In today’s blog, we are talking about estate cleanouts and sharing the story of two sisters from West Vancouver who approached Green Coast for a quote on a cleanout of their family home … with some fun and unexpected twists and turns to the story, plus some tips!
A Quote and a Cup of Tea
Green Coast Rubbish President and CEO Eamonn Duignan was called to do a quote for the sisters and asked to provide a cost estimate for an estate cleanout of the home where they spent their childhood as they prepared to put it on the market after their mother passed. Like many potential clients, they wanted to make sure any reusable items would be donated or recycled.
“Long story short, the price I quoted didn’t work for them, but regardless, I was invited to stay for tea, and in the process, I made two great friends to this day.”
-Eamonn Duignan, President & CEO, Green Coast Rubbish
Unexpected Twist: Plant Recycling and a Tribute Garden in Deep Cove
After a pleasant visit, and on his way out, Eamonn offered to remove the dozens of beautiful potted plants he saw at the property and said he would be able to repurpose them by planting them at his newly purchased home/Green Coast Rubbish head office in Deep Cove, BC.
“In return, I promised to dedicate the garden to their mother, and my offer was welcomed with broad smiles,” said Eamonn.
“I returned that afternoon to get started and engaged in some fantastic conversations while I lugged the various planted pots from their West Vancouver home front deck to my truck and to where they currently flourish in Deep Cove.
Upon competition of my task, which took two and a half days in very wet weather, I was invited for dinner, followed by some champagne. It was a win-win as I saw it; I was fed, achieved my sizable goal, and connected with two lovely humans!” he said.
Tips for Estate Cleanout Quotes
During one of many lovely conversations over those three days, Eamonn heard from the sisters that it wasn’t easy to compare quotes when hiring a junk removal company for an estate cleanout. For example, how do you know how much your estate cleanout will cost if you get a quote per “truckload”? How do you compare that to a flat quote for the estate cleanout (this is how Green Coast quotes)? The per truckload quote may sound cheaper, but is it really or could you end up paying more?
Eamonn was happy to use his expertise to provide some context to the sisters which is good advice for anyone who is in the market to hire a junk removal company.
Tip 1: Typically quotes would be provided with either a flat quote or a per truckload quote. If the junk removal company is quoting by truckload, it is advised to ask for details on the size of the company’s truck(s) to get an understanding of the volume of each truckload. As well, ask for the vendor to come out to look at the home and give an estimated total quantity of materials to be removed. The goal would be to understand how many truckloads are estimated to be used and therefore to have a solid understanding of total costs for each quote received before making a decision.
Tip 2: Another question to ask when getting a junk removal quote is how the items will be disposed of. What is the company’s typical recycling rate? What items will be donated/repurposed/recycled or go to the landfill?
Unexpected Turn: The Green Coast Team Goes to Work
In an unexpected turn of events, Eamonn soon learned that the sisters had a change of heart and decided to award Green Coast Rubbish the job of cleaning out the estate!
Of course, this was great to hear, and the Green Coast Team was brought in to work their magic and do the cleanout with their usual focus on recycling and donating items to worthy organizations to make sure many treasured possessions would be available to families in need.
A Nod to the “Brother Sisters” and their Mom
With his new venture Cove Repurpose in mind, Eamonn was able to repurpose an old kitchen island from the estate to use in his workshop at the home office. Eamonn repurposed the kitchen island with a dual purpose – it’s a nice sized workbench and doubles as a TV console as he has a TV now built into the cabinet below that can be pulled up for viewing.
The story of the sisters (Eamonn’s affectionate nickname for them is the “Brother Sisters”) and their mom now resides with Eamonn and the team in Deep Cove in more ways than one between the workbench and the tribute garden – that’s the beauty of repurposing.
And why “The Brother Sisters” nickname?
“In a nutshell, these two fabulous ladies reminded me of my brothers and me, how we used to bicker, tease each other, play and laugh, and it was clear as day, the brother sisters,” he said.
Get in Touch
If you have an estate cleanout to plan, Green Coast Rubbish has an experienced team that provides straightforward quotes and will make sure all the materials we remove are dealt with in the most environmentally-friendly manner.
Contact us for more information at 604 230-4530 or pickup@greencoastrubbish.com and stay connected with our projects and activities by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
