What a Move-Out Cleanout Covers, and Why We're Not Movers
Let's clear up the confusing part first. Lakefront Junk Removal is not a moving company. We don't pack boxes. We don't drive your things to the new place. We don't offer moving services of any kind. Everything that goes on our truck is leaving for good.
What we do is the other half of a move. Once the keepers are out, we carry off what's left and sweep up behind it. That's the couch that won't fit the new living room, the mattress you're replacing, the basement shelving, the dead chest freezer and the pile in the garage. We're a Waukegan crew, and we work every town in Lake County, IL, plus Kenosha County and Racine County in Wisconsin.
When to Schedule Move-Out Junk Removal Around Movers, a Walkthrough or a Closing
Timing is most of this job. Book too early and you're living without a bed. Book too late and you're handing over keys to a place that isn't empty.
| Your situation | Good time for the cleanout | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Renting, movers booked | After the movers leave, before the final walkthrough | Everything still in the unit is clearly junk |
| Selling a house | A day or more before closing | Leaves room to fix whatever the buyer's walkthrough turns up |
| Moving yourself over several days | Right after your last load | You're not deciding what to keep with the truck idling |
| Landlord turning a unit | As soon as the keys come back | An empty unit can be cleaned, painted and shown |
Sorting Keep From Go Before the Crew Arrives
The one mistake you can't undo on a move-out is the wrong thing going on the truck. The crew takes what you tell them to take, so make it obvious.
- Use one room or one wall for everything that's leaving. If that won't work, put painter's tape on each piece that goes.
- Get the keepers out first if you can. A room with nothing but junk in it needs no explaining.
- Empty the dresser drawers, the nightstands and the desk. Passports, chargers and spare keys hide in furniture.
- Empty the fridge and freezer and unplug them the night before, with a towel down for the melt.
- Check the spots people forget: the attic hatch, the crawl space, the top closet shelf, under the stairs, the shed.
- Walk the place once more after the movers leave. If the pile grew or shrank, send a fresh photo.
Furniture, Mattresses and Appliances That Get Left Behind in a Move
Moves leave the same leftovers in every home. They're big, heavy, cheap to replace, or just not worth the room on the moving truck.
- The old sectional, the recliner and the entertainment center
- Mattresses, box springs and bed frames
- The garage fridge, the basement freezer, the washer and dryer
- Tube TVs, old computers and printers
- Treadmills and weight benches that turned into coat racks
- Patio sets, grills without the propane tank, bikes and yard tools
- Shelving, workbenches and scrap lumber
- Bags and boxes of things that didn't make the cut
Bedrooms, Laundry Rooms and Other Small Move-Out Loads
Not every move-out is a truckload. Bedrooms are often the biggest piece, and if all you've got is a couple of beds, our mattress and box spring pickup handles that as a small load.
Laundry rooms and kitchens are the other common one. Sellers and renters often own the washer, the dryer or a second fridge and don't want to move them. That's what old appliance haul-away is for. Have the water and gas lines disconnected before the crew arrives. A gas line is a job for someone qualified, so line that up a day or two ahead.
How the Carry-Out Works in Apartments, Condos and Houses
The crew carries everything from wherever it sits. A third-floor walk-up, a basement, an attic, a back bedroom. It's all normal work. No stairs fee gets added, and nobody's running an hourly clock.
Apartments and condos have their own wrinkles. Ask your building about elevator reservations, loading zones and what hours hauling is allowed, then pass that along. Many buildings want the elevator booked for big items. Tell us where a truck can park close to the door. At a house, clear a path from the junk to the exit and get the cars out of the driveway.
Before leaving, the crew sweeps the spots where the junk sat. To be straight about it, that's a broom sweep. We are not a cleaning service. Scrubbing the oven, mopping floors and shampooing carpet are a separate job for you or a cleaner.
Move-Out Cleanouts for Renters, Home Sellers and Landlords
Renters call because the lease says the unit comes back empty, and whatever's left tends to come out of the deposit. Sellers call because a purchase contract usually expects an empty house at closing. The standard is the same for both. Nothing left in the rooms, the garage, the basement or at the curb.
Landlords and property managers call about what a tenant left. We haul that too. One thing to settle first: make sure you have the legal right to dispose of what's there. That's between you, your lease and your attorney. Once you tell us it's yours to clear, we clear it.
Don't plan on the curb as a backup. Most haulers limit or charge for bulk items, and a pile sitting out front on closing day is still your pile.
Where We Run Move-Out Cleanouts in Lake County and Kenosha County
There's no extra charge for distance inside Lake County, IL. A move-out cleanout in Round Lake Park is priced on truck space, the same as one down the block from us in Waukegan.
House size changes the load more than the town does. A move-out junk pickup in Green Oaks, where many homes sit on larger lots, tends to include a full garage, a basement and patio furniture on top of the bedrooms. A one-bedroom apartment might be a couch and a mattress.
We cross into Wisconsin too. For junk removal in Salem Lakes and the rest of Kenosha County and Racine County, the price is confirmed by text before the truck leaves.
How Move-Out Junk Removal Is Priced
Pricing is by volume, which means how much truck space the leftovers fill. Quarter truck, half, three-quarters or full. Labor, loading, sweep-up and disposal are inside the number, and you approve it before work starts. No fuel surcharge and no weight fee get added later. The truck space price guide shows how loads compare.
Text a photo of each room that has something going. One wide shot per room beats ten close-ups. For a whole house of leftovers, we'll come do a free on-site look, about 15 minutes, and give you the number there. Quotes are free either way.
Not going to be there on pickup day? Plenty of moves end with you already in another state, and that's fine. You don't have to be home. Tell us how to get in and what goes. A lockbox, a garage code or a key held by the landlord or your agent all work. Reach us here or text (224) 944-8652 with the details.
What We Can't Haul, and the Garage Shelf Problem
Every move ends with a shelf of half-used paint, motor oil and lawn chemicals. Our truck can't carry wet paint, solvents, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, asbestos, ammunition or medical waste. Lake County, IL residents can bring household chemicals to SWALCO, the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County. If you're on the Wisconsin side, your county's household hazardous waste collection is the place for it. Make that run a week early, not on moving day.
Everything else gets sorted after pickup. Usable pieces go to donation, metal goes to scrap recycling, electronics go to an electronics recycler, and the remainder goes to a licensed transfer station. Illinois and Wisconsin both keep TVs and computers out of landfills, so that old tube TV was never going in the trash anyway.
