How To Handle Low Value Estate Cleanouts

Many companies can help those dealing with high value estates.  But what are your options for handling low value estates?  Low value estates are generally considered to be valued under $10,000.  Many times, there are few, if any, assets of any retail value.  That value is reduced when factoring in moving costs, handling costs, storage costs, inventory costs, and commissions when selling the items.

Many people are faced with tough decisions when dealing with low value estates.  It is tempting to simply throw everything away.  Junk removal companies and hoarding cleanup companies can help you removal just about all of the items in a home.  But junk haulers generally aren’t compelled to show assets to clients, unless directly instructed to do so in their contract.  Junk haulers get paid to remove items in bulk, so the more they remove, the more they make.  They may assist in donating items as well, but they are also compensated to remove the donations too (although they do not have to pay disposal fees for them since they aren’t discarded at the landfill). Here are some options for handling low value estates.

Many areas have auction companies that will sell high and low value items.  These auctions may occur on different days and will attract a different types of buyers.  Taking sellable items to an auction company will save you money that the auction company will charge to move and handle the items and may result in a lower commission to the auction company if you deliver the items.  It will also save you the cost of having to dispose of the items, so you can make money on their sell, save money on the transportation and commission, and not have to spend money on throwing them away.

In most areas, recycling plants are set up to help recycle items, such as batteries, metal, paper, plastic, and electronics.  If you aren’t interested in taking items to recycling plants, you may be able to find a local metal scrapper to take the metal for you.  Metal scrappers will generally remove the metal from a property for free and will receive cash as a recycling plant when they weigh it.  They get paid differently on the type and amount of metal they bring.  Precious metals, such as copper and aluminum, will bring much more money than bulk steel.  The larger percentage of metal they bring, the more they make.  Many states require special licenses for people who sell precious metals to deter the theft of these items.  As the price range of metal fluctuates, so does the supply of people who sell metal for scrap.  If you hire a scrapper, you generally do not have to pay them, but you also wont make money from the scrap metal.

Some low value estates may have infestations.  Roaches, bed bugs, fleas, lice, mice/rats, and other pest infestations can generally be controlled by hiring a reputable pest control company.  However, depending upon the scope of the infestation, it may be easier to throw away some, or all, of the contents.  If the contents are valuable and salvageable, you can hire a crime scene cleanup or bed bug cleaning company to assist.  However, maid services and office cleaning services generally can not provide enough attention to detail and may not have the skills to properly disinfect the property.

Below is a video that shows trash and unwanted items being thrown into a landfill from a low-value estate in South Carolina.  For more informational videos like this, Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE.

One of the best ways to handle a low value estates is to hire one company to do it all.  Estate cleanout companies  can help clean out an entire estate without the assistance of other companies.  They can also reduce the total amount of time to clear out the home, while organizing the sell of valuables, the transportation of donations, and the removal of trash and debris.