ESTATE CLEANOUT SERVICES
THE THINGS THAT MATTER GET MOVED, NOT HAULED AWAY
Clearing a parent’s home involves decisions about a lifetime of belongings. Somewhere in that house is the ring that goes to a granddaughter, the dining table that goes to a son in Vernon, and forty years of paperwork nobody has looked through yet. We’re movers. We can take the keepsakes to the people who inherited them, put the undecided into storage, donate what’s still useful, and then clear the rest.
WHO CALLS US FOR AN ESTATE CLEANOUT
Executors and trustees
You’ve been handed a house, a will and a deadline. We clear the property for its next step, deliver the specific bequests to the specific people, and work around the timelines your lawyer and realtor have set.
Families living out of province
The house is in Kelowna and you’re in Calgary, Toronto or further. We can walk through the property with you and communicate by phone, text or email about anything you need to make a decision on. We can get the whole thing done without you booking a flight.
Realtors
You need a property empty, swept and photographable by a date certain. We give you one point of contact, a firm schedule, and a crew that won’t scuff the walls on the way out.
Families downsizing while a parent is still with them
Not every cleanout follows a death. Sometimes a parent has moved into care and the family home has to be emptied. Same work, different feeling, and we treat it that way.
Estate lawyers, trust officers and professional estate administrators
We help estate lawyers, trust officers, professional executors, and bank and trust-company estate teams coordinate the physical work of clearing an estate. We follow the authorized representative’s written instructions, label belongings by destination, and can prepare itemized contents lists and optional photographs. We agree on the scope, documentation and costs before work begins, coordinate access and deadlines, and provide clear invoices and agreed completion records.
WHY FAMILIES AND ESTATE PROFESSIONALS CHOOSE GREAT LITTLE MOVING
We’re movers, not just haulers: The heirlooms get delivered to the family. The undecided goes into storage. Only the genuinely finished items get cleared. One company, one crew.
Deliveries to several addresses in one job: Dining set to Vernon, boxes to Penticton, rest to donation. We plan it as a single route instead of four separate bookings.
We know where things can go locally: We keep a directory of Okanagan charities and thrift shops, so usable furniture, housewares and clothing find a second home.
Free, no-obligation estimates: We look at the whole property, including the basement, garage and attic, and give you a number before anything moves.
WHAT WE HANDLE IN AN ESTATE CLEANOUT
Every estate is different, but the shape of the job is usually the same. Somebody has to sort a whole house into things that are going to people, things that are going into storage, things worth donating, and things that are simply finished. Then all four piles have to physically go somewhere, often on a tight timeline because the property is being listed.
We handle the packing and removal to the plan approved by you or the authorized estate representative, with one point of contact throughout.
WE INCLUDE:
Full property clearing
Every room, plus basement, garage, attic, shed and crawlspace.
Packing and labelling
Belongings packed with care and boxes marked for the agreed recipient or destination.
Delivery of bequests and keepsakes
Furniture and boxes driven to family members across the Okanagan.
Storage deliveries
Transport to your chosen storage facility, with help arranging local storage when needed.
Donation transport
Usable furniture, housewares, books and clothing taken to local charities that can accept them.
Recycling and e-waste
Electronics, metal and materials taken to the right facility.
Disposal of the rest
Whatever is left over can be removed responsibly, not fly-tipped.
Swept and empty
The property is left clear and ready for the cleaners, the stager or the realtor.
Coordinated Cleaning
House cleaning coordinated as part of your estate cleanout.
Available by arrangement: Itemized contents lists and optional photographs can be included at the level of detail you need, from selected items to a more detailed record.
THE HARDEST QUESTION: WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?
This is what stalls most estate cleanouts. Not “how do we move it,” but “what do we do with it.” Almost everything in a family home has one of six destinations. We coordinate the destinations you approve.
Goes to family
Delivered to the children, grandchildren and relatives who inherited it
Goes into storage
Delivered to an agreed storage facility while decisions are made
Goes to the estate sale
Set aside and left in place for your auctioneer or liquidator
Gets donated
Taken to local Okanagan charities and thrift shops that can accept them
Gets recycled
Electronics, metal and materials to the appropriate facility
Gets disposed of
The genuinely finished items, removed responsibly
HOW IT WORKS
How Our Estate Cleanout Process Works
1.
Call
us
Tell us what’s happened, what you know about the property and what the deadline is. If you’re out of province and have any existing photos, they can help us get started. If further information is needed, we can come out to look at the property. No charge, no obligation.
2.
Written
estimate
We provide a written outline of the work and an estimate before we begin, explaining the services included and any optional extras you’d like us to coordinate.
3.
We take care of
the details
We follow written instructions from you or the authorized estate representative and handle the packing and labelling. Boxes and items are labelled by recipient or destination according to the list you provide.
4.
Clear day
Our crew works through the house room by room. Keepsakes go on the delivery run, storage items go to the locker, donations go to the charity, the rest goes for recycling or disposal.
5.
Empty and swept
We do a final pass, sweep up after ourselves, and hand you back a property that’s ready for the next step.
WHAT WE REMOVE
Furniture: sofas, beds, dressers, dining sets, wardrobes
Basement and attic contents, boxes, and decades of storage
Electronics and e-waste
Books, housewares, linens and clothing
Appliances: fridges, stoves, washers, dryers, freezers
Garage contents, tools and workbenches
Mattresses, rugs and soft furnishings
General household contents
BEFORE YOU BOOK
THREE THINGS TO DO BEFORE ANY CLEANOUT STARTS
1.
Get valuables appraised first
Once a house is cleared, it’s cleared. If you’re unsure whether antiques, coins, jewellery or collectibles may have resale value, have an appraiser or auctioneer look through the property before the trucks come.
2.
Check for important paperwork before the furniture moves
Wills, deeds, insurance policies, bank books and tax records may be stored in drawers, books, clothing or unexpected places. Do a slow pass for documents before anything leaves. If we find important paperwork or unexpected valuables while packing, we set them aside and contact your designated representative.
3.
Get the family's decisions in writing
The worst disagreements happen after the truck has gone. A simple shared list of who is getting what, along with anything being stored, donated or disposed of, can save a great deal of confusion and grief. For an estate, the executor or authorized representative approves the list and any changes, and we follow those instructions throughout the cleanout.
STRAIGHT ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT WE HANDLE
WE DO
Full property clearing · delivery of items to family across the Okanagan · storage deliveries · donation runs · recycling and e-waste · responsible disposal · packing and moving of anything being kept · house cleaning coordination
WE DON'T
Run estate sales or auctions, or appraise antiques. Those services need a specialist.
WHAT WE WILL DO
We can work alongside your auctioneer, estate liquidator or realtor, and do our best to coordinate our schedule with theirs to support the agreed handover date.
ESTATE CLEANOUTS ACROSS THE OKANAGAN
Great Little Moving Company is based at 395 Adams Rd in Kelowna. We cover estate moving across Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Vernon, Peachland, Penticton, and Summerland.
Moving further afield? We also handle long-distance moves elsewhere in BC and into other provinces.
Get a Free Quote
Get in touch for a personalized quote for your estate clean out.
Our happy customers
We’ve helped thousands of people move
Connie
Wilson
Many thanks to Jirah and the team for my house move on June 27 & 28, and to Brittney for handling the booking and logistics. Everyone was pleasant, professional, and efficient throughout the process. Communication was prompt and clear, and the cost was reasonable considering the piano, large furniture, and stairs. Highly recommend Great Little Moving Company for an outstanding move.
JOEl
PAULIN
Well run little company great staff, decent company overall
GREG ANDERSON (GANDERSON)
Did all they said and agreed to. On time. The four guys were polite & hard working. They did not sluff off. I recommend.
FAQ
You Ask, We Answer
Check out our FAQs to find the answers you’re looking for.
Yes, regularly. We can work from a written list of bequests, coordinate with the lawyer’s timeline, invoice the estate directly, and provide documentation of what was removed and where it went if the estate needs a record.
Yes, and this is the main thing that separates us from a junk removal company. We’re movers. Keepsakes and furniture can be delivered to relatives across the Okanagan, or packed and shipped further, in the same job as the clearout.
Suitable items go to local charities and thrift shops that can accept them. Electronics and metal go for recycling. Only what can’t be donated or recycled goes to disposal. Our goal is to use appropriate donation and recycling options first, with disposal as the last step.
Yes. Plenty of our estate cleanouts are arranged by clients across Canada and abroad. We follow your written instructions and coordinate with your local realtor or authorized estate representative. You don’t need to be there in person for us to take care of the cleanout.
If you’re unsure whether any items may be suitable for sale, have an appraiser or auctioneer look through the property before the cleanout. Then we can schedule our work accordingly, deliver any selected items to the auctioneer or other agreed destination, and clear what remains.
Depends on the size of the property and the season, but we know estates often come with a listing date attached. Call us with your deadline and we’ll tell you honestly what we can do rather than promising something we can’t.
We quote each property individually. A two-bedroom condo and a four-bedroom home with a full basement and workshop are very different jobs. We provide a written outline of the work and an estimate before we begin, explaining the services included and any optional extras you’d like us to coordinate. The final cost depends on the services provided and the work required. Estimates are free.
It’ll be empty and swept. We tidy up after ourselves and leave the space clear and ready for the next step. If additional cleaning is needed, we can arrange house cleaning as part of your estate cleanout.