Question 1

1. Create a schedule

Accepted Answer

Find out about the cancellation period for the flat and by when the flat must be vacated. Are there any other important dates, such as upcoming renovation work, collection days or opening hours for the disposal of bulky waste, that you should take into account in your schedule? You should also consider taking a few days off work so that you have enough time to clear out the flat.

Question 2

2. Sort objets

Accepted Answer

Allow yourself enough time to look through and sort valuable items and important documents. There are often keepsakes such as photo albums that you like to look through again and lose track of time. Think about what you want to keep, sell, give away or dispose of. Discuss this with the other heirs so that there are no disputes later on if certain items belonging to the deceased were sold or disposed of prematurely.

When clearing out, make sure that you have already sorted everything as well as possible. This will save you time later on when disposing of the waste and your helpers will know exactly what to do. For example, you can put all the furniture you want to sell in one room – things for disposal in another room, etc.

Question 3

3. Sell and dispose of items

Accepted Answer

Furniture in good condition or other household items are often easy to sell online. If there are already new tenants for the flat or house, you can ask whether they would like to have certain things.

Tip: Be sure to ask a charitable organisation such as a second-hand shop – they sometimes collect the furniture directly from your home and sell it on at fair prices. However, you will not usually receive any proceeds from the sale as you are donating the furniture to the second-hand shop.

Pay attention to the following points during disposal:

You can take electrical appliances, lamps and scrap metal to a recycling centre free of charge.
Bulky items such as large furniture, carpets or mattresses can be taken to a waste disposal centre – disposal is subject to a charge and is usually based on material and weight.
You can take the clothes to a clothing collection point, such as a TEXAID clothes bin – the bags for this are regularly sent out by post. Alternatively, you can also use a normal tear-proof bag.

Clearing a flat after a death: what to do