Orion’s Attic has provided Washington DC estate liquidation services for over a decade. The District of Columbia plays a special role in our lives at Orion’s Attic. The city brought us (co-owners Chris Lancette and Won-ok Kim) to D.C. and ultimately to each other. Won-ok moved here from Korea after a pitstop in Pennsylvania to work for the District government. Chris fell in love with the city on his first trip here as a child with his dad. He moved here decades later to serve as a communications director for The Wilderness Society.
When we’re not liquidating Washington DC estates, you can often find us enjoying the natural world in and around the area. We can’t get in enough miles on the bike trails that wind through the city from all directions. A ride from downtown D.C. to George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon via the Mount Vernon Trail is nothing short of spectacular. If you’re visiting or moving to Washington, D.C., to care for aging parents or their estates, treat yourself to some downtime at the city’s most often overlooked but perhaps most amazing destination — Lincoln’s Cottage.
Washington DC estate liquidation options at a glance
The area’s vibrance means people often need our kind of Washington DC estate liquidation services. They need help when their parents pass away, and they don’t know what to do with all of their stuff. They need help with downsizing, senior move management, estate sales, selling their or their loved ones’ treasures, and more.
They’re also turning to our most popular option – our estate liquidation and home cleanout service. Check out our Estate Liquidation and Downsizing Guide, which includes a 2.5-minute video that shows our work in action. We charge a labor fee and quickly and conscientiously clear everything people would like removed from their homes – from a quirky Volksmarch medal collection and vintage toys to Swarovski crystal and vintage records. We sell what can be sold through auctions and other means (clients get the proceeds), transport donations to charity, and haul away the trash.
People also ask us about Washington DC estate sale companies, Washington DC estate cleanout companies and Washington DC antique companies. They ask us about … antique dealers near me. Washington DC estate sales. Antique shops near me. Washington DC auctions. Washington DC home cleanouts. Where do I sell my parents’ stuff? Washington DC senior move management. Estate sales near me. Downsizing near me.Â
So, it’s easy to get confused by all the estate liquidation options out there. We believe our estate liquidation and home cleanout service is the best, most efficient and earth-friendly way to sell the good stuff, give second lives to the rest, and enable people to quickly move on to selling their homes or the houses they inherited.
Sensitivity and discretion in dealing with the estates of current and former U.S. government officials
We recognize that current and former government officials and their estate executors/survivors often require extra degrees of privacy and anonymity when liquidating their estates. We’ve served a wide range of officials — living and deceased. They include but aren’t limited to judges, members of Congress, intelligence officials, State Department personnel, White House aides and many more. You set the ground rules for what we can say about the items we’re selling and donating for you, and we follow them.
What to know before you schedule a Washington DC estate liquidation company to empty your home
Washington, D.C. projects often present a number of challenges for you the homeowner or executor — and to us. Jobs in the district often take extra time and involve extra expense. You need to know, among other things:
For homes on residential streets
- Parking our trucks is the biggest headache with all DC estate liquidation projects. You’ll need to apply for special parking reservations — a “temporary occupancy permit” — from the DC Transportation Online Permitting System.
- Your work doesn’t stop there. It’s important that you or people you trust put up the signs a few days before the work begins. Double bonus if you string yellow or orange tape along those spaces to make it more obvious. If you or your friends own vehicles you can put in those spaces until our trucks arrive, that’s a tremendous help. Many people choose to ignore the signs.
- Be prepared to call District police to get cars towed the second the time reservation begins.
For homes in condo towers/apartment buildings with service elevators and loading docks
- You’ll need to schedule our use of the freight elevator/service elevator.
- Ask the management company to apply moving blankets to the elevator walls.
- You may have to put down a security deposit for the elevators.
Call us for help cleaning out your Washington DC home
Contact us today to discuss your project. We provide free phone consultations to get the ball rolling, then free on-site visits to provide you with a specific quote for your project. Check out one of our Washington, D.C. estate liquidation case studies.
Learn more about Washington DC, including estate attorneys and more:
- Find out about Washington DC probate court issues at the Probate Division of District of Columbia Courts.
- Learn more about the District of Columbia government and city issues, including trash pickup dates.
- Estate attorneys: Orion’s Attic highly recommends the lawyer we use for our estate planning — Eric G. Meyers at Meyers, Hurvitz and Abrahams. Meyers specializes in estate planning, real estate transactions, wills and trusts.
Orion’s Attic is a full-service estate liquidation, downsizing and home cleanout company based in Silver Spring, Maryland. We also buy antiques and collectibles. We serve Montgomery County (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Olney, Potomac, Rockville, Silver Spring, Wheaton, Takoma Park, etc.), Baltimore County, Frederick County, Howard County, Prince George’s County, and the greater metro Washington D.C., Maryland, Northern Virginia) area.
Photo by Chris Lancette and Won-ok Kim.
