Clearing out a parent's home in Metro Vancouver: a step-by-step checklist

Clearing out a parent's home is one of the hardest jobs a family takes on. It's physical work on an emotional timeline, often done while also handling an estate, a move into care, or a house sale. This checklist breaks it into steps so nothing important goes out with the junk.

It's written for families, executors and anyone helping an older relative downsize.

Step 1: Agree on who decides

Most arguments during a clear-out come from different people assuming they're in charge. Before the first box:

• Confirm who has legal authority over the home and its contents: the executor, a power of attorney, or your parent. If an estate is involved and you're unsure what you're allowed to remove, ask the estate's lawyer before anything leaves the house.
• Agree on a deadline: a listing date, the end of a tenancy, a care-home move-in.
• Pick one person as the contact for any contractors.

Step 2: Find the paperwork first

Before sorting anything else, go through the home for documents. They turn up in odd places: freezer bags, books, coat pockets, the backs of drawers.

Set aside:

• wills, deeds, insurance policies, and bank and investment statements;
• tax records, pension and benefit letters;
• passports and birth and marriage certificates;
• keys, safe-deposit details, and any written-down passwords;
• recent bills, so services can be cancelled.

Keep them in one box that leaves the house with a family member.

Step 3: Mark what family members want

Walk through the house together, or share photos with anyone who can't be there, and tag items with coloured stickers, one colour per person. Settle disagreements before anything is moved. Photograph sentimental items nobody has room for. For many people, a photo is enough.

Step 4: Sort the rest into four groups

1. Keep: tagged items going to family.
2. Sell: furniture, collectibles or tools with real resale value. For anything valuable, get an appraisal first.
3. Give away: usable household goods. Local charities, shelters and community groups take many items, though most have strict rules about furniture and mattresses, so call ahead. We don't handle donations ourselves, so arrange donation drop-offs before the clear-out day.
4. Clear: everything else, meaning broken furniture, worn mattresses, old appliances and decades of storage.

Step 5: Watch for items that can't go in the garbage

Older homes often hold things Metro Vancouver bans from garbage: paint, solvents, propane tanks, electronics, appliances, mattresses and tires (Metro Vancouver Disposal Ban Program). Many can go to free recycling at regional recycling and waste centres, and paint and chemicals go to product-stewardship depots. Our guide to getting rid of a mattress covers mattresses in detail.

If the house is older and you're planning renovation work, have anything that might contain asbestos tested by a qualified professional before it's disturbed.

Step 6: Clear the "clear" pile

Once the family has taken what they want, the rest can go in one or two visits. This is the part most families hand off, because it's heavy work: basements, garages, sheds, and furniture that has to come down stairs.

Our estate cleanout crews:

• work through the whole home, including basements, garages, sheds and yards;
• set aside documents, photos and keepsakes that turn up, for the family;
• recycle what can be recycled and take the rest to sanctioned facilities;
• leave the home cleared and swept, ready to list or hand over.

Estate cleanouts start from $399 per project and are quoted up front, with recycling and disposal included (pricing). Some homes are cleared in a day; others take several visits so the family can go through things first.

Step 7: The final walk-through

Before you hand over the keys:

• check every cupboard, the attic, the crawl space, the garage rafters and the shed;
• read the meters, and cancel or transfer utilities, internet and insurance;
• redirect mail through Canada Post;
• take dated photos of the empty rooms for the executor or landlord.

If the home is severely cluttered

If years of accumulation make rooms unsafe to walk through, begin by clearing a path to the exits and main rooms, and bring in help early. Our hoarding cleanout service works at the family's pace.

Common questions

How long does an estate cleanout take?

It depends on the size of the home and how much the family has already sorted. A condo may take a day. A family home with a full basement and garage may take several visits.

Does someone from the family have to be there?

No. Many executors and family members live out of town. Once the family has marked what stays, we can work from that plan with a key or lockbox from you, the executor or the realtor.

Do you work with realtors and executors?

Yes. We work with whoever is responsible for the property, with one point of contact and one upfront quote. We serve Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock and the rest of Metro Vancouver.

Call 604-348-7640 for a respectful, upfront quote.