How to Clean Out a Loved One’s Home: An Estate Cleanout Guide for London and St. Thomas Families

On this page

• Step 1: Confirm who has authority
• Step 2: Secure the home
• Step 3: Find the important papers first
• Step 4: Give family time for keepsakes
• Step 5: Sort everything else
• Step 6: Handle medications and hazardous items safely
• Step 7: Donate what can be reused
• Step 8: Clear the rest and get the home ready
• When to call in an estate cleanout team
• Frequently asked questions

Step 1: Confirm Who Has Authority

Before anyone starts filling bags, make sure everyone knows who’s in charge of the estate. In Ontario, the person named in the will to carry it out is the estate trustee, often called the executor. According to the Ontario government’s guide on what to do when someone dies, the estate trustee is authorized to administer the estate and carry out the wishes in the will, such as distributing a home, savings or specific possessions.

That’s why it’s worth waiting for the executor’s go-ahead before anything is given away or thrown out. A will may leave a specific item to a specific person, and an item that seemed unimportant might matter to the estate. If there’s no will, Ontario law decides how the estate is distributed, and the province suggests speaking with a lawyer. The Law Society of Ontario’s referral service can help you find one.

This isn’t legal advice, and every estate is different. But a five-minute conversation with the executor up front can prevent a lot of family tension later.

Step 2: Secure the Home

An empty house needs a little attention, especially heading into a London winter. A few things to look after early:

• Keys and locks. Know who has a key. If you’re not sure how many copies are out there, changing the locks is a simple fix.
• Insurance. Call the home insurer to let them know the owner has passed. Many policies have conditions for homes that sit vacant, so it’s better to ask early.
• Mail. Canada Post offers mail forwarding for the estate of someone who has died, and the Government of Canada’s notification checklist points families there.
• Heat and utilities. Keep the heat on through the colder months to protect the pipes, and keep the lights and water running while you’re working in the house.

Step 3: Find the Important Papers First

This is the step families most often wish they’d done sooner. Before any furniture, boxes or closets get cleared, go through the house looking for paperwork and valuables. Important papers have a way of turning up in kitchen drawers, coat pockets, old purses and between book pages.

Look for:

• The will, or any notes about a lawyer who may hold it
• Bank, investment, pension and insurance statements
• Property deeds, tax returns and vehicle ownership
• Safety deposit box keys
• Passports, health cards and driver’s licences
• Cash, jewellery, watches and collectibles
• Photos, letters and anything with sentimental value

Pick one room, or even one closet, and make it the “do not remove” space. Everything important goes there, and that room stays off limits to anyone helping with the cleanout. It’s simple, and it works.

You’ll also need some of these documents for the paperwork that runs alongside the cleanout. The federal checklist recommends contacting the Canada Revenue Agency, cancelling CPP and OAS benefits, notifying Equifax and TransUnion to help prevent fraud, and returning a valid passport. On the Ontario side, the province notes that an accessible parking permit must be returned to ServiceOntario within 30 days.

Once you’ve found everything you need to keep, old personal and financial papers you don’t need should be shredded rather than tossed in the recycling. Bank statements and tax records carry exactly the kind of information that leads to identity theft.

Step 4: Give Family Time for Keepsakes

Before you sort the house into piles, give family members a chance to walk through and choose what matters to them. It could be a quilt, a set of tools, a recipe box or a chair someone always sat in. A walkthrough tends to go smoother when:

• Everyone knows the date and time in advance, and anyone out of town can join by video call.
• People use coloured stickers or painter’s tape with their name to mark items.
• Disagreements over specific items are written down and brought back to the executor rather than settled on the spot.

Take photos of anything nobody wants to keep but someone feels guilty letting go of. A photo can hold the memory without anyone needing to store the object.

Step 5: Sort Everything Else

With keepsakes claimed and papers secured, the rest of the house is easier to work through. Go room by room and sort into five groups:

1. Keep: anything going to family or being held for the estate.
2. Sell: furniture, antiques, tools, collectibles or vehicles with resale value.
3. Donate: clean, usable furniture, kitchenware, linens, clothing and household goods.
4. Recycle: electronics, scrap metal, cardboard and appliances.
5. Dispose: broken, stained or worn-out items that can’t be reused.

If the home has a lot of valuable furniture or collectibles, an estate sale, appraiser or auction company may make sense before anything else is removed. Our guide to planning an estate sale covers how to price items and run the sale, and what to do with what’s left afterward.

Try to start with the rooms that matter least emotionally, like the garage, laundry room or basement storage. It builds momentum and leaves the bedroom and photo albums for when you’ve found your footing.

Step 6: Handle Medications and Hazardous Items Safely

Nearly every estate has a medicine cabinet and a shelf of cleaning products, paint or garden chemicals. These shouldn’t go in the garbage or down the drain.

Medications. Health Canada recommends bringing unused and expired prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and natural health products to a local pharmacy for proper disposal, and says not to flush them. Remove the labels or personal information, empty pills into one sealable bag, and leave creams and liquids in their original containers.

Household hazardous products in London. The City’s Household Hazardous and Special Products Depot at 3502 Manning Drive takes paint, solvents, cleaners, pesticides, pool chemicals, gasoline, motor oil, propane tanks, batteries and more. It’s free for residents of London and Middlesex County and is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Household hazardous products in St. Thomas. The St. Thomas Community Recycling Centre at 330 South Edgeware Road accepts household hazardous waste on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the City says there are no fees for disposing of it.

Step 7: Donate What Can Be Reused

A lifetime of belongings often includes a lot of good, usable things. Donating them can be a comfort for families, knowing a loved one’s dining table or winter coats are helping someone else.

Locally, the Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario ReStore has locations in London and St. Thomas and accepts furniture, appliances, tools, building materials and even the contents of an entire house, though not mattresses, box springs or clothing. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul London accepts clothing, bedding, kitchenware and furniture in good condition at its York Street thrift store.

Each charity has its own standards and pickup schedule, so a large estate may mean several drop-offs. Our list of donation centres in London and St. Thomas can help you match items to the right place.

Step 8: Clear the Rest and Get the Home Ready

Once the keepers, sale items and donations are sorted, what’s left is usually the biggest physical job: old furniture, mattresses, appliances, basement storage, garage contents and years of odds and ends.

You don’t need to move everything outside or arrange several separate hauling trips before asking for help. With the executor’s approval, identify what can leave and what must stay, then arrange an on-site walkthrough with Get R Gone. Confirm the removal scope, access arrangements and upfront quote before work begins.

A whole-house clearout can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be the family’s physical responsibility as well as its emotional one. After removal, arrange a final walkthrough with the executor or realtor to check the agreed areas and identify any separate cleaning or repair work needed before the property’s next use.

When to Call in an Estate Cleanout Team

There’s no rule about when to get help, but it’s usually time when:

• The home is full and the family doesn’t have the time, the trucks or the physical ability to clear it.
• There’s a closing date, a lease end or a listing date coming up.
• The executor lives out of town and can’t be there for days of sorting.
• It’s simply too painful to do it yourselves, and that’s a perfectly good reason.

Get R Gone’s estate cleanout service handles anything from a single room to a full household in London, St. Thomas and the surrounding communities. Our crew works at a pace that suits your family, gives you a firm price after an on-site walkthrough, and sorts every load so usable furniture, clothing and household goods are donated first, electronics and metals are recycled, and only what’s left goes for disposal.

You don’t need to be there for the work. Families can appoint a representative or simply arrange access to the home, and we stay in touch before, during and after the job. For families who need a little more support, our compassionate cleanout approach is built around taking the time a bereavement situation deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I start when cleaning out a parent’s house?

Start by confirming who the executor is and getting their go-ahead. Then secure the home, search for the will, financial papers and valuables, and set them aside in one room. Let family choose keepsakes before you sort everything else into keep, sell, donate, recycle and dispose.

Can I start an estate cleanout before probate?

Families often secure the home and gather documents right away, but giving away, selling or disposing of belongings should wait for the executor’s approval, since they’re responsible for carrying out the will. Every estate is different, so speak with the estate’s lawyer if you’re unsure what can happen before probate.

How do I dispose of a loved one’s medications in Ontario?

Health Canada recommends returning unused and expired prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and natural health products to any pharmacy for proper disposal. Don’t flush them or pour them down the sink. Remove labels with personal information, combine pills in one sealable bag, and keep liquids and creams in their original containers.

Do I need to be at the house during a professional estate cleanout?

No. With Get R Gone, families can be present if they’d like, but it isn’t required. You can appoint a representative or arrange access to the home, and we’ll communicate with you before, during and after the cleanout. This helps executors who live outside London or St. Thomas.

What happens to the belongings during an estate cleanout?

With Get R Gone, items are sorted on a donation-first basis. Usable furniture, clothing, kitchenware and household goods go to organizations serving London and the surrounding community. Electronics and metals are recycled, and only items that can’t be reused or recycled are disposed of.

How much does an estate cleanout cost in London, Ontario?

Estate cleanout pricing depends on the volume of items and the scope of the job, from a single room to a full house. Get R Gone provides a firm, upfront price after an on-site walkthrough and before any work begins, so there are no surprises.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Clearing out a loved one’s home is a process, not a weekend project. Take it one step at a time: confirm the executor, protect the important papers, let family choose what matters, and find the right home for what’s left.

When you’re ready for help with the heavy part, book a free on-site quote with Get R Gone. We’ll work at your pace and treat your family’s home with care in London, St. Thomas and the surrounding area. Donation first, junk removal second.