Estate Clearing – How It Works, Step by Step
After the death of a loved one, clearing the home is often the last thing anyone has the energy to think about. Here's what the whole process actually involves, so you know what to expect before it begins.
Many people reach out to us while grief is still raw and practical matters feel like too much to think about. That’s why we lay out the whole process honestly here, step by step, so you know in advance what’s coming and nothing catches you off guard.
Step 1: First contact and understanding the situation
Everything starts with a short call or a form: you tell us the size of the flat, the city, a rough estimate of how much is inside, and any timeline. We don’t ask for every detail on the first call — a general picture of the situation is enough to start with.
At this stage it’s also worth thinking about:
- Do all the estate beneficiaries agree that clearing can begin?
- Is there anything in the home that absolutely must be kept or reviewed before clearing starts?
- Who will act as the point of contact if there are several beneficiaries?
Step 2: A written quote within 24 hours
We always provide a fixed, written quote before anything is finalised. The quote is based on the size of the home, the amount of belongings, and whether a final clean is also needed. You’re not committed to anything until you accept the quote, and you can ask as many clarifying questions as you need.
Step 3: Agreeing on a date
Once the quote is accepted, we agree on a date for the clearing. At this stage we take into account things like:
- Whether the flat has a lease or another deadline the space needs to be empty by
- Whether any of the beneficiaries wants to be present before or after the clearing
- Whether key handover has already been agreed with a property manager or new tenant
Step 4: A separate pass for valuables and documents
Before anything is removed, we go through the home specifically looking for valuables, jewellery, and important documents. This is the single most important step in the whole process, because these things can’t be replaced afterwards. Anything found is set aside separately and handed to the family member or estate administrator you designate — only then do we continue with the rest of the belongings.
For more on what we actually look for at this stage and how it gets documented, see our article on handling valuables and documents.
Step 5: Sorting — keep, sell, donate, recycle
The remaining items are sorted into four groups:
- Keep — items the family wants to hold onto or divide among themselves
- Sell — more valuable, saleable items, whose proceeds can be credited against the quote or accounted for to the estate
- Donate — items in good, usable condition that the family doesn’t want
- Recycle and dispose of — the rest, handled responsibly
We go into more detail on this step, and how best to approach it when there’s a lot of belongings and little time, in our article on advice for beneficiaries on handling belongings.
Step 6: Removal and clearing the space
Once sorting is done, items are removed from the home. Large, heavy items such as furniture are carried and moved even from walk-up buildings with no lift where needed. This is usually the fastest step in the whole process.
Step 7: Final cleaning, if it’s part of the quote
Many people also book a final clean alongside estate clearing, so the home is ready for sale or rent without a separate cleaning step. This is agreed at the quote stage, so there are no surprises later.
Step 8: Key handover and the job’s completion
The last step is handing over the keys to the agreed party — a property manager, a new occupant, or an estate agent. On request, we also provide a summary of what happened to the belongings, which is especially useful for an estate administrator or lawyer keeping records.
Checklist: worth sorting out in advance
- Do all the estate beneficiaries agree that clearing can start?
- Does anyone want to see the home one last time before clearing begins?
- Is there a known deadline (e.g. a lease ending)?
- Is a final clean needed in addition to the clearing?
- Who is the contact person the keys will ultimately go to?
The process is designed so you don’t have to do any of it alone, and you can be as involved — or as uninvolved — as you’d like. If you’d like to know more about what affects the cost, see also what estate clearing costs.
