Clearing out a Home Quickly... on a Budget!

By Homesmsp @HomesMSP

Often the biggest problem in getting a home ready for sale is getting rid of all the years of accumulated furniture, housewares, clothing and just plain junk... whether it be for yourself or for a family member who is deceased or moving to assisted living.

I recently learned about a great new option to having an estate sale. Empty the Nest is a relatively new service that will come in and clear everything except hazardous materials and toxic waste out of a house... often for free!

What's the catch? They keep what they feel they can sell in their ReHome Center in Burnsville and donate (give you charitable receipts so you can use them for possible tax deductions), repurpose or toss the rest. Only about 10-15% ends up in the trash.

Does it mean you are throwing away money by not having your own estate sale? Well, it could be depending on how much you have, but most south Minneapolis homes don't have enough to bring in more than $2,000 - $4,000 at an estate sale... often less than that depending on condition. Then there are the costs and hassle associated with having the estate sale.

For many, it is well worth the simplicity to just have them come in and take care of everything. Don't have much that is worth selling? Then Empty the Nest just charges for the cost of dumpsters... usually about $500-$800.

Sounds good to me! I haven't worked with them yet, but hopefully I will in the future. They say they are not a charity for tax purposes, but that is the way they live their lives... sounds like just the kind of people I would like to work with!

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Certified 55+ Senior Real Estate Advisor