Glossary

Antiques are objects of considerable age and craft or historical value, conventionally more than a hundred years old. In a clearance they are identified and set aside before anything is disposed of, because they can carry a significant value that is offset against the clearance costs.

An apartment clearance is the complete removal of all contents from a flat, including the cellar compartment, the attic compartment (Estrich) and the balcony, followed by correct disposal of everything taken out. In Switzerland it typically costs between CHF 800 and CHF 5,000, depending on the size of the apartment and how full it is.

The apartment handover (Wohnungsabgabe) is the formal return of a rented property to the landlord, at which the condition and any defects are recorded jointly in a written report. It determines which costs can be charged to the tenant afterwards, which is why the appointment is worth preparing for.

Asbestos is a carcinogenic fibrous mineral that was used in Swiss building materials until 1990. Before clearance or strip-out work in older buildings, it must be established whether asbestos-containing material is present.

An attic clearance is the emptying of the loft space of a building. In Switzerland the word Estrich means the attic or loft — not the floor screed it refers to in Germany. Swiss attics are usually reached by steep, narrow stairs, which makes the work more demanding than a cellar clearance.

An auction is a sale to the highest bidder and suits objects whose value is high or hard to pin down. It often achieves better prices than a direct sale, but it takes longer and comes with no price guarantee.

The Blue Zone («Blaue Zone») is the Swiss parking regime where you may park free of charge for a limited time using a cardboard parking disc. The permitted duration is far too short for a clearance, so you need either a day permit or, better, a temporary no-parking permit.

«Besenrein» — broom-clean — means a property has been fully emptied and roughly cleaned: floors swept or vacuumed, coarse dirt and waste removed. It is a clearance standard, not a cleaning standard, and it is almost never enough for a Swiss apartment handover, which requires a full final cleaning (Endreinigung).

Bulky waste (“Sperrgut”) is waste too large to fit in a standard rubbish bag — furniture, mattresses, carpets, skis and similar items. In Switzerland it is disposed of at collection points, via bulky-waste stickers, or through a paid collection service.

A business clearance is the complete clearing and resale of a commercial operation, including furniture, machinery, stock, IT and archived files. It differs from an apartment clearance through its resale potential, its data protection obligations and its usually tighter deadlines.

The call-out fee (Anfahrtspauschale) covers the cost of getting the team and the vehicle to your address. In Switzerland it runs from CHF 80 to CHF 250 depending on distance, and with many providers it is waived once the job reaches a certain size.

The carrying distance («Tragweg») is the route material has to be carried from the apartment to the vehicle. After volume, it is the single biggest cost factor in a clearance, because it directly determines how many working hours the job takes.

A cellar clearance is the complete emptying of a cellar compartment or basement level including disposal. In Switzerland a normal cellar compartment (Kellerabteil) typically costs CHF 400 to CHF 1,200 to clear, depending on volume and accessibility.

A certificate of inheritance (Erbenbescheinigung) is the official document stating who the heirs are. It is required before anyone can dispose of estate assets — for banks, property managers, and for commissioning a clearance.

Clearance costs are the total cost of clearing a property, made up of labour time, transport, disposal fees and any additional services. In Switzerland an apartment typically costs between CHF 800 and CHF 5,000 to clear, a detached house between CHF 3,000 and CHF 15,000.

A community of heirs (Erbengemeinschaft) is formed automatically under Swiss law the moment two or more people inherit the same estate. The heirs own the estate jointly rather than in separate shares, so they can only act together — which means a clearance needs the consent of every heir, or of an appointed executor (Willensvollstrecker).

Construction rubble (Bauschutt) is mineral waste from building and strip-out work: concrete, bricks, roof tiles, mortar, wall and floor tiles, and sanitary ceramics. In Switzerland it has to be kept separate from other waste fractions, and when it is clean and unmixed it is comparatively cheap to dispose of.

After a death in an apartment, specialist cleaning, disinfection and odor removal may be needed, depending on how long the person went undiscovered. The clearance itself may only go ahead once the police have released the property and the inheritance situation is settled — which in Switzerland usually takes weeks, not days.

In Switzerland heirs have three months to disclaim an inheritance (Erbschaft ausschlagen) so that they are not personally liable for the deceased's debts. Anyone who sells estate items or has the property cleared before that deadline may be deemed to have accepted the inheritance by implication — and loses the right to disclaim.

Disinfection is the targeted killing of pathogens on surfaces. After clearing a neglected apartment, where there is mold, and after a death in the home it is necessary in order to make the rooms safe to use again. It only works on surfaces that have already been cleaned.

A disposal certificate (Entsorgungsnachweis) is written proof of where and how the waste from a clearance was disposed of. It protects you as the client from liability, because under Swiss environmental law responsibility for correct disposal stays with the party that produced the waste — not with the company that hauled it away.

The disposal fee is the amount waste facilities charge to accept waste. It is calculated by weight and material type and in Switzerland runs at roughly CHF 200 to CHF 350 per tonne for general household waste destined for incineration.

Document shredding (Aktenvernichtung) is the data-protection-compliant destruction of documents and data carriers to defined security levels. When a business is wound up it is legally required, and it is evidenced by a destruction certificate (Vernichtungsprotokoll).

Domestic squalor — «Verwahrlosung» in Swiss usage — describes a home in which hygiene and order have not been maintained over a long period. It is graded on three levels, and that grade determines how much clearance, disinfection and structural repair the property will need.

Electronic waste (“Elektroschrott”, also e-waste or WEEE) covers all end-of-life electrical and electronic devices. In Switzerland disposal is already paid for at purchase through the advance recycling fee, which is why any retailer must take devices back free of charge.

An estate clearance is the clearing of an apartment or house after a death. It requires particular care in handling personal papers and valuables, and as a rule it needs the consent of all heirs before anything may be removed.

An estate inventory (Nachlassinventar) is a systematic list of all assets and debts left by a deceased person. It is the basis for dividing the estate, for the tax declaration, and for deciding whether to accept or disclaim the inheritance.

In an estate purchase («Nachlassankauf») a dealer buys the sellable part of an estate for cash. The proceeds can be offset directly against the cost of the clearance, which makes the clearance substantially cheaper and, in some cases, cost-neutral or even a net credit.

An eviction (Ausweisung) is the court procedure by which a landlord in Switzerland enforces the clearance of a rented property when the tenant does not move out after the tenancy has ended. A court decision plus an enforcement order is the precondition for any forced clearance.

An executor (Willensvollstrecker) is the person named in the will to administer the estate and carry out the deceased's last wishes. Unlike an individual heir, an executor can order a clearance alone, without collecting the consent of each heir.

The final cleaning (Endreinigung) is the complete cleaning of a rented property before handover, including windows, external blinds, kitchen appliances, the sanitary area and secondary rooms. In Switzerland it typically costs CHF 400 to CHF 1,200 depending on the size of the apartment.

A fixed price (“Pauschalpreis”) is a binding all-in price for a clearance, set after an on-site viewing and valid regardless of how long the work actually takes. It gives you planning certainty and protects you from additional charges afterwards.

A forced eviction (Zwangsräumung) is the officially ordered clearance of a rented property against the tenant's will. In Switzerland it may only be carried out after a court eviction ruling (Ausweisungsverfahren) and under the supervision of the local enforcement officer — the Gemeindeammann in most Zurich municipalities — or the debt collection office.

A furniture lift («Möbellift») is an external hoist that moves furniture and material through a window or over a balcony. It is used where stairwells are too narrow or the building has no elevator, and costs CHF 250 to CHF 700 in Switzerland depending on how long it is in use.

Green waste (Grüngut) is compostable waste from the garden and the kitchen: grass cuttings, leaves, branches and plant material. During house and garden clearances it is collected separately and sent for composting or fermentation rather than incineration.

The handover guarantee (Abgabegarantie) is a cleaning company's written commitment to rectify any objections raised by the landlord free of charge until the apartment handover is accepted. It shifts the risk of a refused handover from the tenant to the company.

The handover report (Übergabeprotokoll) is the written document in which the condition of a rented property and every defect identified are recorded at the apartment handover. It is the decisive piece of evidence in later disputes about charges made to the outgoing tenant.

Hazardous waste (“Sonderabfall”) is waste that requires special disposal because it is dangerous — paints, varnishes, solvents, waste oil, chemicals, batteries and fluorescent tubes. It must never go into general household waste and is subject to documented tracking in Switzerland.

Clearing a hoarder apartment is a specialist clearance of severely cluttered or neglected homes that requires protective equipment, disinfection and often odour neutralisation. In Switzerland it typically costs CHF 3,000 to CHF 15,000 depending on the degree of neglect, and takes two to five days.

Hoarding disorder — called «Messie-Syndrom» in Switzerland — is a recognized mental health condition in which a person accumulates possessions and cannot part with them. Clearing the home without accompanying support almost always leads to a relapse within months, which is why the resident is involved in the decisions wherever possible.

A house clearance is the complete emptying of a single- or multi-family house including cellar, attic, garage, garden shed and outdoor areas. It typically involves three to five times the volume of an apartment clearance and costs between CHF 3,000 and CHF 15,000 in Switzerland.

A household clearance is the complete winding-up of a household, in which the contents are sorted through, valued, partly resold and only then disposed of. Unlike a pure clearance, the focus is on assessing and reusing the household goods rather than simply emptying the property.

Junk removal is the targeted removal of items that are no longer needed from a room, an apartment or a building, without the property necessarily being emptied completely. It differs from a clearance in that the occupant usually stays.

The landlord's lien (Retentionsrecht) allows the landlord of commercial premises to retain a tenant's movable property as security for unpaid rent. For residential tenancies this right does not exist in Switzerland — a landlord may never hold on to a tenant's furniture over rent arrears.

A clearance company is liable for damage it causes while working. Reputable providers carry business liability insurance (Betriebshaftpflichtversicherung) with an adequate sum insured — in our case at least CHF 5 million. Ask for the certificate before you sign anything.

A liquidation is the orderly realisation of a company's assets when the company is wound up. In a clearance context it means the valuation, sale and clearing of the inventory, machinery and stock of a business that is being closed down.

The list of defects (Mängelliste) is the itemised record of damage and cleaning defects identified at an apartment handover, each with the cost estimated for it. It is the basis for any charges subsequently passed on to the outgoing tenant — and it is worth checking line by line before you pay.

Mold forms where damp persists and can trigger respiratory illness and allergies. During a clearance, affected items can no longer be reused or donated; larger affected areas require the cause to be investigated and the property to be remediated professionally.

The move-in report (Antrittsprotokoll) documents the condition of a rented property when you move in. It is the basis for deciding which defects can be charged to the tenant at the later apartment handover and which already existed beforehand.

The notice period (Kündigungsfrist) is the time between giving notice and the end of the tenancy. For residential property in Switzerland the statutory minimum is three months, and notice can only take effect on the locally customary moving dates; tenancy agreements may set longer periods but never shorter ones.

Odor removal — «Geruchsneutralisation» — eliminates persistent smells from rooms, usually by ozone or hydroxyl treatment. It is used after clearing hoarder apartments, after a death in the home, after fire damage and where heavy nicotine contamination has built up.

A pest infestation is the colonization of a property by insects or rodents. It is common when clearing neglected apartments and has to be dealt with before or alongside the clearance, otherwise the pests spread through the rest of the building.

The price per cubic metre is the most common way junk removal is billed in Switzerland and usually lies between CHF 60 and CHF 120 per cubic metre including transport and disposal. It depends on the type of material, accessibility and how much sorting is required.

Recycling is the material recovery of waste. In a clearance it means the contents are separated into fractions on site, so that metal, paper, wood, glass and plastic are recovered instead of incinerated.

A renovation clearance (Sanierungsräumung) is the emptying of a building or apartment ahead of a conversion or full refurbishment. Beyond the furniture and contents it usually includes stripping out floor coverings, fitted units, kitchens and sanitary fixtures so the property is ready for the builders.

Residual waste (Kehricht) is the combustible waste that cannot be recycled as material and is incinerated in Swiss waste-to-energy plants. Households pay for it through chargeable rubbish bags such as the Züri-Sack; in a clearance it is billed by weight instead, at roughly CHF 200 to CHF 350 per tonne.

A «Brockenhaus» is the Swiss second-hand department store: it takes in used items and resells them, and is frequently run by a charitable organisation. In a clearance it is the route for items that are still usable but have no meaningful market value.

A single-item collection (Einzelabholung) is the transport and disposal of individual items such as a sofa, a fridge or a mattress. In Switzerland it typically costs between CHF 80 and CHF 250, depending on the item and the floor it has to be carried down from.

A skip container (Mulde) is an open waste container placed on site for larger clearances. In Switzerland sizes from 4 to 36 cubic metres are common; hire including transport and disposal costs roughly CHF 400 to CHF 1,800 depending on size and contents.

Storage («Einlagerung») is the temporary safekeeping of household contents in a storage unit. In an eviction it is legally mandatory — the tenant's belongings may not simply be thrown away — and privately it makes sense whenever there is a gap between moving out and moving in.

A strip-out (Rückbau) is the dismantling of fixed installations such as kitchens, floor coverings, partition walls and built-in cupboards. In Swiss tenancies it is often contractually owed at the end of the lease when the tenant installed something themselves.

The «Zügeltermin» is the customary local date on which Swiss tenancies end and flats change hands — in the Canton of Zurich usually the end of March, June and September. On and around these dates, clearance and moving companies are booked out and prices are higher.

A temporary no-parking permit (German: «temporäres Halteverbot») reserves the parking space directly in front of a building for the duration of a clearance or move. In Switzerland it has to be applied for at the municipality, and it costs roughly CHF 80 to CHF 300 depending on the location and how long the zone is needed.

Time and materials (“Regiearbeit”) means billing by the hours actually worked rather than by a fixed price. In Switzerland the hourly rate is CHF 65 to CHF 95 per crew member, with vehicle and disposal costs charged separately.

A valuation («Schätzung») is the professional assessment of what an object is actually worth on the market. In clearances and estates it is the basis for the purchase price, for offsetting value against clearance costs, for dividing an inheritance and for insurance questions.

A value credit (“Wertanrechnung”) is the deduction of the resale proceeds of sellable items from your clearance bill. It lowers the invoice and can amount to several thousand francs where the household contents are valuable.

A warehouse clearance is the clearing and resale of a storage room, warehouse hall or stock depot including shelving systems and remaining inventory. It is normally calculated by floor area and volume and often offers considerable resale potential.

Waste oil (Altöl) is used engine, gearbox or heating oil and counts as hazardous waste (Sonderabfall) in Switzerland. It must never go into the drains or the residual waste; it has to be handed in at a point of sale or a collection point, which takes it back free of charge for household quantities.

A written quote (“Offerte”) is a clearance company's written offer stating the scope of work and the price. A serious quote follows an on-site viewing, is free and non-binding, and lists every service included as well as everything explicitly excluded.