An estate cleanout, step by step — from a crew that's done a hundred.

By Ryan · Mar 12, 2026 · St. Petersburg, FL

If you're reading this, you're probably having one of the worst weeks of your year. A parent or relative has passed, or is moving into a smaller place, and someone has to deal with the lifetime of belongings inside the house. This is for you. No judgment, no rush, no upsell.

Before anyone touches anything

• Wait until you can. If the timeline allows, give yourself a few days before opening drawers. Adrenaline-driven decisions get regretted. Coffee, a notepad, and 48 hours of slow walking through the house first.
• Talk to the executor / family before sorting anything. If it's a probate situation, the executor (or whoever has that role) needs to be in the loop on what gets disposed. Family disputes start when one person decides another's "junk" is gone.
• Look for documents first. Wills, deeds, life insurance papers, savings bonds, military records, tax returns, the brown envelope in the bedside drawer. These often hide in the most boring-looking places — the bottom of a sock drawer, taped to the back of a framed photo, inside a recipe book.

What we find that you didn't know was there

After 100+ estate cleanouts, here's what consistently surfaces from rooms that "looked empty":

• Cash. Older generations hide money. We find $50–$5,000 in coffee cans, behind picture frames, taped to the underside of dresser drawers, inside hollow books. We always set it aside.
• Jewelry. In sock drawers, in the freezer (yes), inside Tupperware, in the medicine cabinet behind aspirin bottles.
• Important documents. Birth certificates, military discharge papers, savings bonds, deeds. Often in random folders in the kitchen junk drawer.
• Photos. Especially black-and-white photos and slide carousels. We always set these aside — they can't be replaced.
• Firearms. Inherited shotguns and pistols often haven't been touched in 30 years. We don't dispose of these — we set them aside for a licensed family member or the local police.
• Medications. Always go to a drug-take-back program (Walgreens or police station), never to the trash or toilet.

Sort piles: keep, sell, donate, throw

The cleanout itself is just sorting into four piles, no matter the size of the home:

1. Keep — sentimental items, anything specific family members have asked for, anything you're undecided on (when in doubt, keep). Rent a small storage unit if you need decision time.
2. Sell — antiques, furniture in good condition, collectibles. Estate sales are an option but they take 2–4 weeks. Online resale (Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp) is faster but more work.
3. Donate — anything still usable that isn't going to family or sale. Goodwill, Habitat ReStore, Salvation Army, women's shelters. Itemized receipts available for tax deduction (we provide these for our cleanouts).
4. Throw — broken, expired, irreparable. The biggest pile in most cleanouts.

How long does it actually take?

• Single bedroom or apartment: 1 day if you have help, 2–3 days if you're solo and emotional.
• 2-bedroom condo: 2–4 days of sorting, 1 day of haul-out.
• Full house with garage and attic: 1–2 weeks of family sorting, 1–3 days of haul-out.
• Hoarder situation: Honestly, 2–4 weeks. We work at the family's pace. Anyone who tells you "1 day for any size" is going to dump everything in the truck without sorting.

What it costs in St. Pete

We charge by property size, all-in. As of 2026:

• Single room: $379–$599
• Apartment: $799–$1,399
• Full house: $1,599–$3,499
• Estate / hoarder: $2,499–$6,500+

We always do a free in-home walkthrough first because every cleanout is different. We never quote sight-unseen for an estate — and any company that does is going to upcharge you on the day-of.

The "heirloom-finder" pass

This is the part of our job we take most seriously. Before any room is hauled, our crew lead does a slow walkthrough of every drawer, every closet, every box on a shelf. Anything that looks like a wallet, photo album, jewelry box, document folder, ammunition box, or old letter — gets set aside in a designated bin for the family to review.

We've found wills, savings bonds, urns, military medals, divorce papers from 1972, love letters, and once, $4,200 in cash inside a 1950s coffee tin. All of it goes back to the family, no exceptions.

Discretion

For hoarder situations or sensitive estates, we use an unmarked truck if you ask. No company signage, no "junk removal" branding for the neighbors to see. The crew wears plain clothes if you'd prefer. The work is done. The neighborhood doesn't need to know more than that.

"My mother passed and we needed her condo cleared in a week before the sale. Ryan was patient, kind, and so professional. He set things aside he thought we'd want to look at first." — Jennifer R., Tierra Verde

One last thing

You don't need to apologize for the state of the house. We've seen everything. There's no judgment in our truck. The first call is just a conversation about what you're dealing with — and you don't owe me a sales pitch in return.

If you're ready: Send a private note or call (703) 973-7524. I'll meet you at the property whenever works for you.

— Ryan