There is no right pace, and you set it
Some families need a house cleared quickly for a sale or lease. Others need time and want to go through each room slowly. Both are reasonable, and we plan around what your family needs, not a template.
We can work with you present, or with your instructions while you are away, and we check in before anything leaves the house. If a day turns out to be too much, we stop and pick up later.
It is also fine to begin with something small. Many families start with one closet or the kitchen, which carry less emotional weight, and leave the bedroom, the desk and the photo albums for a later visit when they feel more prepared.
Keepsakes and papers come first
Before any general sorting, we look for what cannot be replaced. Photos, letters, jewelry, documents and personal items are gathered into clearly labeled boxes so nothing meaningful ends up in a donation bag by accident.
Papers are grouped together for the family or their advisors to review. We do not interpret or discard documents. Our guide on organizing photos and keepsakes has ideas for what to do with these items afterward.
- Photos, albums, slides and home videos
- Letters, cards and handwritten notes
- Jewelry, watches and small valuables
- Financial statements, deeds, titles and any paperwork
- Items specifically named or requested by family members
When family lives out of town
Many people in Las Vegas have family spread across the country, so the person handling the home is often far away. We can work from your instructions, share photos so relatives can claim items, and keep claimed pieces separate and labeled until they are collected or shipped by a carrier you choose.
Updates go to whoever you name as the point of contact, so decisions are not split across a group chat.
Sorting the rest of the home
Once keepsakes are safe, we work room by room, grouping items into family, sale, donation and discard according to your choices. Grouping like things together helps: deciding on a whole category of kitchenware at once is easier than deciding cabinet by cabinet.
Las Vegas heat is a practical concern. If the house has been closed up, or items are stored in the garage, photos, papers and electronics may need to be moved indoors right away. Garage sorting is easiest from mid-October through April.
We also keep a running note of anything unexpected that turns up, such as cash tucked in a drawer, keys, spare checks or a box of letters. Those items go straight to your point of contact rather than into any sorting pile, so your family can decide what they mean and what to do next.
Donations, sales and removal
For items your family is letting go, options around the valley include Opportunity Village, Goodwill of Southern Nevada, the Salvation Army and the Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas ReStore for furniture. At the close of each visit, we can carry up to a carload of your family's donations ourselves.
If your family is using an estate sale company, we can sort and stage what is for sale in coordination with them, and remove family and donation items first. Junk removal handles what remains. See where to donate furniture in Las Vegas for more on larger pieces.
Cost and planning
Estate sorting sessions begin around $600 for four hours. Whole-home estate projects often take several full days, which run around $1,200 for eight hours each. We recommend a plan and team size after a free consultation.
If the house is being sold, we can also prepare it for the listing; our page on organizing before selling your home covers that stage.
