Property clearance for housing and real estate

When you need a clearance

A clearance is more than carrying things outside. You have to decide what may go and what needs to stay, waste has to be disposed of in the right way, and afterwards the property has to be ready for the next step. If you arrange that separately, you soon end up dealing with a clearer, a waste company and a cleaner. At Shinesta, it all sits with one party.

This service is intended for housing associations, property managers, owners' associations and contractors, for example in these situations:

• Abandoned contents. A tenant has left and abandoned belongings, or after a death there's nobody who can empty the home.
• Before renovation or demolition. Homes, storage rooms or commercial units need to be empty before the contractor can start.
• Vacant commercial unit. A previous tenant has left furniture, cabinets or racking behind and the space has to be ready for the next one.
• Storage rooms and shared areas. At the request of the board or the property manager, we clear storage rooms, corridors and other shared spaces again.
• Heavily soiled homes. We plan extra time and the right protection for these. Let us know in advance, so we come well prepared.

How a clearance works

Every clearance is different, but the steps stay the same. We schedule the emptying around your dates, such as the end of the tenancy agreement or the contractor's start. That way, you know in advance what's going to happen and when the property will be available again.

• Survey. We view the property with you, or you send us photos. We look at how much needs to go, how accessible the property is and whether there's a lift.
• Agreements. You tell us what may go and what needs to stay, who has the keys and when the property has to be empty. We set that out in the quote.
• Emptying. We work room by room and set aside what needs to stay. We keep the stairwell, lift and escape routes clear and protect them where needed.
• Removal. We take away belongings and waste as agreed. If a skip is needed on the street, we discuss the location in advance and who arranges the permit.
• Leaving it clean. The property is broom-clean afterwards. If you want to let it again straight away, we then give it a full clean.

When the property is ready, we let you know and agree how the keys are returned.

What you can arrange in advance

A clearance runs most smoothly if a few things are clear in advance.

• Who decides. Make sure it's settled who may decide about the belongings, especially if a tenant has died or abandoned the contents.
• What stays. Remove what you want to keep, or clearly indicate what needs to remain.
• Access. Arrange keys and tags, and let us know about any restrictions on the lift or parking.
• Water and power. We need water and power for the cleaning afterwards. Let us know if they've been disconnected.

What determines the price?

The price depends on the amount of belongings, the type of waste, the condition of the property and its accessibility. An apartment on a high floor without a lift takes more time than a commercial unit on the ground floor. The cleaning afterwards also counts. That's why you will receive a tailored quote, based on a visit or photos.

Careful with belongings and people

A clearance sometimes touches on personal circumstances, such as the contents of someone who has died or the belongings of a tenant who didn't leave voluntarily. We handle that with care. We set out in advance what happens to valuables, photos and personal documents. If we find something that wasn't agreed, we contact you first and don't decide ourselves.

The neighbours notice a clearance too. So we keep walking routes clear, limit the disruption in the stairwell and lift and leave the shared areas tidy.

Hazardous waste: tell us in advance

Do you suspect asbestos, chemicals or medical waste? Let us know in advance. This kind of waste calls for a specialist company and falls outside a regular clearance. If we come across it unexpectedly, we stop at that spot and contact you.

Then straight on to the next step

An empty home isn't yet a home you can let. With residential cleaning we clean the home straight afterwards for the next resident, without you having to bring in a new party. If the property is going into renovation, we come back afterwards for the handover cleaning. And for a heavily soiled commercial unit, deep cleaning is the right fit.

Demonstrably in order

In a clearance, we work in properties that you manage, often without you being there and with heavy lifting. Shinesta works with VCA and Keurmerk Schoon. VCA is about working safely and healthily on site. Keurmerk Schoon covers matters such as correct administration, the collective labour agreement for cleaning and suitable insurance, including for damage at the client's premises. This is independently audited at least once a year. For you, that means less risk of chain liability and a party you can account for in your procurement.