The estate liquidation industry is usually supported by one of four unfortunate events in the lives of people. They are downsizing due to major lifestyle changes, death of a parent or other family member, divorce, or crippling debt. These events also often require estate or house cleanout services for the homeowner or family. And since the population is quickly aging with almost 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, there are greater numbers of folks experiencing a downsizing in lifestyle or are passing away.
The Property Cleanout Process
Junk removal services or moving companies fulfill a role for those people that have these unfortunate events befall them. Their services can range from outright estate cleanup, hoarders, storage units, foreclosure cleanouts and removal or disposing of unwanted items by recycling or even donating. When an estate sale is needed, the individual usually approached is an estate liquidator, who will serve as a representative of the family or property owner’s estate. It’s estimated that in the United States, there are approximately 14,000 estate liquidators. Members of The American Society of Estate Liquidators must meet certain education or experience requirements, and abide by a strict code of ethics. If you are facing a situation where you are looking to conduct an estate sale, there are a few important points you should keep in mind.
1. Find and File All Financial Documents
When a loved one passes away, their taxes still need to be filed. Find their will or trusts and related legal documents, life insurance policies, vehicle titles or real estate deeds, bank statements, credit cards, 401(k) records, tax returns, and stock certificates and store them in a safe place.
2. Be Thorough
Think of the things that you may hide away in your home and the lengths at which you go to hide them. This may seem like overkill, but we recommend searching through everything. That means, each pocket, each drawer, every container, and each nook and cranny to find hidden treasures before any cleaning services get to them. Being thorough in this step saves you time when the removal process begins because you’ll know where everything is already and won’t end up in a dumpster or the landfill.
3. Compile All Memorabilia
If you are preparing for an estate cleanout due to someone passing away, hold on to their pictures, scrapbooks, and trinkets as a keepsake. We are not recommending taking their junk and putting it in your home, but we are saying that pictures are worth more than a thousand words. Keep the photos and trinkets – you’ll be glad you did when you want something tangible to remember them by.
4. Contact Family Members and Sort Through Items
This is one of the more difficult steps on the list because figuring out who ends up with what items can be an emotional conversation. If it helps, ask each family member to write down the things they definitely want to receive and work on compromising from there. It will be hard work but worth it in the end to be proactive in this step.
5. Enlist The Help of An Appraiser
If there are antique items that could hold value, it pays to have an estate appraiser stop by and help you price everything out. That way you know what does and doesn’t have value and it makes the decision-making process a little easier when it comes to selling or donating the rest.
6. Sell/Donate Remaining Items
While it isn’t easy to get rid of your loved one’s items, you can’t take all of their belongings into your home. At some point, you’re going to have to part ways with some of the knick knacks. If selling their items doesn’t feel right, donate them to a local charity which will gladly accept any goods.
7. Hire Help
Hiring real estate cleanout services or movers to handle the heavy lifting as you clear out the home can help speed up the process.
Express Junk Removal Can Help!
The good news is that if you’re in the Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania area, Express Junk Removal is here to help. You can conveniently schedule now using the online booking feature or give us a call at 234-600-3317 to get the ball rolling on your estate clean out project.
Our full-service junk removal company has all the experience and know how to help with furniture removal – big or small – and we’re fully insured to give you peace of mind at a fair price during stressful times. Our junk removal prices include all the sorting and loading of your junk anywhere on your property, no matter if it’s in the attic, a backyard or a cluttered basement! This also includes all of the recycling and donating (including tariffs and fees).
We price by volume, so the bigger the truckload of furniture (or junk), the more you’ll save. Even better, we are a local business and not a national franchise, so we genuinely care about all of our customers. We take great pride in our work, and we look forward to becoming the furniture removal service company you can rely on. Give us a call or book online today!