Sometimes, the hardest part of selling a home is deciding what to do with everything inside it.
A parent may have passed away. A loved one may be moving into a retirement residence or long-term care. Years of accumulated belongings may have made a property overwhelming to manage. Family members may live outside Ottawa and have limited time to help.
At The Joanne Goneau Team, we understand that these situations require patience, practical support and respect for the people involved.
The Joanne Goneau Team offers decluttering, estate cleanout and property-clearing assistance in Ottawa as an optional paid service for clients who list their home for sale with us. We help with senior downsizing, sorting belongings, selling suitable items, furniture donations and clearing a home before closing. The scope and fee are agreed before any work begins.
What does our Ottawa decluttering and property-clearing service include?
Every family’s needs are different. Some need help with a few remaining pieces of furniture. Others need support managing the contents of an entire home.
Depending on the agreed scope of work, our team can:
- Help sort and pack belongings.
- Create an inventory of items to sell or donate.
- Photograph and list suitable items on various websites.
- Organize estate sales/garage sales/moving sales.
- Transport suitable furniture and household items for donation using our moving truck.
- Arrange disposal of items that cannot be sold or donated.
- Coordinate cleaning before closing.
- Empty the property so it is ready for its next owners.
Our team handles this work directly. If additional professional help is needed, we arrange it and cover that cost as part of the agreed service.
Your family makes the decisions
A home’s contents represent years of memories. We approach the work with that in mind.
Before we begin, the owner or family identifies what they would like to keep, donate or try to sell. For items offered for sale, the family can set a minimum acceptable price.
We handle the selling process and do our best to recover as much as possible. All proceeds from the sale of belongings go directly back to the family.
If something does not sell at the agreed price, we may suggest an adjustment. The final decision remains with the family.
While sorting, we also set aside personal items and documents that appear important for the owner or family to review. At the seller’s request, we can also shred important documents.
Furniture donations in Ottawa: helping useful items find another home
Not everything needs to be sold. Donating suitable furniture can give it another purpose while helping someone furnish their home.
Our moving truck allows us to help transport donations to organizations such as Matthew House Ottawa, which provides furniture to people who need it. We also coordinate suitable donations to Habitat for Humanity ReStore and Salvation Army thrift stores.
Donation arrangements depend on each organization’s current needs and acceptance requirements. We help manage those details so families do not have to coordinate every delivery themselves. Some organizations may also provide a tax receipt in the seller’s name, subject to their donation policies.
An Ottawa estate cleanout: supporting a seller who lived outside Canada
Recently, a client contacted us after her mother passed away. She lived outside Canada and could spend only a short time in Ottawa.
Sorting, selling, donating and emptying the property would have required a much longer stay, keeping her away from home and resulting in lost wages.
We spent an afternoon together deciding what would be sold and what would be donated. We then staged the property using the existing furniture and listed it for sale.
Once the property sold, we organized an estate sale to sell the remaining items. We coordinated donations, disposed of food and other items that could not be retained, and emptied the property.
The sale of belongings returned enough money to the seller to offset almost half of the flat fee we had agreed upon for the service.
Every situation is different, and resale proceeds cannot be guaranteed. For this client, however, the service reduced the work she needed to manage in Ottawa while helping her recover some money along the way.
Senior downsizing in Ottawa: helping a family after their parents moved into care
Another family came to us after their parents moved into a retirement home. The belongings they wanted to keep had already been removed, but furniture and household items remained throughout the house.
The children did not want the remaining contents and were unsure where to begin with selling, donating and discarding them.
Our team created a list of items, posted suitable pieces for sale and held several estate sales to recover additional money for the owners.
After pursuing those selling opportunities, we coordinated donations of the remaining suitable furniture to Matthew House Ottawa.
As we worked through the contents, we set aside personal belongings and documents that appeared important for the owners’ children to review. We also coordinated cleaning before closing.
The family had a clear starting point, a plan for the remaining contents and a team to carry the work through.
Compassionate help with homes affected by hoarding
When a home has become overwhelmed by accumulated belongings or garbage, knowing where to start can feel difficult. Our team offers practical, respectful support without judgment, helping sellers and their families create a manageable plan to clear the property.
We can assist with sorting contents, removing garbage and arranging the removal of large volumes of unwanted items. Our bulk removal options can offer a more cost-effective approach than many traditional junk removal services, depending on the volume and work involved.
We discuss the approach, scope and fee before work begins, while respecting the seller’s decisions about belongings to keep, sell or donate.
A clear agreement before work begins
This is an optional service available to clients who list their property for sale with The Joanne Goneau Team.
An additional fee applies and is based on the work involved. We discuss the scope and agree on the fee when signing the listing agreement, before any work begins.
That conversation gives everyone an opportunity to understand the tasks, timing and expectations from the outset.
Frequently asked questions about Ottawa decluttering and estate cleanouts
Who can use your Ottawa decluttering and estate cleanout service?
This optional paid service is available to clients who list their Ottawa property for sale with The Joanne Goneau Team. It can help families managing an estate, seniors moving into care and owners preparing a home for sale.
Can you help clear an Ottawa home if the family lives elsewhere?
Yes. We can meet with the owner or family, agree on what to keep, sell or donate, and create a plan to carry out the work. The family retains control over decisions about the belongings.
Can you arrange furniture donations and sell household items?
Yes. We photograph and list suitable items on various websites, organize estate sales/garage sales/moving sales, and coordinate suitable furniture donations. Donation acceptance depends on each organization’s requirements. All proceeds from sold belongings go directly back to the family.
Can you remove garbage and large amounts of unwanted items?
Yes. We can assist with garbage removal and bulk removal for homes affected by hoarding or accumulated contents. We assess the work and discuss suitable removal options and the agreed fee before starting.
How much does property-clearing assistance cost?
An additional fee applies and depends on the scope of work. We agree on the fee when signing the listing agreement, before any work begins.
How do I arrange help preparing a home for sale in Ottawa?
Use The Joanne Goneau Team’s contact form to tell us about your property and circumstances. We can discuss your needs and create a plan together. References are available upon request.
You do not have to sort everything out alone
Preparing a property for sale can feel overwhelming when it comes alongside grief, a move into care or the challenge of managing a home from a distance.
You do not need to have every cupboard emptied or every donation arranged before contacting us. We can meet with you, understand your circumstances, discuss how we can help and create a plan together to carry out the work.
Whether you need assistance selling furniture, coordinating donations or clearing the property before closing, our goal is to make the process more manageable while respecting your family’s wishes.
Contact The Joanne Goneau Team through our contact form to tell us about your situation and discuss the next steps.
References available upon request.