Find the important papers first, let the family take what they want, then sort the rest into keep, donate, sell, and toss. The sorting is the hard part, and it's the part only the family can do. The hauling is the easy part, and that's where we come in.
Clearing out a parent's or loved one's home is one of the harder jobs a family takes on. It's a lot of physical work at a time when nobody has much energy for it, and every drawer has a decision in it. There's no single right way to do it, but there is an order that saves time and avoids regrets.
Step 1: Find the paperwork before anything leaves
Before a single bag goes out the door, go through the house for important documents. They turn up in strange places: desk drawers, shoeboxes, freezers, books, and the pockets of old coats.
- The will, and any trust documents
- Deeds, vehicle titles, and loan papers
- Bank, retirement, and investment statements
- Insurance policies and recent tax returns
- Keys, safe deposit box information, and passwords written down anywhere
If there's an executor or an estate attorney, check with them before you sell, give away, or throw out anything of real value. Some decisions aren't the family's to make until the estate is settled.
Step 2: Let the family take what they want
Walk through the house together if you can, or share photos with family who can't be there. Agree on how choices get made before anyone starts, and put names on the things people want: sticky notes, painter's tape, or a shared list. Take the photos, letters, and keepsakes out first, before the bigger sorting starts, so nothing meaningful ends up in the wrong pile.
Step 3: Sort the rest into keep, donate, sell, and toss
Work one room at a time and finish it before moving on. It's slower to start but much faster overall, and you can see progress.
- Keep: anything the family has claimed, plus records you'll need while the estate is open.
- Sell: if you think something has real value, like jewelry, art, collectibles, or antique furniture, have it looked at before it goes anywhere.
- Donate: clothing, housewares, books, and furniture in good shape. Call local charities first. Each one has its own rules about what it accepts.
- Toss: everything that's worn out, broken, or that nobody wants. This is usually the biggest pile, and it's the one we take.
- Shred: old statements and papers with personal information on them. Don't put those out with the trash.
Not sure about something? Set it aside in one "decide later" spot. Don't let one hard decision stop the whole room.
Step 4: Deal with what we can't take
Older homes, especially basements and garages, tend to hold things that need special handling: old paint, stains and solvents, pesticides and garden chemicals, propane tanks, and fuel. Those need a household hazardous waste collection. Many New Hampshire towns run collection days, so check with yours. Leftover medications should go to a take-back program, not the trash. The full list of what we take and can't take is on our site.
How long does it take?
It depends on the size of the house, how full it is, and how much sorting the family wants to do. The sorting almost always takes longer than the hauling. Families working on weekends can spend several weeks on it, and that's normal.
If the house is being sold, work backward from the listing or closing date and leave yourself some room. The removal itself is often a single visit. Bigger homes may take more than one truckload, and we quote the whole job up front.
What Rocky's can take
Once the family has what it wants, we clear the rest: furniture, mattresses, appliances, TVs and electronics, boxes and bags, the whole basement, the whole garage, the shed out back. If it's non-hazardous and two people can carry it, it goes. We carry it out from every floor, load it, and sweep up when we're done.
We can set aside items for donation or for the family while we work. We sort through everything we collect and prioritize donating, recycling, and properly disposing of items whenever possible.
Doing it respectfully
This is someone's home, and we treat it that way. Some things that help:
- Tell us what's off limits. A room, a closet, a piece of furniture the family is still deciding on. We'll work around it.
- Be there or not. Some families want to be there for every room. Others would rather not watch. Either is fine.
- If family is out of state, a relative, neighbor, or real estate agent can let us in. Tell us when you book.
- Take your time on the sorting. You don't need to have it all decided before you call. We can come out, look at the house, and give you a price for whenever you're ready.
Getting started
Call or text 603-500-5865, or send a quote request below. On-site estimates are free, you get the exact price before any work starts, and there's no obligation.
We're based in Salem, NH and do estate cleanouts across Southern NH, including big homes in Bedford, long-time family homes in Hudson, and pre-closing cleanouts in Pelham. See the full service area for the rest.
