Stage 02 — Sort
Contents, cleanout and vendor coordination
Short answer: don't empty the house first. Walk it, document it, separate what matters, then get quotes — contents and preparation strategy are one decision, not two.
Walk the house before anything leaves
Room-by-room photos and a category-level inventory. Documents, photographs and personal effects are separated first, at the direction of the authorized representative.
Separate keep, distribute, sell, donate, discard
Heir preferences are recorded in writing so the same item is not promised twice. Distribution decisions are the estate's, not the property team's.
Refer specialty items out
Estate-sale companies, auction houses, consignment and appraisal specialists handle valuation and disposition of items in their category.
Collect quotes for the remainder
Haul-off, deep clean, landscaping and any repair scope are quoted by independent vendors and presented for written approval before work begins.
Schedule access and supervision
One point of contact manages keys, access windows, vendor scheduling and on-site checks, with photo documentation before and after.
Document the file
Quotes, approvals, invoices and photos are kept in one place so the estate's attorney or accountant has a clean property record.
Vendor categories that can be coordinated
Every provider below is an independent business, not an employee of Maricopa Probate Solutions or Luke Getz. Each performs its own licensed or regulated work, carries its own insurance, and is engaged only after the authorized estate representative approves the scope and cost.
- Estate-sale companies
- Junk removal
- Movers
- Storage
- Cleaning
- Locksmiths
- Licensed contractors
- Roofing
- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Flooring
- Painting
- Landscaping
- Pool service
- Pest control
- Water-damage specialists
- Mold specialists
- Photography
- Staging
- Title / escrow
Common questions
Should I clean out an inherited house before calling a real estate professional?
Usually no. A walk-through of the home as it stands is more useful than an empty house, because contents, condition and preparation strategy are decided together. Items with potential value, documents and personal effects are easier to identify before anything is discarded.
Who actually performs the cleanout work?
Independent third-party vendors — estate-sale companies, haulers, movers, cleaners and licensed trades — perform the work under their own licensing and insurance. Maricopa Probate Solutions coordinates scheduling and access; it is not a general contractor and does not perform licensed trade work.
Who approves the cost?
The authorized estate representative. Quotes are collected and presented for written approval, and vendors are engaged and paid by the estate or the party the estate designates. The property team does not approve estate expenditures.
What happens to items that may have value?
Categories that commonly warrant a specialist — jewelry, art, collectibles, firearms, vehicles — are flagged for referral to appraisers or auction specialists. Valuation itself is performed by the qualified specialist, not by the property team.
Boundaries
- No legal, tax, accounting, fiduciary or appraisal advice.
- No licensed contractor or trade work performed by Maricopa Probate Solutions.
- No estate expenditure approved without the authorized representative's direction.
- All quotes and timelines are estimates, not guarantees of cost or outcome.
Related reading
Coordinate the contents
One walk-through is enough to turn a full house into a written plan with quoted options.
Prefer to talk now? (480) 568-1010