When you inherit a home: moving its contents

Local work is hourly: $175 per hour for 3 movers, $235 for 4 movers on larger homes, a 3-hour minimum, and 15-minute increments. Packing is often the biggest part of an estate move; the Golden Package adds $70 per hour and includes all supplies and packing labor. If the estate rather than an individual is paying, tell us when you book; David confirms billing arrangements case by case. Climate-controlled storage is a flat monthly fee in 30-day periods.

Clearing the home of a parent or relative who has passed away is one of the hardest moves there is. Often the family is spread out, the house holds decades of belongings, and decisions are being made by several people at once. This guide covers the moving logistics. We do not give legal, probate or tax advice; the executor or your attorney decides who has authority over the property and its contents, and when items can be removed.

An estate move is hard to estimate over the phone. We offer a free on-site inspection: an estimator walks the home and gives you a not-to-exceed price, so the family knows the maximum cost before anyone commits. We do not do video estimates for this reason; the margin for error is too high. If the family lives elsewhere, someone local, a neighbor or the listing agent, can let the estimator in, and the crew can call whoever will meet them on move day.

Contents of an estate often go to several places: some pieces to a sibling in the East Bay, some to a cousin in Sacramento, some to storage while the house sells. Within the Bay Area, one job can deliver to more than one address; local extra stops have no fee, only time. Label every piece by destination. Items going out of state can be shipped on a long-distance move originating in California, priced by weight with a minimum space reservation, with interstate delivery within 30 days of the first available date.

Every move includes basic valuation of $0.60 per pound per article. For antiques, art and heirlooms with real value, that is very little, so consider full value protection bought directly from Baker International at bakerintl.com using our mover ID 17421. For exceptional pieces, a specialist art or antique shipper may be the right choice for those items. Jewelry, documents and cash should be removed by the family before the crew arrives.

• Confirm with the executor that items can be removed.
• Walk the house and agree who receives what; photograph each room first.
• Remove valuables, documents and medications.
• Label by destination with one color per person.
• Book the on-site inspection; get the not-to-exceed price.
• Name a local contact for move day.

After family pieces are taken, there is usually furniture and household goods no one wants. Decide early whether it will be sold, donated or hauled away, so the movers are not asked to sort on the day. Ask David what options exist for your situation.