Inherited House Cleanout Checklist for Maryland Families

Secure the home before sorting

Before boxes start moving, confirm who has authority, how the home will be accessed, whether utilities are on, and whether the property has any urgent risks like water damage, odor, pests, or unsafe rooms.

• Confirm executor or property contact authority
• Locate keys, garage openers, alarm codes, and lockbox details
• Keep insurance and utilities active when needed
• Limit access until valuables and documents are identified

Create a protected document zone

Wills, trusts, deeds, titles, insurance policies, tax records, financial statements, IDs, military records, medical paperwork, and mail should be separated from ordinary boxes and trash.

Move room by room, not memory by memory

Cleanouts move faster when the family chooses categories ahead of time: keep, family pickup, donate, sell, recycle, discard, and review later. The goal is a workable path, not a perfect decision on every item.