Do you have a partner? Do you have children? Do you have cousins?

Sometimes having family help can make things go easier.

My parents had a TON of stuff, but I had my sister's kids as 25% heirs so there were 3 of us to sort things out. I invited my wife and children to help.

It sort of worked for me.

You can look at it like this: if I found this stuff at a yard sale, would I buy it?

Another way is to make a "budget" for yourself. You will take 2 shelves worth of stuff. Or you will get rid of one thing from your house for every thing you take from your parent's estate.

Hello, I had to do this for my mother, her partner and caregiver passed away in August of 2014. Mom was in a rollover accident years ago which has left her totally dependent for care. I have two brothers, one helped me, it was days and days of sorting and deciding what to keep. Precious memories, many items belonged to my father, who has been gone since 1997. Sadly we only could keep special items, despite my mother wanting everything saved. She lives in a nursing home and that wasn't possible.

I like Pepperman's reply. I still have boxes in my basement of things that I kept under my mothers insistence, wishing I could have kept less but too many special things.