For investors, buyers and asset managers

St. Louis Hoarding Cleanup: Foreclosure Cleanouts in St. Louis

Emptying a vacant property after a foreclosure or a tax sale so it can be secured, inspected and sold.

St. Louis and eleven towns within 28 miles
Written price before work starts
Licensed, insured local contractors
Occupancy inspection rules covered

St. Louis Hoarding Cleanup arranges foreclosure cleanouts and trash outs in St. Louis and the surrounding towns, carried out by local crews who work on vacant property. A foreclosed or tax-sale house is often full of whatever the last owner left, and the new owner cannot repair it, inspect it or sell it until it is empty.

A trash out of a full foreclosure typically costs $1,000 to $4,000; a vacant house left full invites break-ins, dumping and code complaints, and in the City of St. Louis still needs its $120 inspection before anyone can move in.

$1,000 to $4,000 for a typical house

A foreclosure cleanout around St. Louis typically runs $1,000 to $4,000 for a house, the typical total published cost guides give for clearing a cluttered home, and lighter trash outs are priced at $150 to $350 a truckload. Volume, basements and garages, appliances left behind and any dumping in the yard move the price.

Get a price: (636) 216-6490

Signs a vacant property needs a full trash out

Furniture, clothing and household goods left throughout the house
Spoiled food in an unplugged refrigerator
Trash dumped in the yard or the alley since the house went vacant
A basement or garage that has not been opened since the sale

Vacant houses in north county and the city

St. Louis County's own figures put about 80 percent of the county's problem properties in north county, and problem properties in the City of St. Louis run into the thousands. Investors buying in Hazelwood, Florissant and the city's north and south side neighborhoods regularly buy houses with the last owner's belongings still inside.

What has to happen before anything leaves

The buyer needs clear title and possession first. After a foreclosure sale, a former owner who is still living in the house has to be removed through the court, and that is a matter for an attorney. Once the property is vacant and in the new owner's hands, the cleanout can start. Lenders and asset managers usually want photographs before and after, and a written inventory of anything that looks valuable.

Not sure how big the job is? Describe the rooms and what is in them, and get a straight answer on what it usually takes.

Call (636) 216-6490

The usual trash out sequence

Photographs of every room and the exterior as found
Refrigerator and freezer emptied and taken for recycling
Personal papers and items of obvious value boxed and logged
Everything else hauled, including the yard and any dumped material
Broom sweep, then locks, repairs and the occupancy inspection

Getting it ready for inspection

Most cities here require an occupancy inspection before anyone moves in, and many inspect at the sale itself. Hazelwood's inspection needs every outlet and the electrical panel reachable and the utilities on, or it fails. An empty house is the starting point for all of that.

Dumping and the yard

Vacant houses attract dumping: mattresses, tires and construction debris left by strangers in the yard or the alley. It is part of the trash out, and the tires and any appliances go to recyclers rather than the truck bound for the landfill.

Questions people ask

How much does a foreclosure cleanout cost in St. Louis?

Typically $1,000 to $4,000 for a full house, or $150 to $350 a truckload for a lighter trash out.

When can a foreclosure cleanout start?

Once the new owner has title and the property is vacant. Removing a former owner who is still there is a court matter.

What are the signs a vacant property needs a trash out?

Belongings left throughout, spoiled food, dumping in the yard and closed-up basements or garages.

Do you provide before and after photographs?

Ask when you book. Most crews photograph before and after for lenders and asset managers.

What happens to anything valuable left behind?

It is boxed and logged for the owner, who decides what happens next on legal advice.

Often done together

Eviction cleanout

Clearing what a former tenant left once the court process is finished and possession is back with the owner.
Rental property cleanout

Getting a unit a tenant left full emptied, inspected and back on the market, inside Missouri's rules.
Hoarder yard cleanup

Clearing what has spilled outside the house, which is usually what the neighbors and the inspector see first.

Talk it through before anyone carries anything out

Say how many rooms are affected, whether there is a deadline, and whether anything in the house needs to be kept. You will hear what the job usually involves, what it tends to cost, and how long it tends to take.