When a family member dies, another member of the family is left in charge of their estate. This often means a house-full of possessions to sift through. Because estate cleanouts and sales are often emotional, overwhelming tasks, there are a number of professional services available to help you navigate the process. Planners and estate sale companies are in the business of helping efficiently sell estate items you don’t want. Here’s what you need to know about estate cleanouts and how to organize an estate sale.

Hire a Planner

Next, hire an estate planner. This person specializes in the process of selling off the estate. This is especially helpful while grieving a loved one or if you are unable to give your full attention to the sale. The planner helps you arrange packing, storage, and shipping. They also assist with inventory, choosing an estate company, and with the rest of the estate sale process.

Inventory

Create a list of the home’s contents, including the home, garage, yard, and their contents. Some valuable items include:

• Cars
• Furniture
• Artwork
• Jewelry
• Paperwork, including banking papers, deeds, bonds, stocks, insurance papers, and other financial/investment documents.

Put aside the items you don’t want and that can be sold and take a thorough inventory. Then, set aside the items you want (valuable and/or sentimental items). Then, have a junk hauling company come and remove items that are unlikely to be sold.

Choose an Estate Sale Company

The estate sale company you hire is contracted to manage the logistics of the sale. They set the time and date, the appraisals, the marketing, and other tasks you might not be familiar with.

Sell, Sell, Sell

Many opt to sell off every item to an auction house to expedite the process. If you go this route, the auction house is paid a percentage of the total sale, which saves you from a hefty bill. Finally, hire a junk-hauling company to haul away the leftover items turned away by the auction house.

Estate Cleanouts

JDog Junk Removal & Hauling offers a number of services, including estate cleanouts. Call us to learn more at 844-GET-JDOG.