Garage and basement cleanout checklist: how to prep so it costs less

You do not have to do anything before a cleanout. Plenty of customers hand us the garage door opener and go to work. But if you have twenty minutes, a little prep makes the job faster, and faster means cheaper. Here is the checklist we give people in Shelton and the surrounding towns.

Before you book

• Take photos. Wide shots of the whole space plus close-ups of anything heavy or odd. Text them to (475) 201-7539 with your town and you'll get a price without a visit.
• Note the access. Bulkhead or interior stairs? Is the garage door working? Is there a path to the driveway? Tell us and we'll bring the right crew.
• Decide what stays. Put a piece of tape or a sticky note on anything we should not touch. We work by the rule "if it's not marked, it goes," so marking matters.

The day before

• Pull out the keepers. Holiday decorations, tools you still use, paperwork and photos. Move them to a corner or another room.
• Check boxes you can't identify. Family photos, documents and jewelry turn up in cleanouts all the time. We set aside anything that looks personal, but a quick look saves you wondering later.
• Separate scrap metal if it's easy. Old grills, bikes, shelving, pipes. Metal is cheaper to dispose of than mixed junk.
• Set aside hazardous stuff. Paint cans, chemicals, propane and gas cans go to your town's household hazardous waste drop-off, not on our truck.
• Empty the fridge or freezer if an old one is coming out.

On the day

• Move cars out of the driveway so we can back the truck in close. A short carry is a faster carry.
• Put pets somewhere calm. Doors will be open for a while.
• Walk the space with us for five minutes at the start. Point out the keepers and anything fragile nearby.
• Then go do something else. We'll text you when it's done and send a photo of the empty space.

What we do with it all

Usable furniture, housewares and tools go to local donation centers. Metal goes to recycling. Everything else goes to a licensed transfer station. Nothing ends up on the side of a road.

Ready to see the floor again? Send photos through the quote form or text (475) 201-7539.