Estate cleanout: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What estate cleanout is

Estate cleanout clears a property after a death or a move by sorting belongings, separating items for family, donation, sale and disposal, and cleaning the home so it is ready to sell or rent. It is a sensitive job that takes time, and the sorting decisions belong to the family.

Signs you need it

  • A family member has died and the home is full of belongings that must be sorted before the sale
  • The property is being prepared for sale or rental and the contents must be cleared
  • Family members live far away and cannot manage the sorting and the hauling themselves
  • Items of value, documents and keepsakes are mixed in with things that will be discarded
  • The house has been unoccupied for some time and needs cleaning and disposal work

What the pro does

  • Meet with the family to agree on the sorting process, the timeline and who decides on each category of item
  • Walk the property and identify items to keep for family, items for donation and items for sale
  • Set aside documents, jewelry, photographs and valuables for the family to review before anything leaves
  • Haul away items for donation or disposal, and arrange sale of items if the family wants it
  • Clean the home, including floors, bathrooms, kitchen and the surfaces that were hidden under belongings
  • Walk the cleared home with the family and give a list of what was kept, donated, sold and disposed of

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Size of the home and the number of rooms, attics, basements and garages to clear
  • Volume of belongings and how many trips the hauling needs
  • Amount of time needed for sorting, which can take longer when the family must decide on each item
  • Whether the job includes deep cleaning and any repairs the family asks for
  • Whether sale of furniture or collectibles is part of the job
  • Access to the property, including stairs, narrow hallways and a long driveway

What a written quote should spell out

  • The rooms and areas covered, including the attic, basement, garage and exterior
  • Who makes the sorting decisions and how each decision is recorded
  • Hauling, donation and disposal arrangements, and where each category goes
  • Whether deep cleaning is included and what it covers
  • How valuables and documents are handled and returned to the family

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you make sure the family decides what is kept, donated and sold
  • How are valuables, documents and photographs handled during the sort
  • Do you sell items for the family, and how is the money paid out
  • Will you give a written list of what was taken and where it went
  • What is the timeline, and can the sorting be done in stages
  • Do you clean the home after the clear-out, and what does that include

Red flags

  • A crew that clears the home quickly without asking the family which items they want
  • No written record of what was taken, donated, sold or discarded
  • Pressure to sign a contract for buying the contents before the family has decided
  • Valuables or documents handled with no chain of custody

What you can do yourself

The family can sort keepsakes, photographs and documents and set aside anything they want to keep before the crew arrives. Call a professional for the hauling, the deep cleaning and the full sorting of a large home, and for any property that has heavy items on upper floors.

Licenses and permits

Estate cleanout is not commonly licensed for the sorting. Check with your state or local licensing agency for business registration that applies to the company, and check any rules that apply to the sale of goods or the handling of an estate in your area.

Estate cleanout questions

Who decides what gets thrown away?

The family should decide, with the company recording each choice. Ask the company how it will confirm each decision before any item leaves the home.

What if we find valuable items or cash?

Stop and set them aside. Record them, keep them secure and let the family decide how to handle them, including with a professional appraiser if needed.

Can the company buy the contents?

Some do. Do not agree to a sale until the family has decided what to keep and has had a fair chance to get an appraisal or another offer.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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