Your elderly mother recently passed away, leaving behind your childhood home in Oakland. Now it’s your responsibility to get the property ready to sell. After much consideration, you’ve decided to hold an Oakland estate sale but it’s going to take some time to sort through all the contents first.
Cleaning out a vacated property before an estate sale can be emotionally overwhelming at times- especially if the home holds a lot of sentimental value. Here are some estate cleanout tips so that your sale will go more smoothly.
Getting Started on Your Oakland Estate Sale Prep
Before you go to all the trouble of planning your estate cleanout and sale, make sure that you’ve thought through all your options. Here are some things to consider:
- Is the estate filled with trash, debris or clutter?
- Are there items of value still in the home?
- Will other family members be involved?
- Who will be managing the estate sale?
If there are other family members with a vested interest going through a probate process down at the Alameda County Courthouse may be necessary. To prepare for those proceedings secure all important legal and financial documents from the home, including wills, real estate deeds, life insurance policies and bank statements.
Sort the Estate’s Contents into Piles
Once you and your family members have completed the probate process it’s time to get started cleaning out the estate. The sheer volume of clutter in an older home can be intimidating, so it’s going to take some time to sift through it all.
First, assemble a cleanout team of volunteers like friends, relatives and neighbors. Don’t forget to inspect every nook and cranny because older people tend to put things in odd places.
As you start sorting through the home’s contents separate them into these piles:
- Yours to keep
- Items for other family members
- Stuff to sell
- Donation pile
- Junk earmarked for disposal
Next, start separating the junk pile into smaller piles based on what it is, for example:
- Broken furniture
- Worn mattresses
- Old appliances
- Outdated TVs, computers and keyboards
- Metal shelving and file cabinets
- Cans of old paint and stain
While you’re at it don’t forget to clean out the backyard, attic and garage too.
Hire a Professional Estate Liquidator from Oakland
After discussing it with your family members you’ve decided to use an estate liquidator that you know who has an office down by Market Street Station. Estate liquidators are professionals who are paid to manage, advertise and conduct an estate sale when their services are requested- usually after an elderly family member’s death.
If you’ve never used an estate liquidator before, you can find a good one by seeking references from people you trust that have used their services, or by reading their online reviews. Reputable estate liquidators are usually accredited by the American Society of Estate Liquidators (ASEL) and/or the National Estate Sale Association (NESA).
Junk Removal Tips After an Estate Cleanout & Sale
Congratulations! Your estate sale was a huge success and soon you’ll be putting the home on the market. But before you can call the realtor you’ll need to lawfully dispose of the remaining junk.
According to Oakland’s trash disposal laws certain recyclable items can’t be placed at the curb, like glass, metal, plastics and e-waste. Potentially hazardous materials like old batteries, chemicals and paint cans must also be lawfully disposed of at designated centers.
Looking around your mom’s place it’s still cluttered because of all the leftover clothes, toys from when you were little, and usable furniture that didn’t sell. All those items must go before placing the home on the market. Instead of tossing those unwanted items out consider donating them to a worthy cause like a homeless shelter or thrift store.
Bulkier junk items like furniture and old mattresses can only be picked up in Oakland once a year, and you certainly can’t wait that long. Another option you have is purchasing a self-haul permit and then transporting the junk yourself to the disposal centers. But you really don’t want to buy a permit and don’t have a truck or trailer either. What a conundrum this is!
Your Professional Estate Cleanout Experts in Oakland
Cleaning up before and after an estate sale can be a real hassle, and you certainly don’t want
the property damaged by careless volunteers. When you need a hand contact the reliable estate cleanout and junk removal experts at West Coast Junk. Our no contact residential, commercial and business services include lawful junk removals, junk haul offs and junk disposals in the Oakland area for furniture, clothing, appliances, electronics, old mattresses and more.
Not only will the friendly WCJ team carefully and efficiently haul off your junk, we’ll even clean out your estate for you so that you can spend more time with your family. Before your next estate sale contact the junk removal professionals at West Coast Junk at (510) 421-1730 today to schedule a convenient appointment!