January 12, 2026
Estate Cleanout Guide: How to Clear a House on Long Island
Clearing out a home — whether after a loss, for a property sale, or during a major downsizing — is one of the most physically and emotionally demanding tasks you can face. On Long Island, where homes have often been lived in for decades, the sheer volume of belongings can be overwhelming.
This guide walks you through the process step by step.
Step 1: Take Your Time (When Possible)
If there’s no urgent deadline, give yourself time before diving in. Walk through the home, identify items of sentimental value, and make a plan before removing anything. Rushing through an estate cleanout often leads to regret about items that were discarded too quickly.
If there is a deadline — a closing date, a lease expiration, or a code enforcement requirement — that’s when professional help becomes essential. Our estate cleanout service can clear an entire house in as little as one day.
Step 2: Sort Before You Clear
Before anything goes in a dumpster, sort items into categories:
Keep
- Important documents (wills, deeds, financial records)
- Family photos and heirlooms
- Valuable jewelry, art, or collectibles
- Items with sentimental significance
Sell or Donate
- Furniture in good condition
- Working appliances and electronics
- Clothing, books, and household items
- Tools and equipment
Long Island has several donation options:
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore — accepts furniture, appliances, and building materials
- Salvation Army and Goodwill — general household items
- Local churches and community organizations — often accept donations directly
Dispose
- Broken or damaged items
- Old mattresses and box springs
- Outdated electronics that can’t be donated
- General household junk and clutter
Step 3: Choose Your Approach
DIY Estate Cleanout
If you have time and help available:
- Rent a dumpster (we recommend starting with a 20 yard for most homes)
- Work room by room, starting with the easiest areas
- Sort as you go — keep, donate, and dispose piles
- Arrange donation pickups for qualifying items
- Load the dumpster with disposal items
Timeline: A typical 3-bedroom Long Island home takes most families 3-5 days working steadily.
Professional Estate Cleanout
When you need it done fast, or the scope is too much to handle:
- Call us for a free walk-through and estimate
- We’ll discuss what stays and what goes
- Our crew arrives with dumpsters and manpower
- We clear the entire home, room by room
- We leave the property broom-clean
Timeline: Most homes can be cleared in 1-2 days with our crew.
Step 4: What Size Dumpster for an Estate Cleanout?
| Home Size | Contents | Recommended Dumpster |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 bedroom | Light to moderate belongings | 15 yard |
| 3 bedroom | Average household, full rooms | 20 yard |
| 4+ bedroom | Heavily furnished, full basement/attic | 30 yard (or multiple loads) |
| Hoarding situation | Floor-to-ceiling accumulation | 30 yard + loading service |
For homes with decades of accumulated belongings, a single dumpster may not be enough. We can swap containers as needed — drop off an empty one as soon as the full one is picked up.
Step 5: Handle Special Items
Some items need special attention during an estate cleanout:
- Documents: Shred personal and financial documents rather than throwing them away
- Medications: Return prescription drugs to a pharmacy for proper disposal
- Hazardous materials: Paint, chemicals, and batteries cannot go in a dumpster. Check with your town for household hazardous waste collection days
- Electronics: Many towns have e-waste recycling programs
- Firearms: Contact local police for guidance on proper handling
Hoarding Situations
If the home involves hoarding, we approach these situations with zero judgment and full professionalism. Our crew has experience with heavy-accumulation cleanouts and can work efficiently while being respectful of the circumstances.
For hoarding cleanouts, we always recommend our loading service — our crew handles all the physical work so you don’t have to.
Getting Started
The hardest part of an estate cleanout is starting. Once you begin, it gets easier — room by room, the progress becomes visible and motivating.
If you want to do it yourself, rent a dumpster and work at your own pace. If you want hands-on help, call us at 631-855-5502 for a free estimate on our estate cleanout service.
We’ve helped hundreds of Long Island families through this process. We know it’s not just about clearing stuff — it’s about closing a chapter and moving forward.