How do you use a cleanout service to prepare a home for sale?

Step-by-step pre-sale cleanout prep

1. Walk through with your realtor

Before scheduling the cleanout, walk through the home with your listing agent. They’ll identify specifically what needs to be cleared for the photos and listing. Different homes need different prep:

• Some need basement and garage
• Some need excess furniture removed from living areas
• Some need outdoor space cleaned up
• Some need all of the above

2. Schedule cleanout 3–5 days before photo day

Photo day is the milestone. Work backward:

• Photo day = Day 0
• Deep clean and stage = Days -1 and -2
• Junk Nurse cleanout = Days -3 to -5
• Walkthrough with agent and us = Days -7 to -10

This gives time for any touch-ups after the cleanout (paint, small repairs, marks where furniture sat).

3. Focus on the highest-impact spaces

Most homes benefit most from:

• Basement: clear stored items, broken furniture, accumulated boxes
• Garage: clear so you can see the bays
• Excess furniture: remove 30–40% of furniture in living and bedroom spaces
• Yard and outdoor storage: sheds, dead plants, broken outdoor furniture

4. What to handle yourself

• Personal items: photos, decor, religious items — pack and take with you, don’t discard
• Valuables: jewelry, important documents, collectibles — pack for the move
• Items going to new home: clearly marked or set aside
• Hazmat: paint, propane, motor oil need separate disposal

5. Coordinate with your realtor’s schedule

Realtors often have specific timelines for: when the photos happen, when the listing goes live, when broker open happens. Junk Nurse can usually fit any reasonable timeline with 5–7 days notice.

6. Don’t forget the outside

The first impression buyers form is the curb appeal. Old swing sets, dead landscaping pots, broken patio furniture, the random outdoor accumulation — this matters as much as the inside. We handle outdoor cleanup as part of the same job.

What gets cleaned in a typical pre-sale cleanout

• Basement: 80–100% of stored items
• Garage: down to bare floors, leaving only tools you’ll keep
• Attic: 80–100% of stored items
• Living room: 20–40% of furniture
• Bedrooms: 20–30% of furniture (especially the smallest bedroom)
• Spare room: often all of it (turn into “flex space”)
• Outdoor: 50–100% of accumulated items

Working with multiple vendors

A pre-sale prep usually involves: junk removal (us), deep cleaning service, possibly a stager, possibly small repair work (handyman, painter). Your realtor often has preferred vendors for each. We’re comfortable coordinating with whoever the agent uses.

For more, see Pre-Sale Cleanout Guide and Is Pre-Sale Cleanout Worth It?