Estate cleanout: a step-by-step guide for executors
Updated 2026-09-13
An executor usually has to empty a home on a deadline: a listing date, a lease end, or a care facility that needs the resident's deposit. Doing it in the right order saves money and arguments.
Order of operations
- Documents first. Wills, deeds, titles, account statements, tax returns, insurance policies. Check desks, closets, freezers and under mattresses. Do this before anyone else is in the house.
- Family picks. Give relatives a fixed window to take keepsakes. Put it in writing so nobody claims later they were not asked.
- Sell what has value. An estate sale company takes a percentage but handles pricing and buyers; an online auction house works for a few high-value items. Most household contents have little resale value; do not let that delay you.
- Donate. Furniture banks, Habitat ReStores and thrift chains will often pick up. Get a receipt for the estate's taxes.
- Cleanout company for the rest. They haul, sort out recyclables and hazardous items, and leave the home broom-clean. A typical single-family home costs $1,000 to $3,000 to clear; more with a garage, attic or hoarding conditions.
Hiring the cleanout crew
Ask for a walk-through estimate, whether the price includes disposal fees, and what happens to items of value they find (the answer should be "we set them aside for you"). If the home has any biohazard, animal waste or a death occurred there, say so on the phone; some companies will not take it and the ones that will need to send the right crew.