Estate Cleanouts Can Require Professional Services

Real Estate professionals are brought in for many other reasons besides the simple need of finding or selling a home. And sometimes the reasons require the cleaning of an estate.

 In life, there are a number of unexpected or unfortunate events that can require estate cleanout services.

Four of the most common reasons for estate cleanouts are:

• Downsizing due to major lifestyle changes
• The death of a parent or other family member
• Divorce
• Overwhelming debt, or bankruptcy

In fact, as the U.S. population is quickly getting older with almost 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, there are greater numbers of homeowners who are either experiencing a downsizing in lifestyle or – in many cases – are simply passing away.

Professional Estate Cleanout Services Needed for a Sensitive Task

While estate cleanouts are due predominately to the death of a homeowner, there are many others who will suddenly need help cleaning out their properties. These are the ones who find themselves liquidating assets as part of a divorce settlement, or simply moving to take on a new job.

Yet, regardless of the reasons for needing cleanout services, the task of cleaning out furniture, appliances, household goods and other items is still especially challenging.

Consider this statistic: In the U.S. the average home is about 2,500 square feet, and most of that space is typically full of belongings of one type or another.

This is especially significant when the reason for removing and cleaning out a property is the death of a loved one. More often than not, an elderly parent or grandparent will have accumulated years of belongings and quite possibly filling both the house and the garage. This doesn’t even take into account rented storage units, or storage sheds on their own property.

Separating and cleaning out all of this can be overwhelming for a family or a real estate professional.

Estate Cleanout Services: What to do Before You Call

It’s estimated that in the U.S. there are approximately 14,000 estate liquidators. This is the professional usually called upon when an estate sale is needed. According to the American Society of Estate Liquidators, members must meet certain education or experience requirements, and abide by a code of ethics.

But it is estimated that most liquidators have no formal training. Essentially anyone can set themselves up as an estate seller.

Take the time to research and vet your prospective estate liquidator. This is an event that only occurs once at the end of someone's life and the situation is usually stressful enough already without having to deal with a non-professional. 

If you are in a situation where you will need to have an estate sale, there are a number of key points you should know. Here are some tips to help you or your client manage this stressful task:

Track down and secure any important financial documents.  If it hasn't already been done, you will want to locate  any will, trusts and related documents. This might include such things as burial trusts, life insurance policies and related documents, real estate deeds and titles. Family members should obtain recent bank statements, any stock certificates, 401(k) records, tax returns and receipts.

Keep photos and other memorabilia. While these items are really of little or no value to people outside of the family, they are irreplaceable for family members. Preserving these easily misplaced and lost treasures is important for the grandchildren and others. They can, like all of us, find these pictures, scrapbooks, albums, etc. to be a physical and tangible link to family members they have lost or even never have had to opportunity to know.

Consider donating or selling clothing. Unlike photos and other memorabilia, most clothing has little value, unless it's vintage clothing. These are items that typically date from the early 1960s and before. Consignment shops can sometimes be a source for gaining some revenue from old clothing as well as eBay or yard sales. Donating usable items is a great way to further the usefulness of these items, too, and can be handled for you by others.

Be sure to look through everything thoroughly. Many people tend to put things in unlikely places, or forget that something valuable has been left in a coat pocket or the back of a desk drawer. While it's unlikely that there will be money under grandma's mattress, it can be deceptively easy to miss important or valuable items that were stored in unusual locations. Take the time to look through everything thoroughly. For example, the pockets in clothing, drawers, high shelves, every container, etc.

The work can be overwhelming, both physically and emotionally. Some of the tasks are simply monotonous and lengthy, such as sorting through paperwork. Other tasks require physical exertion such as cleaning, moving furniture and possibly hauling items and debris. This is where the services of a professional estate cleanout service such as Junk King can be invaluable.

Call Junk King for Your Estate Cleanup Services

Whether you are handling an estate sale, are downsizing, or dealing with the daunting and formidable task of clearing a deceased relatives home, place of business or any other property left behind, we can help you through. Our estate cleanout services are used by landlords, attorneys, banks and homeowners who need to dispose of unneeded and unwanted items, junk and clutter that might prevent or slow down the process of handing over an estate.

You want a company that will be punctual, patient, and respectful while treating you with care. Whenever possible, we will donate as many items as we help families transport items that belong to departed family members. With years of experience in helping our customers with estate cleanouts, we understand that when a loved one passes away you don’t need to worry about cleaning up their apartment or house.

Our team specializes in large debris removal and furniture hauling. We can be on location in mere minutes, so call us today! Our crew is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.

One of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle a much of the material we pick-up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do or what we believe, give us a call at (707) 744-4254.