Clearing out a parent’s house is not a junk removal job. There is a closing date, a probate file, siblings who each want different things, and forty years of a life in the basement. The crew that shows up needs to understand all of that before they start carrying boxes.
We clear full houses in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Milan, Manchester and the surrounding townships, plus Livonia and western Wayne. One quote, one crew, one day in most cases.
What you get
- A written price before anything moves. Walkthrough, then a number for the whole job. Not an hourly meter that runs while you decide what to keep.
- A donation-first pass. Furniture, housewares and building materials that still have life go to local donation, not the landfill. You get the receipts for the estate’s records.
- Broom-swept and photographed. Every room, before and after. If you are an executor answering to siblings or a court, the photo set is the record.
- Documents handled, not shredded blind. Tax records, deeds, insurance papers, photos, and anything that looks like it matters gets boxed and set aside for you rather than tossed.
Who calls us
| Situation | What usually matters most |
|---|---|
| Adult child settling a parent's estate | Speed, and someone who will not throw out the photo albums |
| Executor or personal representative | A paper trail: written quote, donation receipts, before/after photos |
| Realtor with a listing that cannot be photographed | A firm date, because the listing goes live the following week |
| Landlord after a difficult move-out | Turn time, and hauling away what the tenant left |
| Family dealing with a hoarding situation | Discretion, patience, and no lectures |
Hoarding situations
These take longer and cost more than a standard cleanout, and anyone who quotes you over the phone without seeing the house is guessing. Heavy accumulation means floor-by-floor work, possible biohazard handling, and sometimes a structural look at the floors before a crew walks in. We will tell you honestly on the walkthrough whether it is a one-day job or a three-day job.
What we will not do is treat the homeowner as a problem to be managed. If the person who lives there is still living there, they set the pace.
Straight talk on the parts nobody mentions
“Will you buy the contents?” Rarely, and be careful with anyone who leads with it. A cleanout crew that offers to take the estate’s contents in trade is buying your grandmother’s dining set at scrap value. If there is real value in the house, get an estate sale company or an appraiser in first. We will tell you if we think that is worth doing, and we lose money by saying so.
“Can you just take a few things?” Yes, but a truckload run and a full cleanout are different products at different prices. If you need three rooms cleared, say three rooms.
“What about the piano / safe / gun cabinet / hot tub?” Say it on the first call. Each one changes the crew size and the price, and none of them are a surprise anyone enjoys on the morning of.
Common questions
How fast can someone be out to look at the house?
Usually within 48 hours, and same-week in every case. If you are working against a closing date or a probate hearing, say so on the call and we will schedule around the deadline rather than the queue.
Do I need to sort anything before you arrive?
No. Pull out what you want to keep, put it in one room, and tell the crew that room is off limits. Everything else gets handled. Most families find this is the only part they actually have to do.
What does a full-house cleanout cost?
Most full-house cleanouts in Washtenaw County land between $1,200 and $3,500 depending on square footage, how full the house is, and whether there is a basement and garage. See the pricing page for the ranges by house size.
Can you work with an out-of-state executor?
Yes. This is common. We can walk the house on video, send photos of every room before and after, and coordinate key handoff through the realtor or a neighbor. You do not need to fly in.