The short answer
An estate cleanout goes in this order: secure the house, find the important papers, let family pick what they want, sell or hand off what has value, then have everything left hauled out. Roa Solution Junk Removal does full property cleanouts across Pasadena and LA County. Pricing starts at $250, and larger jobs like a whole house get an estimate first, from photos or an on-site visit.
1. Secure the house first
Before anyone starts sorting, lock things down. Change or collect keys, check that doors and windows close, and keep mail from piling up.
Decide who's in charge of the house. One point person keeps family, buyers and the crew from getting mixed messages.
Take photos or a short video of every room before anything is touched. It helps family members who can't be there, and it gives you a record of what was in the house.
2. Find the papers before anything moves
Papers hide in strange places: kitchen drawers, coat pockets, shoe boxes, the garage. Go room by room and pull them before any furniture or boxes leave.
Put everything in one box or bin that stays with you, not in the house.
Check inside books, under drawer liners, in freezers and in the pockets of coats and purses. Old houses in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley often have attics, basements, sheds and detached garages, so check those too.
- Wills, trust papers and anything from an attorney
- Deeds, titles and vehicle pink slips
- Bank, retirement and insurance statements
- Tax returns and recent bills
- IDs, passports and Social Security cards
- Keys, safe combinations and passwords written down
- Photos, letters and family records
“got a text from Isaiah to get a quote for junk I needed removed from my grandmothers home…”
3. Know whether you need the court first
Some estates go through probate and some don't. California's court self-help site explains that if an estate is small, you may not have to go to court to have property transferred to you.
That same small-estate process can't start until at least 40 days have passed since the person died. Rules depend on the estate, so check the California Courts Self-Help Guide or talk to an attorney before you sell or give away anything of value.
In short: don't sell the car, empty the bank box or give away the jewelry until you know whether the estate needs court, and who has the right to handle it.
We're a junk removal company, not legal help. We'll work around whatever timing the estate needs.
4. Let family choose what to keep
Give family a date to walk through and claim things. Use colored tape or sticky notes with names, and put claimed items in one room.
Set a deadline. Without one, cleanouts drag on for months. Anything not claimed by the date is fair game for sale or haul-out.
Be ready for it to take longer than you expect. Going through a parent's or grandparent's home is emotional. Build in breaks, and don't try to do the sorting and the haul-out on the same day if you don't have to.
5. Sell or hand off what has value
If there's furniture, art or collections worth selling, this is when an estate sale or a buyer comes in. Families often hold the sale first and call us for what's left.
After a sale, a house can still have furniture, kitchen contents, clothes and a full garage. That's the part we take.
Timing: a rough order of operations
Every estate is different. Use this as a starting point and move steps around to fit the family and the house.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Right away | Secure the house, collect keys, forward mail, take photos of every room |
| First visits | Find papers, valuables, photos and keepsakes |
| Before selling or giving away anything of value | Check whether the estate needs court, using the California Courts Self-Help Guide or an attorney |
| Family walk-through | Family claims items by a set date |
| Sale or buyers | Sell or hand off anything with value |
| Haul-out | Everything left is cleared, room by room, garage and yard included |
| After | Final walk-through, then the house is ready for listing, a sale or a new tenant |
6. Book the haul-out
Once the keepers are out, the rest can go in one job. We clear what's left room by room, including the garage, the yard and the side yard.
Text photos of every room, the garage and the yard to (562) 219-9266. Full houses get an estimate from photos or an on-site visit before we give you a number.
If the house is going on the market, tell us your listing or closing date. We'll work with you on a day that leaves room for cleaning, repairs and photos afterward.
Tell us about anything to look for while we clear, too, like a missing set of papers.
- Furniture and mattresses
- Clothes, boxes and household items
- Kitchen and garage contents
- Appliances, unplugged and disconnected from water and gas
- Leftovers after an estate sale
What a cleanout costs
Pricing starts at $250. The price depends on how much truck space it takes, the type of material, its weight, how easy it is to reach, and the labor involved.
We never guarantee a final total over the phone. Your quote covers what's in your photos; if more items are added on the day, the price is adjusted for them. We don't take hazardous waste like paint, chemicals, solvents, asbestos, medical waste or propane tanks, so set those aside.
When it makes sense, the crew breaks bulky items down so they take less room in the truck, so you pay for less space. That helps on estate jobs, where old dressers, bed frames and dining sets take up a lot of room.
Do you need to be there?
Not always. Families living out of town often can't be. If we have clear access, instructions and payment arranged, we may be able to do the job without you there.
Mark what stays, tell us what to look out for, and we'll text when it's done.
We take cash, check, credit/debit, Zelle, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal and Cash App, so payment is easy to set up from wherever you are.
Sources
Rules change. Check the city or county page before you rely on a limit, fee or date.