Typically an estate cleanout or estate sale is needed when there has been a death in the family or when someone is moving or downsizing. It can be overwhelming to be thrust into this situation and the time & effort of sorting and organizing the contents and emptying the home can be a massive task.

If you are in the position of handling the contents of an estate you are faced with many different options that you can empty the home and rid yourself of the contents. Solutions include organizing and running your own estate sale, hiring an estate cleanout service such as our company, hiring a company to run an estate sale for you or contacting a junk removal company. We hope following information can assist you in determining if an estate clean out is the best fit for your situation.

Option 1: Run your own estate sale

The first option of running your own estate sale is by far the most labor intensive task as well as being very time consuming not only during the initial cleaning and sorting phase but well into the organizing and setting up. You are responsible for pricing, advertising, collecting payments and then the disposal of all the items that are left unsold. It is a massive amount of work.

Option 2: Hire an estate cleanout company

The second option is to hire an estate cleanout company. An estate cleanout company will take a detailed walk through of the estate and determine a fair price to purchase the entire content in the estate. Usual exceptions include appliances, window coverings, etc. The estate cleanout company takes into account the resale value of the items in the home as well as the associated expenses and logistics of cleaning out the estate. These expenses can include labor to sort, organize, pack, load and transport the sellable items. Sometimes it involves off site storage until the timing is right for the estate cleanout company to resell the items. It may also include the expense of an on sight dumpster to dispose of trash. The purchase price includes all related expenses and takes into account the realistic resale value of the items being purchased. Expect to receive approximately 40%-60% of the resale value of the used items (not the retail value). Secondhand values for larger items, especially furniture are often much lower than original retail. Our services include a complimentary walk through of the home with you so we can get a clear understanding of the contents you are dealing with. We will then make an offer to purchase the entire contents. Our offer price includes the removal of all items so that when you return to the home when we have finished the home is ready for a final cleaning and can be placed for sale.

Option 3: Hire an estate sale company

A third option is to hire an estate sale company to run an on site estate sale. (We do not run estate sales). Estate sale companies will charge a percentage of the total sales, typically 30%-50%. The company will be in charge of pricing items but there may be additional fees for the sorting and organizing of items during the setup process. Typically an estate sale runs for several days and there will be many people walking through the home. Most estate sale companies deeply discount items on the last day. The items that do not sell are left in the home.

Option 4: Hire a junk removal company

A fourth option is to contact a junk removal company. Junk removal companies will charge a fee to empty the home of all contents. Often they are general laborers and they typically place most items directly into an on site dumpster or haul the items away for disposal.

Summary: Which option is right for you?

Which solution is right for your situation? We feel that an estate cleanout company such as ours is ideal for the following reasons:

• We can typically schedule your estate cleanout fairly quickly and have it completed in a few days
• We provide all the needed boxes/supplies for sorting and packing the items within the home
• We are a small husband & wife team; only a couple of trusted professionals will be in the vacant home
• We are careful and courteous at all times while in the home
• The home will be left empty and ready to be cleaned, speeding up the home listing process