Most Charlotte families facing an estate cleanout have one of two options in mind. Either a crew hauls everything away, or a weekend sale sells some of it and leaves the rest for you. Both leave money in the house, and neither gives you a record of where things went.
We start with a free walkthrough of every room and send a written quote before any work begins. Then we sort room by room into keep, sell, donate and dispose, photograph what enters resale, and place each item with the channel that suits it. What does not sell or donate is removed, and the house is cleaned to broom-clean.
A cleanout is often the first step of something larger. If the house is going on the market, see real estate transitions. If the estate is in probate, see probate cleanout. If you have inherited the property and are deciding what to do, start with the inherited house page.
What an estate cleanout includes.
A room-by-room sort into keep, sell, donate and dispose. A photographed inventory. Valuation of what might sell. Resale by on-site sale, online listing, consignment or auction. Donation with itemised receipts. Removal of what does not sell. A final report and settlement statement. For the selling side in detail, see estate liquidation.
Cleanout vs. estate sale vs. junk removal.
An estate sale sells items to shoppers over a weekend and usually leaves the clearing to you. Junk removal hauls everything away without sorting for value. An estate cleanout done our way sorts first: valuables are sold, useful things are donated, and the rest is removed. The difference is who looks for value before anything leaves the house, and who keeps a record. To see how our sales run, read about estate sales.
What happens to what does not sell or donate.
We remove it. After the sale and the donation pickup, whatever is left is hauled out so the house is empty and clean. This is the last step of a cleanout, not a stand-alone service: we do not run a haul-everything junk-removal service, because the value comes first. You are told in advance what is not expected to sell.
What changes the scope.
The size of the house, how much is in it, how easy it is to get in and out, how much of it can be resold, any specialty items such as art or collections, and your closing date. We cover each at the walkthrough, and the written quote reflects them.
How a project runs.
Free walkthrough, written quote, sort, sell, donate, clear, clean, final report. You approve prices before anything is listed, and nothing is sold or donated without your say.
Common situations.
After a death, where you may also need a probate cleanout record. Before a sale, where the work runs as real estate transitions. When a parent is moving to a smaller place, which is senior downsizing. When the executor lives out of state, which we handle through a portal and photo updates. For a house that is part of a larger move, see our home downsizing services.
What the family receives.
- ✓A free walkthrough of the whole property, with no decisions needed in the room
- ✓A written quote before any work begins
- ✓A room-by-room sort into keep, sell, donate and dispose
- ✓A photographed inventory of everything entering resale
- ✓Sales that return 85% of the net sale price to you, after marketplace fees
- ✓Donation receipts itemised for your tax filing
- ✓Removal of what does not sell or donate
- ✓A broom-clean property, a final report and a settlement statement
Why VaultXL.
Value first, then haul
Crews that haul and companies that run a sale each do half the job. We look for value before anything leaves the house, then clear what is left.
A written record
Photographed inventory, itemised donation receipts and a signed disposition log, so the family and the estate file know where everything went.
You approve every price
Nothing is listed until you have seen the proposed price and agreed to it.
Run from anywhere
Photo updates, a client portal and signed authorization for entry mean an executor in another state can run the project.
Where we serve.
Charlotte · Myers Park · Eastover · SouthPark · Dilworth · Plaza Midwood · NoDa · Ballantyne · Providence · Matthews · Mint Hill · Huntersville · Cornelius · Davidson · Weddington · Waxhaw
Start with a walkthrough.
A free walkthrough in your home, then a written quote before any work starts.
Frequently asked.
An estate cleanout with VaultXL starts with a free walkthrough and a written quote, then runs room by room: sort, sell what has value, donate what is useful, remove the rest, and hand back a broom-clean house. You approve prices, and a final report records where everything went.
Yes. Removal of what is left is the last step of the cleanout, after the sale and the donation pickup. We do not offer haul-away on its own, because the point is to look for value in the house before anything leaves.
They are donated with an itemised receipt, returned to you, or removed, whichever you choose. We never charge commission on unsold items.
Often the cost can be paid from estate assets, and receipts should be kept, but confirm with the estate's attorney. Sale proceeds are itemised so the executor has a clear record.
Contested items are photographed and held until the family or the executor decides. Nothing is sold or donated without written authorization, and every disposition is logged.
Yes. We send photo updates, share a client portal, work from signed authorization for entry, and give you one project lead as your point of contact.
Every project is quoted in writing after a free walkthrough, and nothing starts before you have the quote. The quote sets a non-refundable setup fee. Items that sell carry a 15% commission on the net sale price, after marketplace fees, so you keep 85%.
