ZIP export with all files sent to every sibling

Read on: Passing on and planning ahead · Sharing is Caring – When Ownership Concerns More Than One Person · Döstädning

Sources

• § 2032 BGB, community of heirs (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__2032.html
• § 2038 BGB, joint management of the estate (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__2038.html
• § 2040 BGB, disposal of estate items (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__2040.html
• § 2042 BGB, division of the estate (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__2042.html
• § 752 BGB, division in kind (allocation by lot) (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__752.html
• § 753 BGB, division by sale (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__753.html
• § 1944 BGB, period for disclaiming (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1944.html
• § 2303 BGB, compulsory share (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__2303.html
• § 2314 BGB, the heir's duty to provide information (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__2314.html
• § 564 BGB, death of the tenant (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__564.html
• § 13 ErbStG, tax exemptions (household goods) (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/erbstg_1974/__13.html
• Bavarian Ministry of Justice: Erben und Vererben (brochure, German): https://www.justiz.bayern.de/media/images/behoerden-und-gerichte/erben_vererben.pdf
• Local Court of Rheine: leaflet on disclaiming an inheritance (German): https://www.ag-rheine.nrw.de/aufgaben/abteilungen/Nachlasssachen/5-Ausschlagung-der-Erbschaft.pdf
• IWW: community of heirs, dividing the estate (sale by auction, taking over at estimated value) (German): https://www.iww.de/ee/archiv/erbengemeinschaft-nachteil-erbengemeinschaft-auseinandersetzung-des-nachlasses-f9283
• Biallo: how valuables are shared fairly among heirs (German): https://www.biallo.de/recht-steuern/news/wie-wertgegenstaende-unter-erben-gerecht-verteilt-werden/
• Börse Online: clearing a home, which rules apply (German): https://www.boerse-online.de/nachrichten/aktien/wohnungsaufloesung-abschied-ohne-aerger-welche-regeln-zu-beachten-sind-20293796.html
• anwalt.org: private house clearance, costs and process (German): https://www.anwalt.org/haushaltsaufloesung/

Deadlines, allowances and rules can change. They also depend on the individual case, such as the will. The information reflects the general position as of October 2026. If in doubt, clarify the details with a notary, a specialist inheritance lawyer or a tax adviser.