Estate cleanout checklist for families

Make the keep list first

Walk the house once with the people who should decide. Photos, letters, jewelry, documents, medications and anything someone asked to save go in one room or one labeled area. Tell the crew that room is off limits.

Decide what can leave

Furniture in good shape can be donated. Broken pieces, soaked basement goods and decades of mixed storage are a haul-away. You do not have to sort every box yourself. Point, and the crew asks before discarding anything personal.

Plan the timing

A small row house is often one day. A larger home or a heavy basement can take two. If a realtor needs the house broom-swept before a listing or settlement date, say so when you book and the schedule works backward from that day.

The day of the cleanout

Someone who knows the keep list should be there at the start. After that, many families leave. The crew can text photos of anything they are unsure about, donate what qualifies, and sweep when the truck is full.