By the time many families reach the estate cleanout stage, they’re already exhausted. Grief, decisions, timelines, and logistics have been piling up—often quietly—for weeks or months.
We’re in the middle of a large estate cleanout, and once again, we’re hearing the same reflections families share with us time and time again:
“I didn’t realize how much there was.”
“I thought we could do this ourselves.”
“I wish we’d had a plan sooner.”
Most families underestimate the scope of an estate cleanout—not because they’re unprepared, but because it’s nearly impossible to grasp the emotional and physical weight of a lifetime inside a home until you’re standing in it.
To put this into perspective, let’s look at a very typical scenario:
A 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home—about 2,500 square feet—with medium-density contents, plus an attic and a partially filled basement.
In a home like this, families are often facing:
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250–400 boxes that must be opened and reviewed
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3–5 minutes per box just to see what’s inside and decide what to do
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That alone can mean 12–30 hours of decision-making time, before anything is moved
This is where decision fatigue sets in. Every box brings choices: keep, donate, sell, discard. Multiply that by hundreds of boxes, and even the most capable families can feel overwhelmed.
Then there’s the physical reality. Cleanouts of this size often involve:
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2–4 large dumpsters
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10,000–20,000 pounds of household contents moved, sorted, and transported
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Multiple trips for donations, recycling, and disposal
And one of the biggest surprises?
How little of a home’s contents actually holds resale value.
As a general rule of thumb:
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10–20% of items can be sold through auction or resale
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30–40% can be meaningfully donated
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40–50% is typically discarded due to condition, age, or practicality
This can be an emotional adjustment for families, especially when items were carefully saved for decades. Emotional value doesn’t always translate to market value—and that realization can be hard.
What families often say afterward is that understanding the scope earlier would have helped them:
An estate cleanout isn’t just a project—it’s a transition. And transitions deserve care, patience, and support.
At Caring Transitions, we help families create structure and clarity during these moments, so they can move forward thoughtfully—without feeling overwhelmed or rushed.
If you’re facing an estate cleanout or helping a loved one through a major transition, knowing what to expect can make all the difference. We’re here to help—every step of the way.
Every transition tells a story. We’re here to help honor it.