Need To Do A Foreclosure Cleanout? [Tips]

 The real estate market has seen significant improvement over the last few years and the overall number of foreclosures have dropped more than 40% over last year. However, there are still active foreclosures taking place across the U.S.

According to RealtyTrac there were over 574,000 properties in some stage of foreclosure (default, auction or bank owned) in November 2017. And one of the most common tasks associated with a typical foreclosure is a major cleanout.

You may be an enthusiastic real estate professional, but cleaning out foreclosed homes is probably not one of the tasks on your real estate "to do list" that you look forward to. Fortunately, however, there are very effective and affordable options available for you when taking care of foreclosure sales and junk hauling needs.

A Strategy for Cleaning Out Foreclosed Homes

As we already noted, cleaning out abandoned property can be one of the more labor-intensive and costly actions required before selling a foreclosed home. Unfortunately, this is because many former residents will leave in a hurry, or are angry about losing their home, and they often leave large amounts of trash and even cause extensive damage to the house.

These types of foreclosure cleanouts tend to be the rule rather than the exception and, once the property is vacant, it isn’t simply a matter of showing the home to prospective buyers. Unlike a typical residential property, there are a number of additional tasks that must be completed before the property is in a marketable state.

Too many times, however, cleaning foreclosed homes is approached haphazardly, or without any real planning. And because often little or nothing is done by the former owners or residents so this leaves the task to be handled by the busy real estate professional!

What is needed is a simple plan for carrying out a smooth foreclosure cleanout process. 

Tips for Effectively Cleaning out Foreclosed Homes

1. Restore the outside appearance of the property

Getting the exterior of the property clean and uncluttered will help improve the selling value of the property as well as that of the immediate neighborhood. For example, keeping a regularly mowed lawn, maintaining any landscaping and ensuring that the yard is free of clutter not only ensures the safety of the property, it also improves the chances of the property selling again.

Determine what needs to be done first. For example, mowing, weed eating, and  trimming will improve the appearance of the lawn and landscaping. Since these homes are often in the foreclosure process for many months you should retain a service to care for the landscaping and property.

2. Consider what's needed beyond simply cleaning windows and carpets

Sometimes there may be an abandoned vehicle that will need to be towed away, for example. More likely, there will be piles of debris in the house, in the garage, or in the yard or storage sheds. These will need to be cleaned up and will need to be hauled away.

This does not need to be a "do-it-yourself" project for a real estate professional. In fact, this is where you should engage the help of a professional hauling firm for your residential junk removal work.

In addition, you should also repair any broken windows or blinds and keep the area facing the street neat and clean. Experience and research as established that this is a very important part of the property preservation process because it will discourage vandals and vagrants.

3. The interior can require a great deal of cleaning and hauling

You may have to remove stained or torn carpets, repair broken tiles or lighting fixtures, and even bring in pest terminators. Because there is often large amounts of junk and debris left by the vacated prior residents, the help of a  junk hauling firm is in order at this stage.

Junk removal must occur before proper cleaning can be started, but once all of this work is finished, the lender can begin to show the property.

Get Ready for Winter - Plan for What Needs to be Done

The effects of winter weather can be devastating for unattended properties. But, regardless of where you live and work,  preparing an abandoned home a harsh winter is also a strategic part of the process. In addition to the hauling and disposal work needed to cleanout foreclosures, plan for a possible long-term state of vacancy.

One critical task can be inspecting all utilities such as the electricity, gas and water, and testing the appliances and checking the electrical breakers. Locations with sever cold may require testing and inspecting toilets, drains and washing machines, dishwashers and any other appliances that use water.

If you choose to test and inspect these yourself, here are some tips to be aware of:

• Drain the pipes to clear any debris and check for leaks from water left in the pipes which may have frozen and damaged the plumbing.
• Once this completed you may want to turn off the water main and then turn on every faucet and water fixture to drain the pipes.
• Flush toilets until they will not flush again.
• Remember to turn faucets back off after you drain the water. Otherwise, the house could flood once the water is turned back on! 

Winter is also the time of year that rodents and certain insects may decide to move into an unoccupied property. A pest inspection may be needed depending on the location and how long it remains vacant.

Junk Removal and Cleaning Out Foreclosed Homes

Once you decide to outsource the trash removal part of your real estate deal, you need to determine which firm is the right one for the job. And while you can certainly find plenty of guys with trucks willing to do the job, choosing that alternative may end up costing you more than you hoped to save. This is why Junk King really is the firm of choice.

Junk King is the leading business to business junk removal service in North America and our real estate junk removal services take care of this cleanout process for you. It’s one big task off your to-do list and it’s a big step toward getting your property ready to sell or rent.

Speed, Reliability and Quality Service

We understand that as a real estate professional you need your homes to be pristine and you want to be able to list them as quickly as you can. We also understand that you appreciate hassle-free services and really can’t afford to have problems with a property. And your clients have enough to deal with when selling a home, so having the chore of junk removal handled by someone else is a huge bonus.

Junk King offers fast and friendly junk hauling with an emphasis on eco-friendly practices. We recycle or donate 60% or more of the junk we collect — including renovation debris, furniture and appliances, and even clothing and personal items. Real estate ventures can proudly call Junk King their green partner for real estate junk removal.

Real Estate Ready

We are insured and offer post-escrow payment. Junk King handles junk removal services for real estate professionals across the U.S. and we are the highest rated service brand in the nation. You can depend on Junk King for speed, reliability and for the peace of mind that comes with getting your property ready fast.

Our team specializes in large waste removal and trash hauling. We can be on location in mere minutes, so call us today! Our crew is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.

One of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle much of the material we pick-up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do or what we believe, give us a call at (707) 744-4254.