· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Junk Removal
Clearing a whole house — after a death, a move to care, or a sale — is a different task from tidying, and it stalls for reasons that are rarely about the objects.
What order should a house be cleared in?
We ask families to take out documents and valuables before anything else moves: deeds, insurance papers, financial records, jewelry and anything with sentimental weight. Go through drawers, boxes and coat pockets while you do it, because small things ride along inside whatever they were put away in.
Then donate, then sell, then dispose. Trying to make all four decisions on every item as you pick it up is how a clearance drags on, and one pass for each keeps it moving. When the sorting is finished, our estate cleanout crews clear what is left, set aside anything you flag, and can work in stages if the family needs time between them.
Be realistic about selling
Ordinary household furniture is usually worth less than families hope. IRS Publication 526 on charitable contributions says used household items such as furniture, appliances and linens are usually worth much less than the price paid new, and may have little or no market value when they are worn, out of style or no longer useful. Set that against the evenings spent photographing, listing and waiting on buyers.
Antiques, jewelry, good tools and collectibles are different, and one appraisal on the few items that might matter is worth getting before a clearance crew arrives. The IRS guide to valuing donated property, Publication 561, notes that condition and the extent of restoration both bear on what an antique is worth, and that jewelry almost always needs a specialized jewelry appraiser. If you plan to donate an item, or a group of similar items, and deduct more than $5,000 for it, the IRS requires a qualified appraisal.
Whatever is in good used condition or better is worth donating, which is also the line the IRS draws for deducting clothing and household goods. Furniture that is simply thrown out mostly ends up buried: the EPA’s furniture and furnishings data counts 12.1 million tons reaching the end of its life in 2018, 80.1 percent of it landfilled. Our donation and recycling service routes usable pieces to local charities and gives donation receipts on request.
- Documents and valuables out first, before anything moves
- One appraisal on anything possibly valuable
- Donate what is in good used condition or better
- Photograph sentimental items rather than keeping all of them
- Book the clearance for after the sorting, not during
Why does clearing a parent’s house take so long?
Sorting a parent’s house is slow because almost every object raises a question about the person who owned it, and those questions take longer than any of the lifting. Many families find it goes better in shorter sessions with someone else in the room than in one long push.
Photographing sentimental items lets the object go while keeping the memory, and plenty of people find that easier than they expected.
Booking the clearance
Book it after the sorting rather than during, so the crew is not waiting while decisions are made. We price on truck volume and labor, as our post on how junk removal is priced sets out, so having the choices made before the truck arrives keeps the labor side of the bill down.
Walk the house with us first and be explicit about anything that must not be taken. When the sorting is close to done, ask us for a free estimate.
Sources
- IRS, Publication 526: Charitable Contributions — Used household items such as furniture usually worth much less than new, may have little or no market value; household items must be in good used condition or better to deduct
- IRS, Publication 561: Determining the Value of Donated Property — Condition and restoration bear on antique values; jewelry almost always needs a specialized appraiser; qualified appraisal for donations claimed over $5,000
- US EPA, Durable Goods: Product-Specific Data (Furniture and Furnishings) — 12.1 million tons of furniture and furnishings generated in 2018, 80.1 percent landfilled
FAQ
Clearing a House After a Move or a Death — questions
What should I do first when clearing a house?
Secure documents and valuables before anything else moves: deeds, financial records, insurance papers and jewelry. Small items get tucked into drawers, boxes and coat pockets over the years, and they can leave the house inside the furniture they were stored in. Everything else can wait until that check is done.
Is it worth selling the furniture?
Usually not, for ordinary household furniture. IRS Publication 526 notes that used furniture is usually worth much less than it cost new and may have little or no market value, which rarely repays the time spent listing it and meeting buyers. Antiques, jewelry, quality tools and collectibles are different and worth one appraisal before a clearance. Anything else in good used condition or better is a candidate for donation.
How long does clearing a house take?
There is no fixed figure, because the removal depends on how much is in the house and how easy it is to carry out. The sorting beforehand has no set length either, since it is emotional work as much as logistical. Booking the clearance for after the sorting rather than during helps keep both the cost and the stress down.
How much does a house clearance cost?
It depends on how much is left in the house and how hard it is to carry out, since we price on truck volume and labor. Finishing the sorting before the crew arrives keeps the labor side down, because nobody is paid to wait on decisions, and a walk-through with us gets you a free estimate.