How we compare
What each option actually covers when a parent's house has to be handled.
Families usually end up hiring three or four companies and doing the hardest part themselves. This is an honest look at who does what, so you can decide what you want to carry and what you want to hand off.
A junk hauler is good at hauling. An estate sale company is good at selling. A moving company moves boxes. None of them sort through fifty years of belongings with a grieving family, keep track of which sibling said what, or notice that the furnace filter has not been changed. That gap is the job we built Homeward Guide to do.
| What families need | Doing it yourself | Junk removal company | Estate sale company | Senior move manager | Homeward Guide Co. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One person responsible for the whole project | ○ | ○ | ○ | ◐ | ● |
| Sorting through belongings with the familyKeep, family, sell, donate, remove, decided item by item | ● | ○ | ◐ | ● | ● |
| Every decision recorded, with who made it | ○ | ○ | ○ | ◐ | ● |
| Family members participating from out of statePhotos, decisions, and updates in one place | ○ | ○ | ○ | ◐ | ● |
| Selling what has value | ◐ | ○ | ● | ◐ | ● |
| Donation runs with receipts | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ● |
| Hauling and disposal of what is left | ◐ | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ● |
| Packing and the move itself, coordinated | ◐ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| Deep cleaning and getting the house ready to list | ◐ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| A planning range before anyone commits | ○ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ● |
| Verified price confirmed by a person before work starts | ○ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ● |
| Someone to call on a Sunday about what to do next | ○ | ○ | ○ | ◐ | ● |
Based on how these services are commonly offered in Western Pennsylvania. Individual companies differ, and some of them are excellent at what they do; several are partners we bring in on our own projects.
If you have the time and live nearby
Doing it yourself works. Our guides are free and cover the whole process. When you hit the part you cannot face, the basement, the sale, the family argument, that is a fine time to call.
If the house just needs to be empty
A junk removal company is the fastest way to a bare floor. The risk is what goes into the truck: the deed in the desk drawer, the ring in the coffee can. Sorting first is the step people regret skipping.
If you want one person to own it
That is us. You get a guide, a plan, a verified price, and a family portal where every decision is recorded. We bring in the haulers, the sale, the movers, and the cleaners, and you make the calls that matter.
Want to see how the family portal works before you talk to anyone? Open the sample portal.
Start with the address.
You will have an honest planning range in about three minutes. A real person confirms everything before any work is scheduled, and nothing is scheduled until you say so.