Can I clear a deceased estate before probate is granted?

Generally no — you need the authority of a Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) to dispose of estate assets. Perishables and some low-value items can be dealt with earlier, but furniture, belongings and anything of meaningful value should wait for probate or your solicitor's written approval.

How long does a Melbourne deceased estate clearance take?

A typical 3-bedroom Melbourne house that's been lived in for 20-40 years takes 3-5 working days end to end. That includes the family walkthrough, valuables removal, the sort, clearance, charity and disposal runs, and the final clean. Larger or hoarder estates can take two weeks.

What do you do with everything in a deceased estate?

Four destinations: beneficiary items (delivered to family members), charity donations (Vinnies, Sacred Heart, Salvos), sale items (auction houses or Facebook Marketplace), and disposal (council hard rubbish or private skip). A good estate crew routes each category separately as they load, rather than taking everything to the tip.

Will neighbours see a removalist truck during a deceased estate clearance?

Yes, but discreet crews minimise it: smaller unbranded trucks where possible, fewer visible crew on the front lawn, no loud music or extended driveway breaks. Ask specifically about discretion when booking — most estate-focused crews build it into how they operate.

Deceased estate clearance in Melbourne: what an executor needs to know

You're an executor. You've got a house to clear, siblings with opinions, probate to think about, and a limited window. Here's the practical

Updated 1 October 20263 min readMelbourne

By AndrewEditor, Easy Peasy Moving Guide · Reviewed by Mauricio (VIC Logistics)

You've been named executor. Somewhere in the middle of everything else — the funeral, the phone calls, the paperwork — there's a house that needs to be cleared. Most solicitors will hand you a probate timeline but not a clearance one. Here's the practical guide.

Before you book anyone: five things that need to be true

A deceased estate clearance is not a standard house move. There are legal, family and practical steps that need to be squared away before a removalist walks through the front door.

You have the authority to clear. If probate hasn't been granted, you generally can't dispose of assets. There are exceptions for perishables and low-value items, but for furniture and belongings, get your solicitor's written OK first.
Beneficiaries have had first pick. Every family we've cleared for has had this conversation, and every family has had someone realise later that they wanted grandma's dresser. Do a walkthrough with beneficiaries first — even a phone call with photos.
The valuables are documented. Jewellery, artwork, coins, photograph albums, documents — these come out first, before any clearance crew is booked. Photograph, box, and secure them.
Utilities are still on. Cleared houses need power for lifts and lights, water for hand-washing, and often waste disposal. If utilities were disconnected on the death, get them turned back on for the clearance week.
The lease or sale has a date. Rental estates and sale estates have different clearance urgency. Know the date you need to hand over vacant possession.

"A deceased estate clearance is a sort function first, then a move. The sort is 60% of the work — and it's the part most families underestimate."

Clearance vs standard removal: what's actually different

A regular removal is straightforward: pack the household, drive to the new address, unpack. A deceased estate clearance is a sort function first, then a move. Everything in the house needs to be triaged into keep, donate, sell, or dispose. That triage is 60% of the work — and it's the part most families underestimate.

Good clearance crews know this and structure the day around it. Bad ones show up expecting to just pack a truck, then charge overtime when the sort takes longer than they thought. Ask specifically: does the quoted crew do the sort, or just the move? If it's just the move, you're doing the sort yourself over three weekends.

What to do with everything: the four bins

By the end of the sort, everything in the house lands in one of four buckets:

Beneficiary items — furniture, keepsakes, documents that go to specific family members. These need to be delivered separately, often to multiple addresses.
Charity donations — usable clothing, furniture in good condition, kitchen items. Vinnies, Sacred Heart Mission and Salvos will collect large items from Melbourne addresses. Book ahead — waits can be 1-3 weeks in busy periods.
Sale items — anything with meaningful resale value. Auction houses (Leonard Joel, Leski) will do valuations for larger estates. For smaller items, a Facebook Marketplace weekend before clearance day clears a lot at low friction.
Disposal — everything else. Council hard waste pickups vary by suburb. For anything urgent, a small skip bin (2-4m³) is $250-$400 for a week.

Melbourne-specific timing you'll want to know

A few practical Melbourne notes that save time:

Charity pickup wait times stretch out during winter (June-August) and around the holidays. Book 2-3 weeks ahead if you can.
Vinnies and Sacred Heart won't take mattresses, upholstered items with tears, or anything electronic.
Melbourne CBD apartment clearances almost always need a freight-lift booking with the building manager, especially for older 1970s/80s blocks.
Council hard waste in most Melbourne LGAs is booked ahead. Some (Bayside, Boroondara) have a limit of 2-4m³ per pickup.

How long a Melbourne deceased estate clearance actually takes

For a typical 3-bedroom house that's been lived in for 20-40 years:

Family walkthrough + valuables removal: half a day to a full day
Clearance and packing: 1-2 days with a 3-person crew
Charity + disposal runs: 1 day (concurrent with clearance if the crew size allows)
Auction / sale item collection: usually 1-2 weeks after the sort
Final clean + inspection: half a day

Total: 3-5 working days for a typical Melbourne estate. Larger houses or "hoarder" estates can stretch to two weeks.

Need help with a Melbourne deceased estate clearance?

Beneficiary walkthrough, the sort, delivery to multiple addresses, charity pickup coordination, disposal. Discreet, no pressure, one point of contact.

Request a walkthrough