House clearance in Switzerland: complete guide
House clearance, also known as property clearance or flat clearance, involves removing all or part of the contents of a property. Whether as part of a move, an estate settlement, a renovation or simply to declutter, this service uses professionals who sort, recycle, donate and dispose of items responsibly.
In Switzerland, a recycling champion with a recycling rate of 53%, waste management is strictly regulated. A professional clearance company knows the local disposal channels and guarantees environmentally compliant disposal.
What a clearance service includes
A professional clearance service in Switzerland typically includes:
- Free assessment visit to estimate the volume, identify valuable items and prepare a quote
- On-site sorting: separating items into categories (recyclable, donatable, sellable, for disposal)
- Handling: carrying furniture and items, including from upper floors without a lift
- Loading into a suitable truck or skip
- Removal to the appropriate channels (recycling, donations, waste centre, incineration)
- Basic cleaning after clearance (a thorough cleaning can be ordered as an add-on)
- Buyback of valuable items where applicable (deducted from the invoice)
- Certificate of destruction for confidential documents if requested
- Legal compliance: disposal in accordance with Swiss waste regulations
Types of clearance services
Full clearance
Complete removal of the contents of a property:
- Everything is removed: furniture, appliances, textiles, crockery, decorations
- Systematic sorting: recyclable, donatable, sellable, for disposal
- Basic cleaning after clearance (thorough cleaning optional)
- Ideal for: estates, care home admission, end of lease, eviction
Partial clearance
Removal of specific items or part of a property:
- Selection of items to remove with the client
- Preservation of items to keep
- Ideal for: decluttering before a move, renovating a room, replacing furniture
Clearance with buyback
For properties containing valuable items:
- On-site appraisal by a professional
- Buyback of items with market value (antiques, vintage, recent electronics)
- Deduction of the buyback amount from the clearance invoice
- Advantage: the clearance cost can be significantly reduced, even to zero
Cellar, attic and garage clearance
The often-forgotten storage spaces:
- Cellar: often cluttered with old furniture, boxes, tools
- Attic: memories, archives, seasonal items
- Garage: disused vehicles, tyres, oils, tools
- Garden: garden shed, outdoor furniture, barbecue
Clearance prices in Switzerland (2026)
Pricing by volume
| Volume to remove | Indicative price | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 m3 | 200 – 500 CHF | A few pieces of furniture, boxes |
| 5-10 m3 | 500 – 1,200 CHF | A bedroom or cellar |
| 10-20 m3 | 1,000 – 2,500 CHF | Studio or small flat |
| 20-40 m3 | 2,000 – 4,500 CHF | 3-4 room flat |
| 40-60 m3 | 3,500 – 6,500 CHF | 5-6 room flat |
| 60-100+ m3 | 5,000 – 12,000+ CHF | Complete house / villa |
Pricing by weight
Some providers charge by weight rather than volume:
- Standard bulky items: 150-300 CHF/tonne
- Mixed waste: 200-400 CHF/tonne
- Hazardous waste (paint, solvents, oils): 500-1,500 CHF/tonne
What influences the price
- Volume: the main factor
- Type of items: heavy items (piano, safe) or hazardous waste cost more
- Accessibility: floor, lift, distance to the truck
- Sorting required: thorough sorting with recycling takes more time
- Urgency: a planned clearance costs less than an emergency one
- Buyback of items: reduces the bill if the property contains valuables
- Region: prices are higher in Geneva and Zurich
Buyback reduction
Items that can be bought back:
- Furniture in good condition: table, chair, recent sofa
- Working appliances: washing machine, tumble dryer (under 5 years old)
- Recent electronics: TV, computer, tablet
- Antiques and vintage items: furniture, light fittings, mirrors, art objects
- Collectibles: vinyl records, old books, stamps, coins
- Bicycles in good condition
The buyback value can reduce the invoice by 10 to 50%, or even cover it entirely for properties rich in valuables.
Step-by-step process
1. Quote request
- Contact us via our free quote form describing the property and approximate volume
- The provider calls back to arrange a free assessment visit
2. Assessment visit
- The professional visits the property to estimate the volume, identify valuable items and hazardous waste
- They prepare a detailed quote on site
3. Sorting items (if desired)
- Before the clearance, you (or the heirs) select the items to keep
- The provider can help identify valuable items to sell or keep
4. Clearance day
- The team arrives with a suitable vehicle (van, truck, skip)
- Systematic on-site sorting: recyclable, donatable, for disposal
- Loading and removal of everything that needs to go
- Basic cleaning of the emptied property
5. After the clearance
- Recyclable items are sent to the appropriate channels
- Items in good condition are donated to charities (Emmaus, Caritas, Brocki)
- Hazardous waste is disposed of in compliance with Swiss regulations
- You receive the final invoice (with any buyback deduction)
Sorting and recycling in Switzerland
Recycling channels
Switzerland has one of the most advanced recycling systems in the world:
| Material | Channel | Collection point |
|---|---|---|
| Paper/cardboard | Municipal collection | Blue bin or collection point |
| Glass | Colour-sorted containers | Municipal collection points |
| Metals (aluminium, tinplate) | Municipal collection or waste centre | Collection points |
| PET | Deposit or collection | Supermarkets, collection points |
| Textiles | Charities (Texaid, Tell-Tex) | Green containers |
| Electronics (WEEE) | SWICO, SENS | Shops, waste centres |
| Furniture | Waste centre or donation | Emmaus, Caritas, Brocki |
| Batteries | Dedicated collection | Shops, waste centres |
| Oils | Special collection | Waste centres |
| Paints / solvents | Hazardous waste | Special municipal collection |
The pay-per-bag system
In Switzerland, non-recyclable household waste must be disposed of in official pay-per-bag municipal sacks. The price ranges from 1 to 3 CHF per 35-litre bag. Professional clearance companies use professional sorting and disposal channels that avoid the bag tax by maximising recycling.
Legal obligations
- Illegal burning is prohibited: burning waste is illegal in Switzerland (Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment, EPA)
- Mandatory sorting: glass, paper, PET and aluminium must be recycled
- Hazardous waste: must be taken to official collection points (paint, solvents, chemicals, medication)
- Electronics: advance recycling fee (ARF) included in the purchase price, free return to shops or waste centres
- Furniture: no mandatory recycling channel, but donation is encouraged
When to use this service
Professional clearance is needed in the following situations:
- Before a move: declutter to reduce the volume (and therefore the cost) of the move
- Estate settlement: clearing the property of a deceased relative
- Care home admission: clearing the property of an elderly person entering a care facility
- Separation / divorce: removing one partner’s belongings
- End of lease: the property must be emptied and cleaned before key handover
- Eviction: urgent removal of property contents
- Renovation: emptying one or more rooms before building work
- Decluttering: reclaiming living space in an overcrowded property
- Diogenes syndrome: intervention in an insanitary property (extreme case requiring special precautions)
Estate clearance
House clearance following a death is an emotionally difficult situation requiring tact and professionalism.
Recommended steps
- Wait until the estate is legally settled (or at minimum until the heirs have agreed)
- Identify valuable items (jewellery, art, antiques) with an expert if necessary
- Select the items the heirs wish to keep
- Have uncertain valuables appraised by an auctioneer
- Arrange the sale of valuable items (auction, dealer, online)
- Entrust the clearance of remaining items to a professional
- Arrange the cleaning of the property
Tax aspects
- Inherited goods are subject to inheritance tax (varies by canton: 0% for direct descendants in some cantons like Zurich or Schwyz, up to 30% for non-relatives)
- Clearance costs are deductible as estate charges
- Sold items must be declared as estate proceeds
Tips and tricks
To save money
- Sort valuable items and keepsakes yourself before the provider arrives
- Sell valuable items yourself (Ricardo, Anibis, Tutti) rather than leaving them for the clearance company’s buyback
- Donate directly to charities to reduce the volume to be disposed of
- Combine clearance + moving + cleaning for a bundled rate
- Plan ahead: an urgent clearance costs 20-30% more
- Request a personalised quote via our platform
For a responsible clearance
- Favour donation: Emmaus, Caritas, Brocki collect items in good condition free of charge
- Insist on recycling: a good provider recycles 50-70% of the volume removed
- Ask for a report: some providers supply a waste traceability report
Donation and giving items a second life
Before disposing, think about donating:
Collection organisations in Switzerland
- Emmaus: furniture, crockery, clothing, books (free collection in some regions)
- Caritas: clothing, furniture, small appliances
- Salvation Army (Brocki): all types of items in good condition (shops throughout Switzerland)
- Red Cross: clothing and textiles
- Terre des Hommes: donated items for sale to benefit the charity
- Freecycle / Gratuit Suisse: online platforms for giving between individuals
Secondhand sales
- Ricardo.ch: Switzerland’s leading auction platform
- Anibis.ch: free classifieds
- Tutti.ch: regional classifieds
- Facebook Marketplace: local private sales
- Flea markets: a lively Swiss tradition
Combining clearance and moving
Clearance is often the first step in a successful move:
- Sort: separate what you are keeping from what you are not
- Clearance: removal of items to dispose of, donate or sell
- Packing: of the items you are keeping
- Moving: transport to the new property
- Cleaning: restoring the emptied property
By combining these services via our platform, you benefit from advantageous bundled rates.
Frequently asked questions
Questions fréquentes
The price depends on the volume to remove. For a studio, expect between 1,000 and 2,500 CHF. For a 3-room flat, between 2,000 and 4,500 CHF. For a complete house, between 5,000 and 12,000 CHF or more. If the property contains valuable items that can be bought back, the bill can be significantly reduced (up to 50% off).
A responsible provider sorts items into four categories: items in good condition are donated to charities (Emmaus, Caritas, Brocki) or resold, recyclable materials are sent to the appropriate recycling channels, hazardous waste is disposed of through legal channels, and only non-recyclable waste goes to incineration.
Yes, some providers offer responses within 48 to 72 hours in urgent cases (imminent lease end, property sale). A surcharge of 20 to 30% generally applies. However, we recommend taking the time needed to identify valuable items and keepsakes before proceeding with the clearance.
In the context of an estate, clearance costs are deductible as estate charges. For a landlord, the cost of clearing a property left by a tenant can be deducted as maintenance expenses. For individuals, costs are generally not deductible unless linked to a professional move.
Hazardous waste (paints, solvents, chemicals, medication, asbestos) must be disposed of through legal channels. Professional clearance companies know these channels and handle them. Gas cylinders must be returned to the supplier. Asbestos requires a SUVA-certified specialist company. The cost of hazardous waste disposal is charged as a supplement.
Yes, this is the principle of partial clearance. You select the items to keep (on site or by marking them), and the provider removes everything else. This is the most common approach in an estate where heirs keep keepsakes and valuables. Sorting can be done with the provider's help, who can also estimate the value of certain items.
The duration depends on the volume and accessibility. A studio is cleared in 2 to 4 hours. A 3-4 room flat takes half a day to a full day. A complete house or villa can take 1 to 3 days. The job is faster if the property is on the ground floor with direct truck access.
A basic clean (sweeping, removing residue) is generally included. However, for an end-of-lease cleaning that meets the standards of Swiss property managers, a separate professional cleaning service is needed. We offer combined clearance + cleaning packages at preferential rates. Request a bundled quote via our platform.