What to Expect During an Estate Cleanup

It begins with photos or a walkthrough. You send a few pictures of each room, or we come walk the home with you. We use that to give you a clear, written quote with no hidden fees, and to confirm what stays, what's donated, and what's removed.

You don't need to be there if you're out of town. Many of our clients manage the estate from another city. We coordinate by phone, text, and email, use a lockbox or trusted local contact for access, and send progress photos throughout.

This is the time to tell us about anything fragile, valuable, or sentimental. The more we know up front, the more carefully we can plan the day.

We work room by room, setting aside anything you've asked us to keep. Usable items are sorted for donation, valuable pieces are set aside for resale, and metal, electronics, paper, and glass are pulled for recycling. Only what truly can't be saved goes to responsible disposal, kept to a minimum.

As each room is finished, we text or email you a progress photo. If you're far away, those photos are how you see the home without travelling. You stay in control of the pace and the decisions the whole way.

We keep the work quiet and respectful, which matters most in Vancouver towers where neighbours are close by. For a condo, we've already booked the elevator and loading bay, so the day fits the building's schedule.

We finish by sweeping and tidying so the home is broom clean and ready to list, hand over, or move on from. You receive a donation summary, and where applicable, resale details, for the estate's records.

That summary is worth keeping with the estate paperwork. It shows what was donated and resold, which helps when you're accounting to beneficiaries or to the estate's lawyer.

We follow up afterward to make sure the day met your expectations. If anything needs a second look, we sort it out before we close the file.

Access to the home, whether that's keys, a lockbox, or a trusted contact. A sense of your timeline, so we can schedule around it. And a list of anything you'd like kept, donated, or resold, so nothing leaves by accident.

If there are valuables or documents, point them out early. We set them aside and list them for you. We never remove anything you've asked us to keep, and we ask before touching anything we're unsure about.

Keepsakes get the most care of anything in the home. We set them aside first, label them, and keep them in a safe spot until you or the family can collect them. We treat every item as if it mattered, because it did.

If family members want certain things, tell us who and what. We can help coordinate pickup or delivery so the right items reach the right people, wherever they are.