How do I start cleaning out a house after a parent dies?

Start with authority and paperwork, not trash bags. Before anything is thrown out, sold or given away, find out who has legal authority over the estate, lock the house down, and search it for the will, any list of who gets what, and financial records. Once that is done, the physical cleanout goes faster and causes fewer family arguments: sort room by room, get rid of medicines and hazardous products the right way, donate what is usable, and hire a hauler for the rest.

First, find out who is in charge

The person named in the will as executor, or the person appointed administrator if there is no will, is the one who decides what happens to the contents. In Virginia, the clerk of the circuit court can admit a will to probate and appoint and qualify executors and administrators.^[1] If the will is contested or nobody has qualified yet, the court or its clerk can appoint a curator whose job is to make sure the estate is not wasted before an executor or administrator qualifies.^[2]

Until someone has that authority, keep the cleanout to securing the house and finding papers. If you have questions about what you are allowed to do, the estate's attorney or the clerk's office is the place to ask.

Secure the house

An empty house draws attention. Lock every door and window, collect the spare keys from neighbours, home health aides and relatives, and write down who still has one. Clear the porch of packages and newspapers, and leave a light on a timer.

Collect the mail, but do not throw it out: statements and bills tell the executor which accounts and debts exist. To stop or forward a deceased person's mail, USPS requires you to go to a Post Office in person with documents showing you are the executor or administrator; a death certificate alone is not enough.^[4]

Search for papers and the "who gets what" list

Go through the house for documents before anyone starts filling boxes. Look in desks, filing cabinets, dresser drawers, closets, safes and lockboxes, and inside books, envelopes and the freezer. You are looking for:

• the will, and any signed list of personal items and who should get them
• deeds, vehicle titles and loan papers
• bank, brokerage, retirement and insurance statements
• recent tax returns and bills
• keys, safe combinations and passwords written down

That list matters more than people expect. Virginia law gives effect to a signed written list of personal items and who should receive them when the will or a revocable trust refers to it, even though the list does not meet the formal requirements of a will.^[3] And a person named on that list can sue to recover the item, or its value, from whoever received it, within one year after the will is probated, or of the settlor's death where the list is referred to in a revocable trust.^[3] Handing out jewellery or furniture before checking for a list can undo itself later.

Take a record, then let the family choose

Photograph every room wide and take close-ups of anything that looks valuable: art, jewellery, silver, collections, tools, guns, furniture with a maker's mark. The photos help the executor value the estate and settle disagreements.

Then give relatives a set window to walk through and tag what they want. Agree in advance how conflicts are settled, usually by the executor, so the outcome does not depend on who arrives first.

Handle medicines and hazardous products properly

Older homes tend to hold a cabinet of prescriptions and a basement of chemicals.

Medicines. FDA's first choice for unused or expired medicines, prescription or over-the-counter, is a drug take-back location or a prepaid mail-back envelope.^[5] If neither is available, medicines on FDA's flush list should be flushed;^[5] for anything else, mix the rest with something unappealing such as dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds, seal the mixture in a plastic bag and put it in the trash.^[5] Then scratch out the personal information on the empty prescription labels.^[5]

Chemicals, fuel and batteries. Paint, gasoline, pesticides, pool chemicals and batteries go to your locality's household hazardous waste program, not the trash or a hauler's truck. Fairfax County takes household hazardous waste free from county residents, including gasoline, paint, pesticides and rechargeable batteries.^[7] Other counties and cities run their own sites or collection days. See how to dispose of old paint in Virginia for one of the most common leftovers.

Watch for mice in closed-up spaces

A basement, attic, shed or garage that has been shut for months often has mice. The Virginia Department of Health says hantavirus spreads mainly by breathing air contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or saliva.^[6] When you open a closed-up space, let it air out for at least 30 minutes before working inside.^[6] Where you find droppings, wear rubber, latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves, wet dusty areas with a commercial disinfectant or a solution of 1 ½ cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water, and wipe up the debris rather than sweeping or vacuuming it dry.^[6]

Sort, donate, then haul

Work one room at a time into four piles: keep, sell, donate and discard. Do not let a room be emptied until its papers and family items have been checked. Things to set aside for sale or appraisal usually include jewellery, coins, art, firearms, vehicles, tools and anything collected in quantity; the executor decides how those are sold. If selling the contents is part of the plan, read whether to hire an estate sale company or a cleanout service.

Habitat ReStores accept new and gently used furniture, appliances and housewares, and many offer free pickup of large items;^[8] call the store to confirm its donation hours.^[8] Book donation pickups before the hauler so you are not paying to throw away usable furniture. For what is left, see how much an estate cleanout costs in Virginia and who picks up old furniture for free.

Stop and call a pro if

• The house is packed so tightly that paths are blocked, or there is rotting food, animal waste or heavy pest activity. That is closer to a hoarding cleanup; see helping a family member clean out a hoarded house.
• You find large amounts of rodent droppings or nesting material, sewage, or standing water.
• You see water stains, sagging ceilings or floors, or a strong musty smell, which point to damage a cleanout crew should not work around.
• Items are too heavy to move safely: pianos, safes, chest freezers, gun cabinets, workshop machinery.
• Firearms, ammunition, large sums of cash or controlled medicines turn up; leave those to the executor and the estate's attorney.

Getting help on Loclis

Browse more junk removal and moving answers, see estate and property cleanout services, or find junk removal and moving businesses around Blacksburg. When you are ready, describe the house once on Loclis with photos of each room, and businesses quote on the same job.