Ready to dive in? Let’s be efficient about it. No runs to the store for X, Y, or Z. Prepared with the right supplies for the estate cleanout, will make the job easier, more organized, and less painful.
Estate Cleanout | 5-minute read
Supplies you need for an estate cleanout | Organization| Estate Administration
1. Garbage bags
You knew this already.
Pro Tip: Regular Garbage Bags for garbage. Large clear plastic bags for donations.
2. Boxes
Well, what have you got? Nevermind. Nobody gets this right the first time through. Books? Get the biggest boxes you can find. Just kidding. For books, we like smaller boxes, 15″x12″x10″ Bad back? delegate.
We found a large stack of 18x18x18″ boxes quite handy.
No need to invent the wheel. This article covers it: The Spruce: The 7 Best Moving Boxes of 2024
Pro Tip: suppliers sell the typical brown, corrugated boxes. White boxes are also available to help you organize. Slightly more expensive.
3. Document and Photo Boxes
This may be for round 2, once you have an idea of what’s needed. But a few high-quality, acid-free, photo and document boxes are handy as you come across important photos and legacy items.
Yes, Archival Methods is an advertiser, but they’re also the best: Archival Methods.
4. Sharpies
Because of course Sharpies.
5. Tape Gun
For $20 you can make your life easier. If you think you can handle a tape gun.
6. Another Tape Gun
Just because, well, you’re going to lose a tape gun for several intervals under the packing materials. Or maybe your sister has it. I don’t know, it’s just better to have another tape gun and not need it, than to need another tape gun and not have it. Confucious said that.
7. Tape
Oh yeah, tape. For the tape gun(s).
8. Packing Material
Bubble wrap, Packing paper, newspaper if you’re old school and you can find some.
9. Stickers
For example…
Red = OK to discard…
Blue = For distribution…
Green = For discussion…
Yellow = Up for grabs…
9. Painter’s tape
For notes to self or others.
Anything you can do to organize, or communicate, will help.
Maybe your sister’s coming in the week after.
You don’t want it, does she?
Or let the Estate Sale or Cleanout Company know not to sell/discard something.
10. Artifcts
Not even advertisers. We just love this tool for executors and estates. It’s an app.
Click photos on your phone.
Write up a little something.
Share it with your family.
Get input: “What’s the story on this?”, “Sell!”, “I Want it!”, “I Want it!”, “You can have it!”
More Here:
Estate Talks: Executor Tools: Artifcts® for Estate Cleanout, Distribution and Legacy
9. NokBox
Not even advertisers. We just love this tool for executors and estates. It’s a box*.
* And by “Box” we mean a central location for the important, don’t lose this! documents that you inevitably come across as you go through the property.
Keep the estate stuff together, organized, and secure.
Cleanout is important and essential. Organization is key. Bringing the right supplies for the estate cleanout make it easier.
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