Losing someone is hard enough. Then comes the house. This estate cleanout checklist is for families in Broward and Palm Beach Counties who are standing in a loved one's home and don't know where to begin. You don't have to do it all at once, and you don't have to do it alone.
Step 1: Give yourself a little time
There's usually no reason to start the day after a funeral. If you can, wait until the family has had a chance to breathe. Walk through the home together first, without trash bags. Just look. Talk about what matters to each person. That conversation saves a lot of hurt feelings later.
Step 2: Find the important papers first
Before anything leaves the house, look for documents. People tuck them in strange places, like kitchen drawers, shoe boxes, closets and books. Things to look for:
- Wills, trust papers and deeds
- Bank, retirement and insurance statements
- Car titles and tax records
- Keys, safe deposit box info and passwords written down
- Unpaid bills and mail that keeps showing up
Put everything in one box and give it to whoever is handling the estate. If there's an attorney involved, ask them what they need before you clear anything out.
Step 3: Talk to the attorney and the realtor
If the home is going to be sold, the realtor will have opinions about timing. Some want it empty before photos and showings. Some want a few pieces left so it doesn't feel bare. The attorney may need certain items kept until the estate is settled. Check with both before you set a date. Every estate is different, so let them guide the legal side.
Step 4: Decide keep, give, donate or toss
Go room by room. Use four simple piles:
- Keep. Things family members want. Label them with names.
- Give. Items for friends, neighbors or the church.
- Donate. Good furniture, clothes and household items.
- Toss. Broken, worn out or just not useful anymore.
It's okay to keep a few small things that aren't worth anything. A coffee mug or a recipe card can mean more than a dining set. It's also okay to let go. Keeping everything won't keep the person closer.
Step 5: Plan for what's left
After family takes what they want, there's usually a lot left. Furniture, a full kitchen, a garage, a closet of clothes. A whole home often takes 2 or 3 trailer loads. That's where we come in with our estate cleanout service. We can work around what's already been claimed, or clear the whole place. If the home has a lot of heavy pieces, our furniture removal page explains how those are handled.
How our crew handles an estate
We go slow where it counts. As we work, we set aside any documents, photos, jewelry or cash we find, and hand them back to the family. Usable furniture and clothes get donated, like to a local Goodwill. Metal and electronics get recycled when possible. We're licensed and insured, and we can send a certificate of insurance to a condo board or HOA if the building asks.
If the home is in a gated community, you can add us to the gate list. Pricing is based on how much of our trailer the items fill, and you get a free written quote on site before we start. You can see the load sizes on our pricing section.
Related service: Estate & Whole-House Cleanouts