Estate and downsizing storage

Emptying a family home is rarely a single weekend. There are papers to find, relatives who live in other states, items to appraise, and objects nobody is ready to part with. A house still has to be sold or turned over, and the clock on that is usually shorter than the clock on grief. O'Brien's Moving & Storage has helped families through this for decades, and our crews are used to handling a lifetime of belongings with patience. The warehouse gives the family a quiet place for the furniture to wait, and gives everyone time to choose.

At a glance

• A holding place while the family decides
• 7 ft x 7 ft x 5 ft wooden vaults, from $40 per month
• Packing, wrapping and an itemized list of what is stored
• About 2 to 3 weeks notice to ship to any heir or new address

Why storage helps when a home is being emptied

The pressure points are time and distance. A house must be cleaned and listed, yet the heirs may live in three states and cannot all come to Reno at once. Storage separates the two jobs. The house can be emptied and sold, and the decisions about furniture, dishes, books and keepsakes can wait for a holiday visit, a court date or an appraisal. Nothing has to be sold in a hurry or given away in a mood.

Downsizing works the same way in a different tone. A parent moving to a smaller apartment or a senior living community has room for a fraction of the old house. A vault holds the dining set, the china and the pieces the family loves but cannot place yet, with a choice of what to do next that is not forced by moving day.

• Furniture waiting for an appraisal or a family visit
• Keepsakes that do not fit the new, smaller home
• Items a family member plans to take later
• Goods to be shipped to heirs in other states

How O'Brien's handles the belongings

Our crew wraps furniture, packs fragile items in cartons and loads everything into wooden vaults that measure 7 ft x 7 ft x 5 ft. The vaults sit in our 30,000 sq ft warehouse in Sparks. Vault storage starts at $40 per month. An estimator visits the house at no charge, walks the rooms with you and writes the packing and storage plan, and 10 free heavy-duty boxes come with that visit for the things the family wants to sort first.

Families often ask for an itemized list of what goes into storage, so that relatives in other places can see it. Ask the estimator when you book. For households headed to a smaller place, see our senior moves and downsizing help, and the senior moving checklist.

Shipping to heirs and to the next home

When the family decides, call 775-359-6683. Stored goods generally ship on about 2 to 3 weeks notice. A piece can go across Reno to a relative's house, or a group of pieces can be sent to another state through the Bekins network, where our estimate, packing, storage and loading connect to a nationwide carrier. Your written estimate sets the delivery window.

Some families empty the vaults in stages: a few pieces this spring, a few after the holidays. Vault storage can be short term or long term, so the schedule is the family's.

Legal and practical steps to check first

Before anything leaves the house, check who has the authority to move or sell it. In Nevada, that usually means the personal representative named by the court or in the will, and the county district court handles probate. Ask the attorney handling the estate when goods may be moved or disposed of. We store what the family asks us to store, and the family decides the rest.

If an item is valuable, ask your estimator about valuation coverage. Our valuation coverage page explains released value and full value protection.