Clearing Out a Family Home Before You Sell on the Eastside

By Jack Macdonald
Macdonald Group of Compass

Clearing out a parent's house is one of the hardest jobs in an estate, and it has very little to do with real estate. It's forty years of birthday cards, a garage full of tools, and a kitchen drawer nobody has opened since the nineties.

I've walked through a lot of these houses with families. The ones who get through it best don't rush the first part and don't drag out the last part. Here's the order that tends to work.

First, walk through before you move anything

Before anyone takes a box, do one slow walk through the whole house together if you can. Open closets, the attic, the crawl space, the shed. Take photos or a video of every room as it is.

That record helps later. It shows the attorney and the insurer what was in the house, it settles "I thought Dad still had that" conversations, and for a lot of families it's the last time they'll see the house the way their parent kept it. Nobody regrets having those pictures.

Look for the important papers early

Paperwork hides in strange places: freezer bags, coat pockets, the back of a dresser. Set aside one box, label it, and have one person keep it. Look for:

• The deed, any trust documents, and anything that mentions the house or a mortgage.
• Homeowner's insurance policies and recent statements.
• Utility bills, so you know which accounts to keep open and which to close.
• Every key you can find, plus garage door openers, gate codes and alarm information.
• Warranties, manuals and receipts for the roof, furnace, water heater and appliances.
• Tax returns, bank and brokerage statements, and anything that looks like a will.

Hand anything legal or financial to the personal representative and the estate attorney. Warranties and repair receipts are worth keeping for the sale, because buyers like seeing that the furnace was serviced and when.

Decide what family keeps

This is where it gets emotional, and where a little structure helps. A few things I've seen work:

• Have each person make a short list of the items that matter most to them, then compare lists.
• Take turns choosing if more than one person wants the same things.
• Photograph sentimental items nobody has room for. A photo of the china cabinet can mean as much as the cabinet.
• Set a real date for family to take their things. Without one, it stalls for months.

If the estate has a will or the personal representative has to account for valuable items, check with the attorney before anything of real value leaves the house.

Choosing where the rest goes

Once family has what it wants, there are four common routes for what's left, and most houses use more than one.

Estate sale company

Good when there's a lot of furniture, collectibles or household goods with resale value. The company prices, runs the sale and usually takes a percentage. Ask how they handle what doesn't sell.

Auction

Better for a smaller number of higher value pieces like art, jewelry or collections, where a wider pool of buyers may pay more.

Donation

Many charities take furniture, clothing and household goods. Keep a list and get a receipt. The IRS says charitable deductions generally require itemizing, and used clothing and household items generally have to be in good used condition or better. Whether a deduction applies, and to whom, is a question for your CPA.

Junk removal

For whatever is left at the end. Getting a few quotes is worth it, since what's included and how they price it can vary.

The order matters: family first, then the sale or auction, then donations, then the final haul. Doing it backward means throwing away things someone would have paid for.

Keep the empty house safe

A house that's half cleared out and clearly empty gets noticed. Don't leave jewelry, cash, firearms, prescription medications or important papers sitting in it. Take them out early and store them somewhere secure.

Keep a light on a timer, have the mail held or forwarded, and know exactly who has keys. If an estate sale company or crew is coming in, agree in advance who lets them in and who locks up. Let the insurer know the house is vacant, too.

Be realistic about time

This almost always takes longer than families expect. A house that looked manageable on the first walk through turns out to have a full basement and a packed attic. People live in different states and can only come for a weekend. Grief slows things down, and it should.

I tell families not to set a listing date until the house is mostly cleared and they know what it needs. Once it's empty, the prep is often simpler than people fear. On a Redmond rambler I sold for an estate this year, it came down to the lawn, a garden bed, paint and a clear spot to park. It had one showing and one offer the night it listed.

The empty house is a different house. Walk through it again once it's clear, before you decide on repairs or price. Rooms look bigger, flaws show up that furniture was hiding, and you'll make better decisions looking at what a buyer will actually see.

Related guides

• Selling a Parent's Home in Bellevue: A Checklist for Families
• Selling a Home After a Parent Moves to Assisted Living
• Selling an Inherited Home on the Eastside: Where to Start

Sources: IRS: Charitable contribution deductions, IRS Publication 526. General information only, not legal or tax advice. For the full rundown, see how I help with inherited and estate homes.

What should we do first when clearing out a parent's house?

Walk through the whole house and photograph every room before moving anything. Then gather important papers like the deed, insurance, utility bills, keys and warranties in one place.

Should we use an estate sale company, an auction or donation?

Many families use more than one. An estate sale fits lots of household goods, an auction suits fewer high value pieces, donation handles usable items, and junk removal takes what is left.

Can we deduct donated household items?

The IRS generally requires itemizing, and used clothing and household items generally must be in good used condition or better. Keep a list and receipts, and ask your CPA whether a deduction applies.

How long does clearing out a family home take?

It varies a lot with the size of the house, how much is in it and how often family can be there. It usually takes longer than expected, so wait to set a listing date until it is mostly cleared.

Selling or inheriting a home is also a money decision. For retirement, tax and estate planning on the Eastside, I recommend Gevers Wealth Management in Issaquah.