Sometimes an entire household needs to be cleared out. The grandparents move into a care home. Someone passes away. A marriage falls apart. The reasons differ, but the task is the same: A life full of things needs to be sorted.
I went through this once when my grandmother moved into a nursing home. It was one of the most emotionally difficult tasks I've ever had. But also one of the most instructive.
The Emotional Dimension
Before we talk about logistics, this needs to be said: Household clearances are emotional. Every object has a story. The armchair grandpa always sat in. The cups you always drank coffee from together. The photos on the wall.
It's okay to feel that. It's even important to feel it. Take your time before you start packing everything into boxes.
What helped me: I first sorted out the things that were important to me. A few photos, an heirloom, something to remember by. Only then did I tackle the rest.
Some people do this as a family. That can be good – shared burden, shared memories. But it can also get complicated when everyone has different ideas. Talk about how you want to approach it beforehand.
The Practical Side
When the emotional work is done – or in parallel – comes the logistics.
The first step is taking stock. Go through all the rooms and get an overview. What's there? What's still usable? What's valuable, what has sentimental value, what is objectively speaking junk?
This categorization helps enormously. Not everything needs to be treated the same way.
What Stays, What Goes
In a household clearance there are typically four categories:
Things someone in the family wants to keep. That's the simplest category. Whoever wants something gets it. If there's a dispute over individual pieces: Talk to each other before it escalates.
Things that are still usable and can be given away. This is the biggest category. Furniture, household items, books, clothing – everything that still works.
Things that could be sold. Antiques, collectibles, high-quality furniture. Have someone who knows what they're looking at assess these before you give them away or throw them out.
Things that need to be disposed of. Broken, worn out, outdated. This is usually less than you'd think.
Organizing the Giveaway
For the second category – the usable stuff – there are different approaches.
The quickest: Offer everything at once. "Household clearance, everything must go" in Facebook groups or on PIKITUP. People come by and take what they need. You save yourself the individual coordination.
The more thorough: Offer items individually or by category. "Kitchen appliances", "Living room furniture", "Books". It takes longer, but you reach more people.
What I did during my grandmother's clearance: First offered the valuable items individually, then the rest as a complete package. That way we got the maximum out of it and everything was gone in the end.
Professional Help
Sometimes it's too much. Time-wise, emotionally, practically. That's when professional clearance companies come in.
Reputable companies come by, look at everything, and make an offer. Sometimes it costs you something, sometimes they pay you – depending on what's there.
Be cautious with offers that sound too good. Some "clearance companies" only take the valuables and leave the rest behind. Or they charge more than agreed at the end. Ask for references, read reviews.
An alternative: The Brockenhäuser (thrift stores). Caritas, the Salvation Army, and local thrift stores often have pickup services for larger donations. It's free, but they only take what they can sell.
The Time Factor
Household clearances often have a deadline. The apartment needs to be handed over, the lease ends. That creates pressure.
My advice: Start as early as possible. As soon as it's clear that a clearance is needed, begin with the sorting. Every week of lead time makes things more relaxed.
When time gets tight: Prioritize. First secure the valuables. Then the sentimental items. Then give away what you can. Whatever's left at the end goes into a skip.
Ordering a skip isn't a bad thing. It's the last resort, but sometimes necessary. It costs between 300 and 800 francs, depending on size and region.
After the Clearance
When everything's gone and the apartment stands empty, it feels strange. A life was here, and now it's an empty room.
Take a moment. Not long, but a moment. Then close the door and go.
The memories aren't in the things. They're in you. The apartment can now be someone else's home. The armchair someone took might become another family's favorite chair.
This isn't an ending. It's a transition.
For the Future
Since the experience with my grandmother, I think differently about possessions. Not pessimistically, but more consciously.
I sometimes wonder: Who will sort through all this when I'm gone? Will it be a burden to someone? And I try to accumulate less. Not out of fear, but out of consideration.
If you're going through a household clearance right now: You can do this. It's a lot, but it's manageable. And every item you pass on instead of throwing away is a small victory.
Have you been through a household clearance yourself? I'd love to hear about it – hello@pikitup.ch