Estate Cleanouts: How it Works & Pro Tips

How Can You Prepare for an Estate Removal Cleanup?

Prepare for an estate cleanout by first doing a thorough walkthrough of the home. Keep a checklist and take inventory of what needs to be done. Keep an eye out for important financial documents, certificates, and other legal records, storing them in a safe place and taking any necessary steps—such as filing taxes or submitting forms.

It’s also important to preserve keepsakes and valuables—jewelry, photo albums, small treasures, mementos—when going through an estate. You may wish to work with an appraiser and/or relative to identify and assess antiques, whether you keep them or decide to sell them. If you’re doing an estate cleanout due to someone’s passing, be sure to reference their will.

What Is the Step-by-Step Estate Cleanout Process?

Our team of professional junk removal specialists will show up at the assigned location at the time of our appointment. As you might have guessed – the most important step of the estate removal cleanup process is actually hauling everything away. When working with the professionals at TurboHaul, we ask that you indicate what you need us to take and what needs to stay on the property. While it can help expedite the process to have items categorized by their intended destination, that certainly isn’t required. We understand there are special circumstances with each job and our goal is to provide superior services that leave our customers feeling delighted with our work. All we need is for you to tell us what to take and where we can find it—we’ll handle the rest!

Estate cleanup pro tips include: 

• Double-check drawers and pockets for any mementos you wish to save.
• Have an appraiser come out to assess any potentially valuable items a day or two before your estate cleanout service provider arrives or before you intend to clear out the home.
• Ensure all family members of relevant parties have had a chance to walk the property before items are hauled away.
• Organize items between selling, donating, and trash to help reduce unnecessary items in landfills.
• Hire help!

What Types of Items Can Be Hauled Away During an Estate Cleanout Service?

Estate junk removal services involve removing entire households or apartments’ worth of belongings, from furniture and appliances to clothes, papers, electronics, and other miscellaneous items. At TurboHaul, our full-service team has the experience and muscle to haul away virtually anything. This includes construction debris, carpets, crates, scrap metal, and bulk junk. Note that we can’t accommodate hazardous waste, chemicals, liquids, or paint as part of our pickup services. Check out a full list of what we take.

When Should You Hire a Professional Estate Cleanout Service?

While the answer to this will depend on a variety of factors, anytime you are overwhelmed with the physical, mental, or emotional component of an estate cleanup – it’s time to reach out to a service provider. Our upfront cost estimate is completely free of charge so there’s no harm in seeing how much the job will cost and if it falls into your budget. If the home is especially large, you are out of state from where the property is located, you don’t have the physical capacity to lift the items out of the home, or you simply can’t get time off work to handle it – professional estate junk removal services were made for you!

How Much Does an Estate Cleanout Service Cost?

At TurboHaul, we charge by the cubic yard for items being cleared, with the cost also depending on where the items are located and how difficult they are to access.  For example, it would be more expensive to retrieve things from an attic compared to the front porch. If necessary or requested, we will do an estimate before starting the job, where we walk the property and assess the difficulty of the project and give you an honest and upfront price. This ensures everything goes smoothly and allows us to give a more accurate price upfront.

Depending on the size of the estate, the number of items being hauled, and the accessibility of the items in the home – estate cleanout services can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands. However, most jobs fall on the lower end of that scale. The amount of manpower used and the total amount of days the job takes to complete will be the best indicator of the expected price.

How Can I Save Money During an Estate Removal Cleanup?

Many customers hesitate to reach out to a professional estate cleanout service provider with the false assumption that they can’t afford it. You’d be surprised how affordable the pricing can be and how worthwhile the services truly are. It’s also worth noting that the cost of storage units, taking time off work, and traveling back and forth from the landfill – really can add up. Sometimes the time and effort saved by letting an estate cleanup service assist you are far worth the cost.

Here are a few additional tips that could help you save money during an estate removal cleanup service job:

• Hire locally
• Get pricing upfront
• Ask the service provider if they want to purchase any of the items being hauled
• Bring as many items as you can to accessible areas in the estate
• Time is money – weigh the pros and cons of the time you’ll save by hiring an estate cleanup service provider