In the Netherlands we are very familiar with moving, but something that is not often talked about is emptying a house. Why would you actually empty your house? Are there special reasons for this and how does this all actually work?
When to empty the house?
A house clearance can of course be necessary during renovations or relocations, for example. This could include a death, serious contamination of a home or even an eviction.
Can you actually just evacuate a house?
Emptying a house because you are moving or because you simply have too much stuff is of course allowed. Emptying a house after death is also something that is allowed, because in this case the house must be prepared for the new tenant as soon as possible, so when it comes to a death, an eviction must even take place as quickly as possible.
Due to circumstances, such as nuisance or rent arrears, it is possible that a landlord wants to evict the tenant. Of course this is not just possible.
Emptying a house in this case requires an eviction judgment from the court because no one may just be evicted from his or her house.
Empty house after death
An eviction must always take place as quickly as possible and especially in the event of a death. Costs can add up and of course we want to prevent this. In a nursing home, for example, the period for emptying the (rental) home is often only six days.
Emptying a house after death is not only physically very difficult for the next of kin, but of course also mentally. When a loved one dies, a difficult period begins for the next of kin. It's a difficult time when a lot has to be arranged, for example the funeral and you can probably imagine that they don't want to think about emptying a house after death. That is why it often happens that relatives have the house emptied by a professional evacuation company.
Yes, after the death of a loved one, the heirs are responsible for emptying the house. However, they are not obliged to do this themselves and emptying a house after death is often left to professional craftsmen.
Emptying the house after serious pollution
Yes, emptying a house after death can be a big job, but clearing a heavily polluted, large house is also a labour-intensive job. In this case, not only precious items and furniture must be removed, but in the case of contaminated homes, the evacuators often also have to deal with hazardous waste such as drugs or human faeces.
It doesn't really matter what the reason for the eviction of an apartment or single-family home is. An eviction always requires the necessary knowledge and experience.
Delivering the house broom clean
In most cases, a house must be delivered broom clean after it has been vacated and this must always comply with the requirements of the housing association or real estate agent. Most professional evacuation companies know exactly what the conditions are and they can take everything off your hands.

Empty house after eviction
A house eviction can also be related to an eviction. In this case, there is a dispute between the landlord and the tenant. In this case, the landlord must request permission from the court and if the court gives approval, an eviction notice will be issued so that the eviction may take place. This is not possible without a judgment in this case.
What happens to my stuff? Think of valuables and precious things
When you hire an evacuation company, you can choose what you want to happen with the stuff. Do you want to throw everything away? To sell? To donate? It is your choice. The evacuation company will always discuss this with you in advance.
You decide what happens to your household effects
As you have read before, you decide what happens to the stuff. Even when you have an evacuation company evacuate the house. They will always make clear agreements with you in advance and if they come across other precious and valuable items later during the evacuation, they will contact you directly.
Furthermore, your belongings are always treated with respect.
Do you have any usable items? Support the charities!
The environment is of course very important, so maybe you should consider donating your furniture or other small items. This way they can be reused and do not have to be sent to an incinerator.
A professional evacuation company will be happy to help you
Professional evacuation companies are happy to help their customers. This way the customer can concentrate on other matters. Furthermore, these skilled gentlemen can not only empty the rental property, but they can also clean the house broom clean and hand in the keys for you.
Do you want to clear your home? Would you like to have your house emptied and cleaned? Then professionals can help you with this. They will always provide you with personal advice in advance and will also discuss all the steps of the eviction with you.
A house clearance is indeed about emptying a house, but you should not forget that the house must also be delivered in its original state. The gentlemen of a professional evacuation company specialize in evacuating homes and therefore know exactly what to do for this.
After the house has been emptied, the gentlemen will start removing all the carpet. All curtains and lamps must also be removed. After that, they can start the repair work. This can be, for example, whitewashing the walls or filling the holes in the walls.
House cleaning costs
Various factors influence the cost of house clearance. Is it a rental or owner-occupied home? Is it a house in a busy city center? It is therefore impossible for a company to give a precise price indication without some background information.
For example, the size of the house, but also its contents, plays a major role in calculating the price. If you want to know the exact price for the house clearance, it is therefore best to request a quote for 'empty house without obligation'.

Request a quote
It is of course always best to request a quote from an evacuation company so that they can tell you the exact price. However, it is of course wiser to request quotes from different companies so that you can compare them with each other.
Free quotes at Moving
At Moving you cannot request 1, 2 or 3 free quotes with one request form, but at Moving your request is sent directly to the 6 best moving companies in your region. They will contact you and them within 24 hours free quote send to your email. This service is completely without obligation!
Did you request the free quotes, but did you ultimately choose to carry out the move yourself? Then this is of course also possible because you are not committed to anything after applying!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost to clear a house?
If we assume an apartment, the costs for emptying the house will be between € 470 and € 2200. The average is €1150.
How long can a house be uninhabited?
Your home may be empty for a maximum of 6 months. After 6 months, as the owner or manager of the empty home, you must report this to the municipality.
Who should empty the house in the event of death?
After death, the heirs have 8 months to empty the house. After these 8 months you will receive a tax assessment. You can possibly postpone this for 1 year.
Who can help me clean up?
A professional evacuation company can help you very well with evacuating a home.