House
clearance
Why it is sometimes free, why it is sometimes not, and the one document to insist on.
Free house clearance is a genuine commercial model, not a scam signal: if the contents have resale value they offset the cost of the labour. What you should insist on is the waste disposal certificate.
How a clearance is actually charged
The modelFree house clearance is a genuine commercial model, not a scam signal: if the contents have resale value they offset the cost of the labour. What you should insist on is the waste disposal certificate. It is an offset model: the value of what can be resold covers the labour and the trip to the recycling centre.
One price for the whole job, based on volume and access. This is what you should ask for: the risk that the house holds more than it looked sits with whoever valued it.
Looks cheaper and usually costs more, and in a clearance the effect is larger than in a removal because nobody knows how much is in there until they start. Operators say so themselves.
Always insist on it. It evidences that waste went to an authorised facility rather than a field, and in an inherited property it protects the heir.
Without it, responsibility can come back to youClearance questions
Frequently askedHow much does it cost to clear a flat in Spain?
We do not publish one figure, because the real range is enormous and depends on whether there is resale value: the same flat can cost nothing or several hundred euros. What you can insist on is a fixed quote after a visit, not a price over the phone.
Are free clearances real?
Yes. Free house clearance is a genuine commercial model, not a scam signal: if the contents have resale value they offset the cost of the labour. What you should insist on is the waste disposal certificate. What does not exist is a free clearance of a house full of worthless things: somebody has to pay the transport and the tip.
What happens to the furniture?
Anything usable is resold or donated, and the rest goes to a recycling centre or authorised waste handler. Ask them to explain it beforehand and to give you the certificate afterwards.
Fixed price or hourly?
Fixed, and with more reason than in a removal. Hourly, the cost depends on a variable neither you nor they know until the work starts.
Do I need a permit?
If the public way is occupied by a lorry, a skip or a hoist, yes. A builder's skip in Denia, for example, is EUR 2.45 a day in the same ordinance that sets EUR 0.75 per m2 per day for removals.
How long does it take?
A normal flat is usually one or two days. What lengthens the job is not the volume but the access: with no lift and a long carry, the same contents can double the time.
Can they do it if I am not there?
Yes, and it is common among foreign owners. You need access, written authorisation and someone you trust or a gestor. We cover it on clearance after a death.