Foreclosure Cleanouts: Best Practices [Tips]

While the overall number of foreclosures in the U.S. is dropping, the volume is still high. In addition, foreclosure cleanouts are still needed in order to sell these homes. 

 As a real estate professional, you probably already know that a foreclosures cleanout can be a time-consuming and costly project. Oftentimes, there's a great deal of cleaning that must be done in a foreclosed home. In addition, there is often abandoned property and trash that must be hauled out and disposed of.

While you may be a competent real estate professional, how to accomplish a home cleanout wasn't one of the categories on your real estate examination! 

And neither was junk removal, for that matter.

Using a Strategy for Efficient Foreclosures Cleanouts

Cleaning and repairing an abandoned property can be one of the more costly tasks for lenders and real estate agents working with foreclosed properties. Far too often, prior owners leave in a hurry, or are angry for losing their home, and they often leave large amounts of trash behind. Not to mention that they sometimes cause extensive damage to the inside of them house.

Unfortunately, because of this reality, once the property is vacant it isn’t simply a matter of showing the home to prospective buyers. Unlike a typical residential property, there are a number of chores that must usually be completed before the property is in a marketable state to be sold.

A Strategic Plan for Foreclosure Cleanouts

While cleaning out a house certainly isn't rocket science, having a strategy and a plan can make the process far easier and efficient. Too often, the cleanout portion of the foreclosure process is approached haphazardly, or without any real planning. And - occasionally - little or nothing at all is done. 

Approaching the task with a simple strategy can make the job go faster and efficiently. Here are three tips when approaching a foreclosure cleanout:

1. Start by restoring the outside appearance of the property.

Keeping the exterior of the property clean and uncluttered helps maintain the property values of the immediate community. Keeping a regularly mowed lawn, maintaining any landscaping and ensuring that the yard is free of clutter not only ensures the safety of the place, it will greatly improve the chances of the property selling again. Determine what needs to be done first.

2. Consider what's required beyond simply cleaning windows and carpets.

Often there are abandoned vehicles that will need to be towed away. More likely, however, there will be piles of debris in the house, in the garage, or in the yard or storage sheds that will need to be hauled away.  This is where you want to engage the help of a professional hauling firm.

You should also repair any broken windows or blinds and keep the area facing the street neat and clean. Surprisingly for some, this is a very important part of the property preservation process, because it will discourage vandals and vagrants.

3. The interior of the house may need to have repairs and junk hauling done.

You may have to remove stained or torn carpets, repair broken tiles or lighting fixtures, and even bring in pest terminators. Because there is often large amounts of junk and debris left by the vacated prior residents, the help of a professional junk hauling firm is in order at this stage. Junk removal must occur before proper cleaning can be started, but once all of this work is finished, the lender can begin to show the property.

Spring Means More Outdoor Cleaning Tasks 

After the lengthy rains this year, especially in California, many properties present a much larger cleaning and disposal task than in previous years. Yards have gotten overgrown, landscaping out of control, and branches and other debris have accumulated over the course of a number of storms.

Mowing, weed eating, and trimming will improve the appearance of the lawn. And because lenders are often in the foreclosure process for many months you may have to retain someone to care for the property and residence.

The bigger problem for real estate professionals is the need to haul the accumulated lawn clippings, shrubbery trimmings, and assorted branches and other debris. Unless you have hired a professional landscaping firm to clean and then haul this for you, the first option is to haul it yourself. This can be problematic for many people. Not to mention the work and multiple trips to the local landfill and green waste recycling centers.

Yard waste can come in many forms. The recent storms left huge tree branches strewn across yards. Cleaning and pruning an abandoned and neglected property can leave dirt and debris everywhere. And since it is a foreclosed property, this probably also means you will need to get rid of the junk and clutter left behind outside.

The good news is that you can get professional help with the large yard waste removal.

Getting Help With Residential Junk Hauling and Disposal

Once you decide to outsource the trash removal part of your real estate deal, you need to determine which firm is the right one for the job. And while you can certainly find plenty of guys with trucks willing to do the job, choosing that alternative may end up costing you more than you hoped to save. This is why Junk King really is the firm of choice.

Junk King is the leading business to business junk removal service in North America and our real estate junk removal services take care of this cleanout process for you. It’s one big task off your to-do list and it’s a big step toward getting your property ready to sell or rent.

Speed, Reliability and Quality Service

We understand that as a real estate professional you need your homes to be pristine and you want to be able to list them as quickly as you can. We also understand that you appreciate hassle-free services and really can’t afford to have problems with a property. And your clients have enough to deal with when selling a home, so having the chore of junk removal handled by someone else is a huge bonus.

Junk King offers fast and friendly junk hauling with an emphasis on eco-friendly practices. We recycle or donate 60% or more of the junk we collect — including renovation debris, furniture and appliances, and even clothing and personal items. Real estate ventures can proudly call Junk King their green partner for real estate junk removal.

Real Estate Ready

We are insured and offer post-escrow payment. Junk King handles junk removal services for real estate professionals across the U.S. and we are the highest rated service brand in the nation. You can depend on Junk King for speed, reliability and for the peace of mind that comes with getting your property ready fast.

Our team specializes in large waste removal and trash 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.