How much does an apartment clearance cost?
An apartment clearance in Zurich costs between CHF 600 and CHF 4,000, depending on size and how full the flat is. A 3.5-room apartment (a Swiss 3.5-room flat has two bedrooms plus a living room) typically comes to CHF 1,200 to CHF 2,800 including all disposal fees. A final cleaning with handover guarantee (Endreinigung mit Abgabegarantie — the cleaning company stays liable until the letting agency accepts the flat) costs an additional CHF 400 to CHF 1,200.
The price of an apartment clearance cannot be pinned to the number of rooms alone. Two flats of identical size can differ by a factor of three in workload — depending on how full they are, which floor they are on, whether there is a lift, and how far the vehicle has to be parked from the entrance.
The guide figures below apply to normally furnished apartments in the Zurich area and include the cellar compartment (Kellerabteil — the lockable storage unit in the basement that belongs to your tenancy), transport and all disposal fees. They are deliberately given as ranges. A binding fixed price follows a free site visit — anything else would be guesswork.
Guide prices by apartment size
| Property | Typical volume | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| 1-room apartment / studio | 10–18 m³ | CHF 600 – 1,200 |
| 2.5-room apartment | 18–28 m³ | CHF 900 – 1,800 |
| 3.5-room apartment | 25–40 m³ | CHF 1,200 – 2,800 |
| 4.5-room apartment | 35–55 m³ | CHF 1,800 – 4,000 |
| 5.5-room apartment | 45–70 m³ | CHF 2,400 – 5,000 |
| Cellar compartment onlyAs a stand-alone job | 8–15 m³ | CHF 400 – 1,200 |
Guide values for the Zurich area, transport and disposal fees included. The price becomes binding after a free site visit.
What determines the price
These factors explain why two properties of the same size can cost very different amounts.
Volume
Determines around 50–60 % of the priceThe single most important factor. We calculate with the real transport volume in cubic metres, not with how full a room looks. One cubic metre is roughly a washing machine plus a bedside table.
Floor and lift
Up to +40 % without a liftWithout a lift the workload rises sharply with every storey. From the third floor upwards without a lift, a furniture hoist (Möbellift — an external lift that moves loads through a window or balcony) can be cheaper than carrying.
Carrying distance and vehicle access
+CHF 300–800 where the carry is longEvery metre between the apartment door and the vehicle is walked a hundred times over. A temporary no-parking zone (Halteverbot — a permit that reserves the street space in front of the building) almost always pays for itself.
Material mix
±20 % depending on the mixBulky waste is cheap to dispose of, hazardous waste and electronic waste are expensive. Unsorted mixed waste costs the most, because it is charged in full at the municipal refuse rate.
Sellable contents
Reduces the price, sometimes substantiallyWatches, jewellery, art, carpets, solid-wood furniture and collections are valued and deducted from the clearance price.
Date
+10–25 % for expressDemand peaks around the Swiss standard moving dates (Zügeltermine — the end of March, June and September, when most tenancies change hands). Express jobs within 48 hours carry a surcharge.
What the price includes
Included
- Free site visit and written quote
- Complete clearance of all rooms including cellar and attic (Estrich)
- Screening and safekeeping of documents and valuables
- Separation into disposal fractions
- Transport with our own vehicles
- All disposal fees
- Broom-clean handover (besenrein — swept, emptied, no residue)
- Photo documentation on request
Costs extra
- Final cleaning with handover guarantee (CHF 400–1,200)
- Furniture hoist where there is no lift (CHF 250–700)
- Temporary no-parking permit (CHF 80–300)
- Removal of fittings you installed yourself (charged by time)
- Hazardous waste in larger quantities
- Storage of household goods
Worked example: 3.5-room apartment in Zurich-Oerlikon
- Labour: 2 staff × 8 hoursCHF 1,280
- Transport: 3 runsCHF 420
- Disposal: 3.1 t, sorted by fractionCHF 680
- Credit for sideboard and watch collection− CHF 550
- Final cleaning with handover guaranteeCHF 720
How to bring the cost down
Concrete steps that actually move the price.
Pre-sort it yourself
Pack clothes, books, crockery and small items into bags and boxes. That noticeably cuts the sorting time on site, and with it the labour hours.
Set metal and electronics aside
These fractions have their own disposal routes. If they are already separated you save us the sorting — and scrap metal actually earns a return.
Have valuables appraised first
Anything you would sell anyway should not end up in the clearance. Have it valued beforehand and credited against the invoice.
Apply for a no-parking permit
The CHF 80–300 fee regularly saves several times that amount in labour time where the carrying distance is long.
Avoid the standard moving dates
In the two weeks before the end of March, June or September everything is booked out and more expensive. If you can be flexible, you pay less.
Compare two or three quotes
Make sure they all cover the same scope — the cellar, disposal fees and cleaning are the three items that most often differ.
Frequently asked questions
Get a binding price
A free site visit, then a fixed price with no follow-up charges.
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