When someone passes, the house stays full. The furniture, the clothes in the closet, the boxes in the basement, the holiday decorations from 2004. Someone has to deal with it, and that someone is usually already grieving.
A bereavement cleanout is the process of clearing a deceased person's home. It is not a regular junk removal job. The stuff has history, and the people hiring you are going through something. Our approach is simple: you text us photos, we send back a flat price, and the crew handles it. No walkthroughs. No clipboard. No one walking through your parent's house pointing at things.
What a bereavement cleanout includes
A bereavement cleanout covers the entire property. Every room, every closet, the basement, the attic, the garage, the shed. We remove furniture, appliances, clothing, kitchenware, books, electronics, boxes of paperwork, personal items, and anything else that needs to go.
If there are items the family wants to keep, just move them to one room or mark them before we arrive. We leave that room alone. Everything else gets loaded, hauled, and sorted. Usable items get donated, metals and electronics go to recyclers, and only true waste heads to the transfer station.
What we do not take: hazardous materials. Wet paint, asbestos, chemicals, medical waste, and propane tanks need a specialist. We will point you in the right direction instead of pretending we can help.
How the process works
You text us photos of the property. Each room, the basement, the garage, any outdoor areas. Tell us the town. We send back a flat price within 24 hours. You pick a two-hour window. The crew shows up, loads everything, sweeps up, and leaves.
The more photos you send, the more accurate the price. But even a few wide shots of the main areas will get you a number. We do not need to walk through the house. We do not need an appointment to give you a quote. Two minutes of your time, a few photos, your town. That is it.
Most bereavement cleanouts are scheduled within two to five days of the first text. If there is a closing date, a probate deadline, or a hard timeline, tell us when you send the photos and we will work with it.
What a bereavement cleanout costs
The price is based on how much space the job takes in the trailer. Labor, loading, hauling, and disposal are all in the number. No hourly meter, no walkthrough games, no surprises at the end.
A customer in Chelmsford was clearing out her late father's house. Work she had been dreading. The crew was respectful, worked efficiently, and treated everything in the house with care. Most bereavement cleanouts look like this: a full house with decades of belongings, and a family that needs it handled without drama.
| Property size | Typical load | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment or small home | Half trailer (~8 cu yd) | ~$425 |
| Average 3-bed house | Full trailer (~16 cu yd) | ~$650 |
| Large property (2 trips) | Two full loads | $1,100 – $1,300 |
What changes the price
Three things move the number: volume, weight, and access.
Volume is how much space the stuff takes in the trailer. A half-full house is usually around $425. A packed house with a full basement and garage is closer to $650. If the property needs two trips, we quote that upfront.
Weight matters for heavy items like concrete, tile, cast-iron tubs, and safes. There is a weight multiplier that ranges from 0.9 times for light loads to 1.45 times for very heavy ones. We tell you about it before we start.
Access adds cost if the stuff is up stairs. One flight adds $40. Two or more adds $80. Ground floor or easy driveway access is the base price. Quotes carry roughly plus or minus 15 percent until we see the job in person. We say that out loud instead of surprising you later.
How long it takes
Most bereavement cleanouts take one to three hours on site. A typical three-bedroom house with a full basement and garage takes our crew about two to three hours. A smaller condo or apartment is usually done in one to two hours.
The timeline from first text to job done is usually three to seven days. You text photos, we send a price within 24 hours, you pick a window, and the crew handles it. If there is a closing date or a probate deadline, tell us upfront and we will make it work.
Where the items go
Hauling it does not mean dumping it. Usable items get donated locally. Goodwill, Savers, Habitat ReStore. Furniture in decent shape, working appliances, clothing, and household goods all go to organizations that can use them. Metal and electronics go to licensed recyclers. Only true waste heads to the transfer station.
If there are specific items with sentimental or monetary value that the family wants to keep, set them aside before we arrive. We will leave that area alone. If there are items you want donated to a specific charity, tell us and we will make it happen.
When you should not hire us for this
If the property is small, like a studio apartment with minimal belongings, a single transfer-station run might be cheaper. Billerica, Chelmsford, and Tewksbury all take household junk for a small fee. If you have a truck and a free Saturday, that beats our $90. We will tell you that if it applies.
If the estate has high-value items that need appraisal, like antiques, art, jewelry, or collectibles, hire an estate appraiser first. We haul. We do not appraise. Getting a proper valuation before clearing the house protects the estate and the family.
If the property has hazardous materials like old paint cans, asbestos siding, or chemicals in the garage, those need a licensed hazardous waste specialist. We will point you in the right direction.
How to get started
Text a few photos of the property to (978) 330-8980. Tell us the town. We send back a flat price within 24 hours. You pick a two-hour window. The crew shows up, treats the home with care, loads everything, sweeps up, and leaves.
Payment comes after the job, only when you are happy. Cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, or card. No deposit for standard residential work. We serve 16 towns around Billerica, from Chelmsford to Concord, Lowell to Lexington.
We know this is not a fun phone call. We keep the process simple so you can focus on everything else that needs attention.