Estate Cleanout
An Estate Cleanout can be overwhelming. There’s so much stuff, many decisions, and usually a limited amount of time. Going through an entire household of things can be exhausting, and especially when you’re already emotionally drained. This is why it’s a good idea to leave the “heavy lifting” up to a professional.
When you hire Utterly Organized to manage your Estate Cleanout we will help you sort through remaining items and decide whether to keep, sell, donate, trash, or recycle items. Our mission is to make this process as easy as possible for our clients, which is why we do most of the work and help you make decisions.
We will coordinate what to do with items you are keeping. Whether it’s renting a storage unit or transporting items to the property of the new owners, we’ll take care of it.
We will handle the re-sale of any or all of your items you want to turn into cash.
We will deliver all of the items you want to donate to a local organization or neighbors in need.
We will rent a dumpster or take any and all junk to the local dump.
Lastly we make sure to recycle anything that can be, so that we are doing our part in protecting the environment.
Estate Cleanouts can be tough because there’s a lot of emotions and different thinking about how to deal with the situation. It’s important to stay calm, and deal with decisions in a civil manner. Downsizing is usually due to a lifestyle change, death of a family member, divorce, or debt owed. Oftentimes when dealing with the death of a family member of loved one you are forced to deal with a lifetime’s worth of stuff that has been accumulated over the years.
We know it’s tough, but don’t get attached to the possessions. It’s best to part ways with items that can serve others rather than sitting in a box in your attic. Pick out 1 or 2 things that have the most value to you and try to part with the rest. Don’t hold items for younger generations. If they aren’t interested in the items now, they likely won’t be years from now.
Before the cleanout begins you should secure financial documents, insurance papers, the testament or will, bank statements, estate deeds, or stock certificates and any other important documents. If there’s a death in the family the will needs to be probated (processed legally to oversee the payment and distribution of assets). Select a custodian who will be responsible for managing the money, real estate and other property. Incoming mail will be received by this person as well.
Tips for Handling an Estate Cleanout
Have the proper insurance policy in place. The Insurance should be changed if the property is vacant. The policy should cover personal property as well. Call your insurance agent to make sure the estate is properly insured.
The previous owner may have given out spare keys, so change the locks in order to secure the house.
Consult a Probate Real Estate Specialist who can help you get the house ready for sale.
Go through the house and inspect every square foot. You are very likely to find sentimental items, valuables, or even money. This process of carefully inspecting the whole house will cause you to face the truth of the situation.
Set a schedule of when you, family members, and workers plan to execute the cleanout. Also give yourself a limited amount of time to complete the project. This will help to keep the process from dragging out or getting stuck with decision making.
It’s a good idea to have family members help with the cleaning process because they will know what things are valuable and worth keeping.
It’s also a good idea to hire a team of helpers or professional organizers if there are a significant amount of belongings. This will decrease stress and time spent sorting.
Depending on the size of the estate, and the percentage of junk a dumpster rental may be necessary.
Consider a garage sale to sell clothes, books, kitchen supplies, electronics, and furniture. Donate the rest to a GoodWill or a local thrift store.
Hire an evaluator, appraiser, or bring expensive items to an auction.
In addition to hiring a Professional Organizer or Estate Cleanout service you will need a house cleaning service, and potentially Carpet Cleaners and Window Washers if you plan to sell the house.
After the house is clean and empty go back through and inspect every nook and cranny to make sure nothing has been forgotten.
These tips have been brought to you by (Cleaning World Inc)
