How to find out what your clearance will cost

Clearance quotations are difficult to compare because hardly any two are structured in the same way. One gives only the total price, while another lists several items. This does not show whether they include the same services.

The price for clearing your flat is determined during the inspection. Here you can find out how to obtain it and how to tell whether it will still apply on clearance day.

Why no one can publish a credible price list

Two flats with the same number of rooms can be very different. In one, little has accumulated since the children moved out. In the other, the cellar and attic storage space contain items collected over forty years. A price list based on the number of rooms fits neither case.

Anyone who nevertheless quotes a price by telephone is guessing. There are two possible directions: too low, to secure the job and charge more later, or too high, with a surcharge for everything no one has seen. In both cases, you pay.

How to obtain a firm figure

Send a few photographs of each room, a short video of the cellar, the address and your preferred date. That is enough to assess whether one vehicle or two will be needed.

Someone then inspects every area, including the attic storage space, garage and garden shed. For a flat, this rarely takes more than an hour. Anyone who provides a quotation without an inspection has made up the price.

After the inspection, you receive a quotation with a fixed price for all listed services. Our inspection is without obligation. We prepare the quotation on site so that you can read it carefully before agreeing.

What the quotation must include

For you to compare two quotations, both must cover the same points:

• what will be cleared, including the cellar, attic storage space, garage and outdoor area
• which rooms and items are expressly excluded
• disposal by waste category, with hazardous waste listed separately
• the value credited as a separate amount
• the date, time, planned duration and who will return the key
• the requested final cleaning as a separate item, including the rooms and surfaces covered
• the VAT breakdown and the company’s business identification number (UID)
• the payment terms, including the payment deadline and any agreed value credit

Compare these points first, then the final total. If one quotation is substantially lower, ask about missing services. These usually explain the difference in price.

How the value credit affects the price

During the inspection, the value of saleable items is estimated and deducted from the clearance price. There is one total amount for everything that can be resold, rather than individual amounts. It is fixed during the inspection and shown separately in the quotation. There is no later settlement based on the resale proceeds.

At the property, you will be told which of these three cases applies: you pay the difference, you pay nothing, or the purchase price exceeds the clearance costs. In the last case, we pay you the balance on the day the clearance begins, in cash or by bank transfer, against a receipt.

Before the inspection, tell us what you want to keep. We exclude it from the purchase. On request, we put aside any documents, letters and photographs we find and give them to you. We specifically look for any other items you identify and set them aside separately. We agree the scope and handover arrangements in advance.

→ How a value credit works

How to recognise a quotation that will not hold

Some quotations charge for disposal twice: in the basic price and as a separate item. Ask what the basic price covers.

If final cleaning appears in the quotation without a defined scope, it remains unclear what will be cleaned. Ask for a list of the rooms and surfaces. Anything missing from that list will not be cleaned.

If the value credit is described only as “already taken into account”, it remains unclear whether any value has been credited at all. The amount should appear separately in the quotation.

Anything you or your relatives take away yourselves should not be included in the order. Before the inspection, say what has already been removed and what will still be collected so that no one includes it in the plan.

Anything discussed at the kitchen table only applies on clearance day if it is included in the quotation. Read it before signing and ask about any missing information.

Who pays for the clearance

Clearance costs are estate debts and are paid from the estate before it is distributed. If the assets are insufficient, the heirs who accepted the inheritance are liable.

If the accounts are frozen, someone must pay in advance. Keep the quotation, order confirmation and invoice. They provide the basis for later reimbursement from the estate. If there are several heirs, obtain their written consent before placing the order.

If all heirs disclaim the inheritance, the estate is liquidated through bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy office then arranges and pays for the clearance.

→ How to recognise a reputable clearance company