Estate cleanouts
A dumpster for an estate cleanout
Emptying a parent's or relative's home is slow, emotional work. A container helps, but it should arrive after the important things are found, not before.
Answered Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sun 8 a.m.–1 p.m. ET
Search before you sort
Go through the house once just looking. Wills, deeds, titles, account statements, keys and cash turn up in coat pockets, books and freezer bags. Photos and letters matter to someone in the family even if not to you.
Set aside prescription drugs. The waste authority's residential disposal page has a section on getting rid of medicines safely; they don't belong in a dumpster.
Planning the container
Size and timing
Which size
A house that someone lived in for decades often fills a 20 or 30 yard, more if the basement and garage are full. Starting with one and swapping it out is common.
How long
Estate work rarely finishes in a weekend. Ask about longer rentals and what extra days cost, and whether the box can stay while family travel in on different weekends.
If you're handling it from out of town
Tell the rental company where the house is, who will be there for drop-off, and where the key or gate code is. If a neighbor can watch the driveway, it helps keep strangers' trash out of your container.
If the home is in an HOA or on a narrow street, check placement rules before the drop-off; the placement guide covers what to look for.
Get a roll-off quote for your Roanoke address
Have three answers handy: what's going in, which patch of driveway or curb it can occupy, and the day you'd like to start. The rental company comes back with a container size, an open drop-off day and a figure for the whole job. Nothing gets scheduled unless you say yes.
Answered Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sun 8 a.m.–1 p.m. ET
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