An estate cleanout is a tremendous job that's not for the faint of heart! If you've been tasked with the responsibility of an estate cleanout, you'll need to enlist the help of a cleanout company to assist you. Trust us, an estate cleanout is not a one-person job. In fact, according to Rubicon, it's estimated that the average citizen creates 56 tons of garbage annually. There could be large amounts of junk piling up in the house and you can't tackle it all on your own.

Before you call up a cleanout services crew, there are a few things you must do to prepare the estate for cleanout.

1. Find Important Documents

This is a crucial step on the list that's more for your own personal benefit. You'll thank us later. Before you hire an estate cleanout service to tackle all the items in a home, you need to locate any important documents. Documents like home insurance or life insurance policies, bank statements, receipts, and will statements are often kept in a safe. It's important that you find these documents before moving forward with an estate cleanout.

2. Find Items of Sentimental Value

If you're cleaning out the home of a loved one, this step goes without saying. You should thoroughly sweep the home for items that may hold special significance for you and your family. Many of these items may not necessarily have monetary value and would thus be overlooked or tossed by an estate cleanout company. However, you or someone in your family may want to keep the item for sentimental purposes.

3. Forward Mail

Since the estate is no longer occupied, any mail headed in that direction must be rerouted. You should assign a caretaker or next of kin to receive any forwarded mail and handle the documents appropriately. If the owner of the estate is deceased, you can also register the homeowner on a "Do Not Contact" list to halt any junk mail from heading that way.

4. Change The Locks

Before moving forward with the estate cleanout process, you should change all the locks of the residence to protect the home and any belongings inside. This is especially important if the word's gotten out that the homeowner is deceased or no longer living at the estate. Hire a certified locksmith to change the locks to protect everyone's safety as you move forward to the next steps of the process.

If you need an expert estate cleanout service, feel free to give us a call. We would be happy to help!