Clearing Out a Parent's House: A Plain Guide for Families

This guide is for families and executors clearing out a parent's house, or the home of another relative, after a death or a move to assisted living. It might be a house the family grew up in, a condo or an apartment with a lease end date. Either way, there is a lifetime of belongings to go through and usually a deadline: a listing, a closing or a last month's rent.

It is written by Trash King, a junk removal company based in Salem, NH with 300+ five-star Google reviews. Clearing a parent's home is one of the most common jobs Tyler and the crew do in Salem, Derry, Londonderry, Nashua and Manchester, NH plus Lowell and Dracut, MA. The practical side comes from that work. The legal and money side does not: for anything about the will, probate or taxes, talk to the executor or the estate's attorney.

One person should have the final say, usually the executor or whoever the family agrees on. Clearing a parent's house goes more smoothly when everyone knows who makes the call on the things people disagree about.

• Agree on the decision-maker first. If there is an executor, start there. If the house is in probate or being sold, check with the executor or the estate's attorney before anything leaves the house.
• Give everyone a fair chance. Let each family member walk through and name what they would like, either in person or from photos.
• Write it down. A simple list of who is taking what heads off arguments months later.
• Set a date. Agree on when family items have to be picked up, so the house can be cleared on time.

Trash King does not give legal or tax advice. The crew works from the list the family gives them.

Find the papers and the irreplaceable things first, before anyone sorts a single room. Parents tuck important things in unexpected places, so look on purpose:

• Papers: the will, deeds, car titles, insurance policies, bank and retirement statements, tax returns, recent bills and any letters from a lawyer.
• IDs and keys: birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, passports, spare keys, safe deposit box keys and combinations.
• Money and valuables: cash in books, coat pockets, drawers, freezers and envelopes; jewelry; coins; watches.
• Memories: photos, letters, military medals, recipes, home movies and anything a family member asked for.
• Medication: gather it in one place so it can be disposed of safely.

Take photos of every room before anything moves. They help with family decisions, with the estate's paperwork and with getting a quote.

To prepare for an estate clean out, secure the house, decide what the family is keeping, and get those things out or clearly marked before the crew arrives. A little preparation means the crew can clear everything else in one pass.

• Secure the house. Change or collect the keys, forward the mail and keep the lights and heat on until the house is empty.
• Do a family walkthrough. Walk every room, the attic, the basement, the garage and any shed together.
• Mark what stays. Use painter's tape, sticky notes or a "keep room" where family items wait for pickup.
• Know your deadline. A listing date, a closing or a lease end decides how much time you have for sorting.
• Get a quote early. You do not need to finish sorting first. A quote from photos or a walkthrough helps you plan.

If the house is packed to the point that rooms cannot be used, our guide on how to help a loved one who hoards covers that situation.

An estate cleanout checklist puts the jobs in the order that keeps the family from redoing work. Here is a simple version you can print or copy:

1. Agree on who has the final say, and check with the executor or attorney if the house is in probate.
2. Secure the house, collect the keys and forward the mail.
3. Find and remove papers, IDs, valuables, medication and keepsakes.
4. Photograph every room.
5. Let each family member choose what they would like, and write it down.
6. Set a pickup date for family items.
7. Decide what will be sold or given away, and set those things apart.
8. Get a quote for clearing the rest.
9. Clear the house, room by room.
10. Line up any cleaning or repairs before the house is listed or handed back.

Sort in small sessions, start with the rooms that hold the least emotion, and use a few simple piles. One reviewer's parents' house "had 62 years of accumulated belongings" (Colleen Lang, Google review). Nobody sorts that in an afternoon, and nobody should try to do it alone.

• Keep: what the family is taking home.
• Family pickup: what a relative has asked for, labeled with their name.
• Sell: furniture, tools, collectibles and anything worth an estate sale or an online listing.
• Give away: usable things that a friend, a neighbor or a local thrift store could use.
• Let go: everything else, for the crew to haul away.

Start with the garage, the basement and storage areas, where most things are practical. Leave bedrooms and photo albums for last. Take breaks, bring help and stop for the day before decisions start to feel impossible.

Most families use a mix of four options: an estate sale, selling a few things themselves, giving things away and hauling away the rest.

• Estate sale company: worth a call when the house has furniture, antiques or collections with resale value. Ask what they leave behind when the sale ends.
• Selling it yourself: online marketplaces and consignment shops work for a handful of valuable pieces, if someone has the time.
• Giving it away: family, friends, neighbors, churches and thrift stores. If you want a receipt for something you give away, ask the place you give it to.
• Hauling it away: whatever is left after the family, the sale and the giving. That is the part a junk removal crew handles.

Trash King removes and disposes of what is left. If rooms need to be left alone for an estate sale or a family pickup, tell Tyler, and the crew will work around them.

On cleanout day, the crew works room by room, sets aside what you flagged and loads and hauls everything else. With Trash King it goes like this:

1. Call or send the quote form. Call or text (603) 404-0386. Share the town, the type of property, which rooms are involved, how full they are and any deadline. Photos help, especially if you live far away.
2. Walkthrough and free quote. Tyler looks at the property in person or from your photos, talks through what is being removed and what stays, and gives you a quote before anything is scheduled.
3. The crew does the work. Tyler and the crew sort, lift, load, haul and dispose of the contents. Anything you flagged, and anything they are not sure about, is set aside for you. You can be there, send a family member or agent, or arrange access.
4. You get the property back. If it needs cleaning or repairs before listing, Tyler will say so, so you can line that work up separately.

Tyler sets the date with you when you book. Most reviewers mention same-day or next-day service, so share any listing, closing or lease deadline when you call. If you would like a crew to do the heavy lifting, here is how Trash King's estate cleanout services work, from the first call to the free quote.

Families describe the people as much as the work. "He came over and provided a free quote to help with cleaning out my Dad’s house." (Mike Maciel, Google review) Another family clearing a relative's apartment wrote that "Tyler showed real compassion given our circumstance." (Robert Holt, Google review) And one reviewer's job was "a house that was in probate and needed a major cleanout prior to being listed for sale." (J.L. Sweeney, Google review)

The crew clears and disposes of the contents of the house. Everything to do with the building, the paperwork or the value of the belongings is someone else's job.

What the crew does:

• Works room by room from the family's list and sets aside anything flagged or uncertain.
• Lifts, carries and loads furniture, appliances, mattresses, boxes and household items.
• Hauls it all away and disposes of it, so nobody in the family is making trips to the transfer station.

What needs someone else:

• Cleaning and repairs before the house is listed.
• Appraisals and running an estate sale.
• Questions about the will, probate or taxes, which belong with the executor, the estate's attorney or an accountant.
• Anything hazardous, such as paint, chemicals or fuel. Tell Tyler before the job and he will confirm what the crew can take.

Ask enough to know your parent's things will be handled with care and that the price is settled before work starts:

1. Is the quote free, and is the price agreed before the crew starts?
2. Can you quote from photos if we live far away?
3. Will you set aside anything you are not sure about?
4. Can you leave certain rooms alone for an estate sale or family pickup?
5. Does someone from the family have to be there on the day?
6. Does the price include the lifting, the hauling and the disposal?
7. What do your recent Google reviews say?

Trash King's answers: the quote is free and agreed before anything is scheduled; photos work, especially from out of town; anything uncertain is set aside for the family; rooms can be left alone; you can be there, send someone or arrange access; the lifting, loading, hauling and disposal are the job; and there are 300+ five-star Google reviews to read.