Estate cleanout: making an inventory of a parent's home
How to list what's in a parent's house after they die, before anything is sold, shared or thrown away, and why the executor will need that list.
The BoxTrack team · · 6 min read
Three weeks after the funeral, the siblings met at the house on a Saturday with trash bags and good intentions. By noon one of them had filled a car with things "Mom said I could have," another had found an envelope of savings bonds in a cookbook, and nobody could say what had been in the den before they started. The lawyer's first question on Monday was whether anyone had made a list.
Clearing out a parent's home is sad, slow and full of small decisions. Making an inventory first doesn't take the sadness out of it, but it keeps the decisions fair, and it gives the person handling the estate the record they'll need. Here's how to do it.
Why list before you clear
Three reasons, all practical:
- The executor may have to file one. In many states the person running the estate must give the probate court an inventory of what the person owned. California, for example, requires the personal representative to file an inventory and appraisal within four months after letters are issued, with each item valued at fair market value as of the date of death.
- Values at the date of death matter for taxes. The IRS says the basis of inherited property is generally its fair market value on the date of death. If someone later sells a painting or a coin collection, that value is the starting point for any gain.
- Families argue about what they can't see. A shared list of what was in the house, with photos, settles a lot of "I thought Dad had…" before it starts.
If there's a will, an executor, or a lawyer involved, ask them before anything leaves the house. Who has the authority to give things away depends on your state and on the will, and it's easier to wait a week than to get things back.
Dates to keep in mind
First, secure the house
Before the inventory, protect what's in it.
- Change or collect the keys. Know who has one.
- Call the homeowners insurer. The NAIC, the national group of state insurance regulators, warns that many policies have a vacancy clause that might stop claims being paid once a house has been empty for 60 days or more, and that insurers can treat vacant and unoccupied homes differently. The Insurance Information Institute describes an heir whose claim for a burst pipe was turned down because the vacancy clause had kicked in. Ask about a vacancy endorsement or a vacant-home policy.
- Keep the heat on or have the pipes drained in cold weather, and check the house regularly.
- Gather the paperwork. Bank statements, bills, deeds, titles and anything that looks like an account belongs in one box for the executor, not in the recycling.
Work room by room
Pick one room and finish it before you move on. Open every drawer, closet and box, because the small valuables are rarely where you'd expect. For each room:
- Take a wide photo from the doorway, then one of each wall.
- List the furniture and anything large.
- Open drawers and cupboards. List what's inside, photographing anything that might be valuable or that someone has asked about.
- Note where documents, cash, jewelry or keys turn up.
- Mark items someone has already claimed, but don't move them yet.
Things to look for that are easy to miss: papers tucked into books, jewelry in coat pockets, keys to a safe deposit box or a storage unit, firearms, prescription medicines, and old photos and letters that no one will think are valuable until they're gone.
| Category | Photo it | Get it appraised | Hand to executor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture and rugs | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Jewelry, watches, coins | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Art and collectibles | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Papers, statements, titles | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Firearms | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Photos, letters, keepsakes | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Appraisals are worth it for the few things that might be worth real money. For most household goods, a fair estimate of what they'd sell for used is what an estate inventory needs. The free garage sale pricing guide can help with those.
Sorting what happens next
Once the list exists, the sorting has something to work from. Many families use four groups, the same ones as a downsizing:
- Named in the will or claimed by family, with who gets it written next to the item
- Sell, through an estate sale company, consignment or online
- Donate, with a receipt from the charity
- Discard, for what's broken or past saving
Share the list with every sibling or heir at once, not piece by piece. When two people want the same thing, it's written down where everyone can see it, and the executor can decide by the will or the family's agreement. Our downsizing guide has more on running the four piles.
An estate cleanout, step by step
- First weekSecure the house; call the insurer; find the will
- Weeks two to threeTalk to the executor before removing anything
- Inventory daysRoom by room: photos, lists, values
- After the listShare it with heirs; mark who gets what
- AppraisalsOnly for the few things that may be valuable
- ClearingFamily items first, then sell, donate, discard
Keep the list in one place everyone can see
Paper lists get lost between siblings, and a phone full of photos doesn't say which drawer anything came from. BoxTrack keeps the inventory in one place. Make a box in the app for each room or carton, snap a photo of what's inside, and AI lists the items for you to check, with an estimated value. Print a QR label for each box as things get packed. You can share boxes with your family, so the sibling three states away sees the same list you do, and anyone can scan a box in the garage to see what's in it. The list exports to Excel for the executor or the lawyer. See how BoxTrack works for a home inventory. Your first box is free.
If the house is being cleared because a parent is moving rather than after a death, our guide to helping aging parents move is the better place to start.
Sources
- California Legislative Information, Probate Code sections 8800 to 8802, inventory and appraisal
- IRS, Publication 551, Basis of assets
- IRS, Publication 559, Survivors, executors, and administrators
- NAIC, Insurance for military families: vacancy clauses
- Insurance Information Institute, When no one's home: understanding the role of vacancy insurance
This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Probate rules differ by state and depend on the will, so check with the executor, a probate attorney or your insurer before you remove, sell or give away anything.
