What a full-house cleanout means
People search for "hoarder house cleanout" or "hoarder house cleaning," so that's the name on this page. Here's what we mean by it: every room, closet, garage, attic and shed, cleared down to the floors and walls.
That's different from helping someone clear a kitchen or a bedroom while they keep living there. A full cleanout is usually the bigger, faster job. The house is being emptied, often for the last time by this family, and there's a date on the calendar.
Even so, we don't just throw everything out. Most full homes have cash, jewelry, deeds, titles and family photos buried somewhere. The crew sorts as they go, so those things come out with you instead of going to the landfill. Our page on sorting and saving belongings explains how.
Why families call for a full cleanout
Getting the house ready to sell
This is one of the most common reasons. Your parents' house needs to go on the market, or an agent has told you buyers won't be able to walk through it the way it is. We clear the home, clean it and get it to the point where a realtor, inspector or contractor can do their part. If someone has passed and the house is part of an estate, see our page on estate and probate cleanouts.
A move to assisted living or memory care
Sometimes a parent moves into care and the house has to be dealt with afterward. That's a hard time for everyone. Before we start, we'll help you figure out what your mom or dad wants with them in their new room, like photos, a favorite chair or the quilt from the bed. Those come out first, before the bigger work begins.
An eviction deadline or lease ending
If a tenant has a move-out date, or a landlord needs a unit turned over, timing matters a lot. Tell us the date on the first call. Your project manager will plan the order of the work so the most important rooms are done first. Landlords and property managers can read more on our landlord cleanout page.
Code enforcement or a city notice
A notice from the city or county is scary to get. It usually spells out what has to be fixed and by when. Send us a copy or a photo of it with your estimate request, and we'll build the plan around what the notice asks for. We can't speak for the city, but we can get the home cleared and cleaned so you have something to show the inspector.
How a full-house cleanout works
It starts with a call or a few photos. Your project manager looks at the home, in person or from pictures, and gives you a free estimate. Then you build a plan together: what must be saved, what can be donated, who makes the final calls and what the deadline is.
On the first day, the crew clears a safe path from the front door to the street. That's where the dumpster or truck will be loaded, so it needs to be open and easy to walk. From there we usually work room by room. The kitchen often goes early, because it tends to hold the most spoiled food and the strongest smells.
Papers go into their own boxes to be looked through by hand. Anything that might matter goes into a "keep" or "ask" pile. Donations get loaded separately from trash.
Once the house is empty, the cleaning starts. Then you and your project manager walk through the home together. You can see every step on our how it works page.
Dumpsters and haul loads
Most full-house cleanouts produce a lot of material, and the way it leaves the house depends on the home.
For bigger houses, we usually bring a roll-off dumpster and set it in the driveway or at the curb. A 30-yard dumpster is about 20 feet long, with walls taller than most people. A packed house can fill more than one. When the first one is full, it gets hauled away and swapped for an empty one.
For smaller homes, apartments or places where a dumpster won't fit, we haul it out in truck loads instead. That can also be the more private choice, since there's no big container sitting out front for days.
Not everything goes in the dumpster. Furniture, clothes and household goods in good shape go to local charities. Metal, cardboard and electronics get recycled where we can. Anything the family wants goes in labeled boxes for you.
Your project manager will tell you which approach fits your home and why. If you're worried about the neighbors, say so. We keep it low-key and private, and we can work with you on timing and placement.
Homes with waste and heavy odor
Some homes have been closed up a long time. There may be spoiled food, pet waste, human waste, rodent droppings, or a smell that hits you at the front door. Those homes are normal work for us. Our crews wear the right protective gear, they've been in homes like this before and they won't judge the house or the person who lived there.
After the clear-out, we scrub and sanitize the kitchen and bathrooms, clean the floors and walls and work on the odor. Sometimes the smell has soaked into carpet, padding or drywall, and cleaning alone won't get it out. When that happens, your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals who replace flooring or drywall. Our page on hoarding deep cleaning goes into more detail.
If there are live animals in the home, that's outside what we do. Your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals who can help with them first.
What a full cleanout costs
We don't publish prices, because no two houses are alike. The things that change the cost are the size of the home, how full each room is, how much sorting you want, how many dumpsters or truck loads it takes, how much cleaning the home needs afterward and whether there's a tight deadline. Stairs, basements, attics and outbuildings add time too.
Your estimate is free, and you'll know the cost before any work starts. Read more on our hoarding cleanup cost page. Financing is available if it helps.
If you're doing this from far away
A lot of the families who call us don't live nearby. Maybe you're three states away and just got the call that your dad fell. You don't have to fly in for a week to make this happen.
Your project manager can do the estimate from photos or meet a neighbor or relative at the house. During the job, they'll call you before anything uncertain goes out, and they can send pictures of papers or items so you can decide from home. Then you can come for the final walk-through, or do it by video.
For more on the bigger picture, see our main hoarding cleanup page or the list of areas we serve.
Common questions
What is a hoarder house cleanout?
It's a full cleanout of a home that has filled up with belongings over many years. We sort for valuables and papers, haul everything else away, then clean the empty home. It's usually done to get a house ready for a sale, a new tenant or a city inspection.
What's the difference between a cleanout and hoarder house cleaning?
People use the two terms for the same job. A cleanout is clearing the stuff out, and cleaning is what comes after. Most full-house jobs include both, so the home ends up empty and clean.
Can you work around a closing date or eviction deadline?
Yes, tell us the date on the first call. Your project manager will plan the order of the work so the rooms that matter most for your deadline get done first. The sooner we know, the more options there are.
Do you go through everything before it's thrown out?
We sort as we go, and we look for cash, jewelry, papers, photos and keepsakes. Mail and paperwork get checked by hand. Anything we aren't sure about goes into an "ask" pile for you.
Will there be a dumpster in front of the house?
For bigger homes, usually yes, because a roll-off dumpster is the most practical way to haul a full house. For smaller homes or when privacy matters most, we can haul it out in truck loads instead. Your project manager will talk through what fits your situation.
Do you clean out homes with a really bad smell or waste?
Yes. Homes with pet waste, human waste, rodent droppings and heavy odor are normal work for us. We clear the home, then clean and deodorize it without judgment.
Do I have to be there for the cleanout?
No. Many families live far away. Your project manager can do the estimate from photos, call you during the job when decisions come up, and walk you through the finished home by video if you can't be there.