Estate cleanouts are usually an unhappy time for the person responsible. The selling of someone’s estate can be caused by a loved one’s passing, downsizing due to financial burden, or another major life event. It could even possibly be an eviction.
Whatever the reason, it’s a stressful time for whoever is affected and you are looking for the easiest way to clean out your estate. This process could be even worse when there is more than one executor of the estate cleanout.
Tips for Estate Cleanout
**Click to auto-scroll by section
What to Remember During a Property Cleanout
When an estate sale is needed, most people do not know where to turn. Your first thought is most likely to hire an estate sales manager or auctioneer. Before you go through the hassle of the estate cleanout process, make sure you have considered all of your options.
Is the estate filled with trash or debris? Are there items of value? Don’t get caught up in the hodgepodge of it all. This can be a simpler task than what you are working yourself up over. Instead, focus on the most important things to deal with during an estate or property cleanout, including:
Need help with a property cleanout? LEARN MORE ❯
Financial Documents
More than likely, probate will occur if there is a death in the family and multiple family members are involved. During this time, it’s important to secure financial documents.
These will be crucial to filing anything for income taxes the following year. Be on the lookout for life insurance policies, estate deeds, bank statements, or stock certificates.
Not Everyone is Your Enemy
Times like these can really bring out the ugly in people. Don’t be at your wits’ end with your friends or family during the time of an estate cleanout. Keep in mind that everyone will not agree on the same strategies as you and that often times, everyone is emotional in this situation.
If the disagreements become bigger than you can handle, hire outside help. It’s not worth losing relationships over.
Figure Out Any Additional Costs
Every day that passes by without selling or renting the estate adds up quickly. The mortgage, taxes, and repairs can become out-of-pocket expenses you were not expecting. You’ll need to quickly figure out a plan of action. Review the extra expenses you don’t think about for a thorough cost analysis.
Storage Rental
More often than not, family members live outside of the state or farther than normal from the estate that’s being cleaned out. Time isn’t on your side when a family member passes. Depending on your situation, you may need to rent a storage unit and come back when the timing is better.
We recommend avoiding this option if at all possible. The expenses will add up quickly when renting a storage unit, and you will have plans that get in the way of you rummaging through the items. If the items aren’t yours or don’t have sentimental value, then good riddance. Hire a local junk disposal company to do the heavy lifting for you.
Shipping Boxes and Fees
Do any of the items need to be shipped or delivered to a beneficiary or previous owner? The objects could be valuable, so they will need to be carefully packaged and shipped off. Depending on the size and weight, shipping costs can be more than you bargained for. Although the product may have an emotional attachment for whomever it’s going to be delivered to, ensure these costs are covered in the sale of some of the items.
Time is Money
The average American homeowner’s house is about 2,500 square feet, and the average estate cleanout ranges anywhere from 150 to 200 man-hours to complete. Don’t forget: your time is valuable.
Consider the time you are dedicating to the estate cleanout when reviewing the extra cost. Are you able to take off work? Make sure you have the time to commit to this project before getting started.
Think About Getting Insurance
There is risk associated with cleaning out an unoccupied property if you are having volunteers help. Be sure to take the necessary steps to avoid a lawsuit and look into your insurance options. A better option is to hire an experienced hauler with insurance so you don’t have to worry about it.
Be Thorough
Be thorough and ask questions when reviewing the estate. Inspect all items to make sure there are no additional storage units or garages that need to be cleared out. Don’t forget to check the backyard for an overlooked shed or storage space.
Was your relative a conspiracy nut? Check under their old mattress. They may have been storing some extra cash because they didn’t trust their money in a bank.
Selling or Distributing Items from an Estate Cleanout
Now you are probably asking yourself, “what are my options?” Estate cleanouts are an overwhelming process, and you’re not sure what to do.
Selling items on eBay or Craigslist has the potential to yield more money per item; however, it also increases the amount of time you are going to contribute to selling these items.
Go Online to Sell Items
Choosing to sell items on your own is time-consuming. The average Joe is not able to look at an item and know how much it’s worth, much less sell or put a price on emotional attachment.
Two of the most popular online sales websites for your estate cleanout are Craigslist and eBay. Don’t just list your items online. Be smart and review what others are pricing similar items for.
If you are aware an item is worth more because you had it appraised, try selling it on Everything But The House. It’s an online estate auction that can help you liquidate objects. One of the perks of this choice is you may make more money, but it’s going to eat up a lot of your time.
Consider a Buyout
A buyout is when you sell the home and everything in it. Buyouts compensate the owner for a percentage of the market value of the home and the items inside. Although this is an easy choice, you lose out on the possibility of more money.
Donate Items from the Estate Cleanout
Not everything in the estate cleanout will be able to be sold. Certain items may not have any resale value or could be damaged beyond repair. Donating those items that can’t be sold is a great idea. Items can be given away to friends or those in need.
Donations can be a lot of work for large, bulky items because the size makes them hard to transport. If you are giving an item up to a charitable organization, you don’t want to injure yourself bringing it to the drop-off station. It’s cost effective to use the proceeds you’ve gathered from an auction or estate sale to hire a junk removal company with proper estate cleanout experience. They can move the large items for you.
Find estate cleanout services near me. SERVICE AREAS ❯
Hiring an Estate Liquidator
When you don’t have the time, hiring an estate liquidator to do the hard work for you may be the most beneficial. You will make some money without using up all of your time.
Choosing an Estate Sales Manager, Liquidator, or Auctioneer
When left with an estate, you most likely weren’t ready to take on the burden of cleaning the estate or prepping it for sale. An easy option is to hire an estate sales manager who has prior experience dealing with situations like this.
Before you look for the right company or person for this job, make sure to do your research. We’ve gathered a few tips for you before hiring your selected estate liquidator or auctioneer.
- Get quotes from more than one person or company
- Don’t hire based upon sales percentage alone
- Find out your state’s tax laws and requirements in regards to estate sales
- Ask for your potential estate manager’s references
- Read online reviews and scour the companies’ Better Business Bureau rankings
- Ask if they have insurance
- Review your contract thoroughly
Above all else, don’t throw anything away until you have met with your liquidator. That “pile of junk” your relative or tenant left behind may have hidden worth. It would be a shame to throw something valuable away.
Just because you have never had an estate sale before, it doesn’t mean you should be naive. In order to make this a smooth process, be sure you do your research. Scour the Internet for answers or visit an antique store.
There are a number of estate sale companies out there. Typically, they will take between 40% to 50% of the proceeds in return for providing labor for the sales process.
What are the Important Takeaways?
Regardless of the decision you move forward with, you are going to find yourself liquidating a few of the assets. Cleaning out the furniture, appliances, and other household goods are going to bring up some items that are not sellable. Those items should either be thrown out or donated.
Removing these items from your home can be a lengthy task or require physical strength. Hiring a professional estate cleanout service can be the answer you are looking for. You won’t have to worry about physically exhausting yourself. Let the professional junk removal experts at LoadUp take over.
Choosing the Right Estate Cleanout Service
During this time, we want to help our customers make this transition as easy as possible. We know you are stressed and you would rather be doing a hundred other things besides cleaning out the apartment, condo, or home.
It doesn’t help that all the memories of you and your family in this home make it even more difficult to keep going. You may also have been friends with the previous tenants. Either way, this is an emotional experience.
There needs to be a level of understanding and empathy during this time so you can focus on what matters most. LoadUp has mastered the art of estate cleanouts and will be out of your hair before you know it.
Need to book property cleanout services? CLICK HERE ❯
Once you are ready, we will help you by transporting the items to a recycling center or donating the items to a local charitable organization. As an eco-friendly junk removal service, we always try to utilize greener, more Earth-friendly disposal methods in order to reduce local landfill waste.
Finding a reliable property cleanout service can be tough. Some companies can be unreliable or have no experience in performing a cleanout. Luckily, LoadUp is not one of these estate cleanout companies you’ve had nightmares about.
LoadUp’s goal is to create a stress-free estate cleanout for our customers. We will perform a full property cleanout by removing items from your cabinets, drawers, and closets. We can remove items from your home, office space, apartment, or place of business as well. Don’t worry about the abandoned furniture, trash, and debris. We haul it all.
Our on-demand service means junk removal and hauling has never been easier. Simply book your cleanout services online. We will give you an upfront, honest quote before the estate cleanout squad arrives.
LoadUp offers estate cleanout services to over 170 cities across the country. If you aren’t sure if LoadUp serves your area, call us, chat with us, or check online for services in your area.
What Other Types of Property Cleanouts are There?
Do you have a property cleanout you need, but it’s not an “estate cleanout?” There are various types of properties that require cleanout services, and LoadUp handles those types of property cleanouts.
Storage Unit Cleanout
Have you ever seen Storage Wars? The premise of the show follows a group of people interested in the auctioning of repossessed storage units. Don’t let this happen to you!
You may not think of a storage unit as a property that needs to be cleaned out since you do not own it, but it is a place you may have items that need to be removed. It’s best to clean out the storage unit before it becomes repossessed and taken away from you.
We can guide you with smarter storage unit cleanouts. Simply call or chat with us and we will make sure your storage unit cleanout is a smooth process.
Attic Cleanouts
Attics are gross, nasty, and sometimes downright unsafe. If you point LoadUp removal experts in the right direction, we’ll take care of your attic cleanout needs. Avoid the dark, dusty area and let us do the work for you. Rest assured, your attic cleanouts and disposal are much easier when you choose LoadUp, your local on-demand junk removal and hauling company.
Foreclosure and REO Cleanouts
LoadUp can clean out any of your foreclosure or REO properties. We can support your property cleanup with our junk services. We offer up-front pricing and curbside removal as well. Have your REO agent, bank, or property management company contact LoadUp.
Eviction Cleanouts
Whether you are looking for someone to clean out the inside or outside of an evicted home, apartment, or office space, LoadUp can handle the junk removal for you. We can remove any unwanted items at your convenience during an eviction cleanout.
Large property cleanout? Rent a dumpster! LEARN MORE ❯
Garage and Bulk Item Cleanouts
Is your garage filled with old electronics, appliances, or furniture? We will remove all of your bulk items and clean everything out for you. We will haul the large items from your property and make sure you’re saying “good riddance” instead of resting in a bed because of a herniated disc.
No matter the area or estate your junk is in – storage units, attics, garages, a foreclosure property, REO property, or evicted property – we will haul your bulk items for you.
LoadUp’s on-demand property cleanouts are your best choice for finding an easy and convenient way to remove unwanted items. All you have to do is book online or call us.
Our customer service representatives will guide you through the process and ask all the right questions. Let them know what needs to be removed from your property, and the disposal experts will arrive and do all the heavy lifting.
