Use an estate sale when the house holds enough sellable items to be worth a company's commission, which AARP reported typically runs 30% of gross proceeds (2024). Donate usable things that won't bring much, and keep receipts. Send broken and worn items to junk removal. Often the answer is all three, in that order. Medications, chemicals and electronics each need their own route.
The family has taken what it wants from your mom's house. What's left is a full kitchen, three bedrooms of furniture, a garage of tools and a basement of things nobody can identify. You need to decide what gets sold, what gets given away and what gets hauled, often by phone from another state. This post gives you a sorting table, explains how each option gets paid, and lists what to ask before you hire anyone.
What goes where: a sorting table
Sort by what the item is and what shape it's in, not by how you feel about it. Your parent's wishes and the family claim round come first; this table is for everything after that.
| Item | First choice | If that fails | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture in good condition | Estate sale or consignment | Donation pickup | Measure and photograph for listings |
| Jewelry, art, antiques, collections | Appraisal first, then sale | Specialist dealer or auction | Keep out of general sorting |
| Kitchenware, linens, décor | Estate sale | Donation | Low value each, but they add up at a sale |
| Clothing in good shape | Donation | Textile recycling | Sale value is usually low |
| Tools, garden equipment | Estate sale | Donation | Ask how they handle gas-powered equipment |
| Computers, phones, TVs | Donation or certified recycler | Retailer take-back | Wipe data, remove batteries |
| Broken, stained or worn items | Junk removal | Rented dumpster | Charities can't use them |
| Paint, chemicals, pesticides | Household hazardous waste program | Local drop-off day | Not in the trash or down the drain |
| Medications | Drug take-back site | Mail-back envelope | Scratch out labels |
| Papers with personal information | Keep or shred | Shredding service | Never in an estate sale box |
The car is its own project; see what to do with a parent's car after the move.
When an estate sale makes sense, and how companies are paid
An estate sale company prices the contents, runs a public sale in the house, and takes a commission. AARP reported in 2024 that estate sale services typically take 30% of gross proceeds, or 40% if the items or the house are in poor condition. A separate AARP caregiving article notes that some companies only take a sale if their estimate for the contents is over a certain figure. That makes the first question simple: is there enough here?
An estate sale tends to fit when the house still has a lot of furniture and household goods in decent shape, when you want most of it gone in one weekend, and when you can't be there to sell item by item. It fits less well when the valuable items are few (sell those directly) or when most of what's left is worn.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What percentage do you take, and what other fees could apply? AARP's 2026 reporting quotes an estate sale owner warning about setup, staging and clean-out fees disclosed only after the sale.
- Can I see a written contract before you start? The same reporting cites an industry report that 95% of estate sale companies require one; read the liability clauses carefully.
- Are you bonded and insured? A litigation attorney quoted by AARP explains that bonding covers theft and insurance covers property damage and injuries, and that most states don't regulate estate sale companies.
- What happens to items that don't sell: donation, buyout, or left behind? Is clean-out included?
- When and how do we get paid, with what itemized report?
- Will you bring in items from other estates? AARP's account of a sale gone wrong began with exactly that.
AARP's sources recommend interviewing more than two companies and visiting one of their current sales. Photograph every room before the company starts.
What to say when you call a company
"My mother has moved into assisted living and the family has taken what we want. I'm out of state. Could you do a walk-through with my cousin on Tuesday and send me your estimate, your contract and your fee schedule by email? I'll also need to know what happens to anything that doesn't sell." Asking for everything in writing from the start sets the tone.
When donation is the better route
Donate what is usable but won't sell for enough to matter, or what's left after a sale. Some charities offer pickup for furniture; ask what they accept and in what condition. If the house has little of resale value, skipping the sale and going straight to donation plus haul-away can be faster.
A tax deduction may or may not be possible, and it would belong to the owner of the items, usually your parent. IRS Publication 561 says a deduction for used household items generally requires them to be in good used condition or better, and that such items are usually worth far less than their original price. Form 8283 is required when total noncash donations are more than $500. Whether any of this helps your parent depends on their tax situation, so collect dated receipts and an itemized list, and ask their tax professional.
Junk removal: the last step, not the first
Haulers take what nobody else will. Book them after the sale and donation pickups, so you don't pay to haul away something that could have been sold or given. Ask each company:
- How do you price: by truckload, by volume, by item?
- What do you donate or recycle, and what goes to the landfill?
- What won't you take? Paint, chemicals and some batteries often need a separate route.
- Do you need someone on site, or can you work from a lockbox with a photo list?
Items that need their own route
- Electronics. The EPA says to delete all personal information before donating or recycling, and to remove batteries, which may need to be recycled separately. Lithium-ion batteries, and devices containing them, should not go in household garbage or recycling bins.
- Household hazardous waste. The EPA lists paints, cleaners, oils, batteries and pesticides as products that can need special disposal. Ask the local solid waste agency about collection.
- Medications. The FDA says take-back is the best way to dispose of most unused medicines, at authorized drop-off sites or by mail-back envelope.
- Firearms. Transfer and sale rules depend on state and local law. Ask local law enforcement or an attorney first.
Putting it in order
- Family claim round finished, with a deadline. See dividing a parent's belongings between siblings.
- High-value items appraised and handled separately.
- Papers, medications, chemicals and electronics pulled out.
- Estate sale, if there's enough to sell.
- Donation pickup for what's left and usable.
- Junk removal for the rest.
- Cleaning and the final walk-through.
The whole clear-out, including securing the house and the paper sweep, is laid out in clearing out a parent's house after the move. If you're tempted to put everything in storage and decide later, read should you rent a storage unit for a parent's things first.
Track what's claimed, sold, donated and hauled
The Complete edition of Parent Move Plan includes five house clearing tabs and a shared costs log, so everyone can see what happened to each room and what the sale brought in. It sits alongside the day-by-day move plan in one Google Sheet.
Build your plan in 2 minutesFor choosing what goes to the new apartment before any of this starts, see the downsizing guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do estate sale companies charge?
Most work on commission, a percentage of what the sale brings in. AARP reported in 2024 that estate sale services typically take 30 percent of gross proceeds, and 40 percent if the items or the home are in poor condition. Some also charge setup, staging or clean-out fees, so ask for every fee in the written contract.
Is it better to donate or sell a parent's furniture?
Sell when the piece is in demand and worth more than the effort and commission; donate when it is usable but unlikely to bring much. If the house has enough sellable items for an estate sale, include furniture in the sale and donate what doesn't sell. Broken or badly worn furniture usually belongs with a hauler, not a charity.
Can my parent get a tax deduction for donating household items?
Possibly, but the rules are specific. IRS Publication 561 says a deduction for used household items generally requires them to be in good used condition or better, and Form 8283 is required when total noncash donations are more than $500. Keep dated receipts and a list of what was given, and ask a tax professional how it applies to your parent.
What won't junk removal companies take?
It varies by company and location, so ask. Items that count as household hazardous waste, such as paint, pesticides, motor oil and some batteries, often need a separate local collection program. Medications belong in a drug take-back program. Electronics may need a certified recycler, and personal data should be wiped first.
Sources
- AARP: 8 Estate Sale Mistakes That Can Cost You a Fortune (accessed Sept 2026)
- AARP: What to Know Before Hiring an Estate Sale Company (accessed Sept 2026)
- IRS: Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property (accessed Sept 2026)
- IRS: About Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions (accessed Sept 2026)
- EPA: Electronics Donation and Recycling (accessed Sept 2026)
- EPA: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (accessed Sept 2026)
- FDA: Drug Disposal, Drug Take-Back Options (accessed Sept 2026)
- AARP: How Caregivers Can Handle Downsizing and Estate Sales (accessed Sept 2026)