How to Prepare for an Estate Cleanout

Estate cleanouts are hard. Here's how to make the day itself as manageable as possible.

Table of contents

Give yourself time

If you can, don't try to do it all in one weekend. Two shorter passes usually work better than one exhausting day.

Rooms lead to endless small decisions. Categories — clothing, kitchen, documents, tools — go faster and feel less overwhelming.

Older homes hide things in unexpected places: cash, jewellery, deeds, old photos, insurance papers. Slow down through desks, drawers and closets.

Set aside anything genuinely usable for donation. Ask us before the day — we can flag what a receiver is likely to take.

Driveway parking, elevator booking (for condos), key handoff, and who's on site. Small logistics that make the day much smoother.