House clearance in Blanchardstown: a guide for landlords, tenants and sellers

Plan backwards from the handover date

A handover date is fixed, a clearance is not, so work backwards. Roughly:

1. Three weeks out: decide what is staying and what is going, and photograph every room.
2. Two weeks out: get a fixed quote and book the date. Tell the crew the real deadline.
3. The week before: take out papers, valuables and anything staying, defrost the fridge and freezer, and arrange parking and, for an apartment, the lift.
4. Clearance day: the crew empties and sweeps; you do a final check.
5. The day after: a slot for any cleaning or touch-ups before the keys change hands.

Leave a day between the clearance and the handover. A clearance that finishes at 6pm on the last day leaves no margin.

Who is responsible for what

If you are a tenant, check your lease and talk to your landlord about what you are expected to leave in the property, and what must go. If you are a landlord clearing after a tenant, photograph what was left before anything is moved. If you are selling, ask the solicitor or estate agent what condition they want the property in. We work for whoever instructs us. We send photos of the finished property, and we do not decide who owns an item, so anything of doubtful ownership should be tagged and settled before the day. See also our end of tenancy clearance page.

Apartments and management companies

Blanchardstown has houses and apartment schemes. Apartment blocks usually have management-company rules about lift bookings, loading times, and what may be left in common areas. We work to those rules. Ask the management company early for the lift booking, and tell us the access details when you quote: floor, lift or stairs, distance to the loading area. See apartment clearance Dublin. We protect floors and common areas as we go.

The do-it-yourself comparison: Coolmine recycling centre

Fingal County Council does not collect bulky waste. Its Coolmine Recycling Centre is on Porter’s Road, Coolmine Industrial Estate, Dublin 15 (beside Coolmine Fire Station). Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm (last entry 7:30pm) and Saturday 8am to 6pm (last entry 5:30pm), closed Sundays and bank holidays, and it may close in severe weather. Phone 01 890 5000.

• General and bulky waste (including wood and metal): €12 for a car boot, €30 for a full car, jeep or SUV, €50 for a car van or a car plus trailer, €128 for an intermediate or Transit van.
• Recyclables, household WEEE, fluorescent tubes, batteries and cooking and engine oil: free.
• Mattresses, carpets, duvets and pillows: charged. Paint, herbicides and cleaners: charged.
• Household waste only: household bin refuse and commercial waste are refused. Staff cannot help lift. Payment by card.

Council fees, opening days and rules change. The figures here are as we last checked them in October 2026, so confirm with the council or the centre before you travel.

For a studio or a one-bed that is mostly furniture, Coolmine and a hired van is workable. For a three-bed with the contents of a shed and an attic, a crew replaces several trips, the lifting and the sorting, and works to your date.

How we sort the load

The sort happens on the truck as each room is emptied, so it adds little time. Furniture and household goods in good condition are set aside for reuse where there is a realistic second life. We do not promise a destination for a particular item, because that depends on condition and demand that week. Metal and electricals (fridges, washing machines, TVs, cables) are separated as WEEE. Cardboard, paper, clean timber and textiles are kept apart. What is left goes to authorised waste facilities under our collection permit, No. NWCPO-25-13287-01. Disposal is charged by weight, so every kilo kept out of the general load lowers the cost.

Asbestos, chemicals, paints and solvents, oils, fuel, gas cylinders and clinical waste are on our not-accepted list, so tell us in advance if any are in the house.

Photograph first, then decide: the inventory step

Before any item moves, take photos of every room and write a short list. It protects everyone, whichever side of the handover you are on, and it is the basis of an accurate quote.

• Take wide photos of each room from the doorway, then close-ups of anything damaged or valuable.
• Photograph the inside of presses, wardrobes, the hot press and the attic. Contents are what get priced, not furniture alone.
• Write a list in three columns: staying, going to a person, going for clearance. Share it with whoever is involved.
• Note anything of doubtful ownership and settle it before the day. We do not decide who owns an item; we take what you tell us is going.
• Photograph meter readings, keys and the condition of floors and walls if you need them for a landlord or buyer, and keep the photos safe.

A good set of photos is fifteen ordinary phone photos. They let us price from a distance and also give you something to compare against after the clearance.

Five handover situations and how they differ

1. A tenant leaving a furnished property

Most of the contents belong to the landlord and stay. The job is usually the tenant’s own belongings and any extras they bought. Make a list of what is yours, and ask your landlord in writing what must stay. A partial clearance of your own items is quicker and cheaper than a full one.

2. A tenant leaving an unfurnished property

Everything in the property is yours. That is a full clearance of your own contents, usually with a hard deadline. Book early, because the last week of the month is when most people are moving.

3. A landlord after a tenant has left things behind

Photograph everything before it is touched. Check your tenancy documents for how left-behind items are handled and take advice if there is any dispute. When you are ready, a crew can clear and sweep. See end of tenancy clearance.

4. A seller emptying a house before closing

The solicitor and estate agent usually want it empty and broom-clean by a date. Allow a day between the clearance and the handover. Ask what is staying with the sale, such as fitted wardrobes, light fittings and appliances.

5. A family emptying a house after a death

Different in tone from the others, with its own pace. We have a separate bereavement clearance guide, and the Clontarf guide covers the practical side for families in the Dublin City Council area.

Access and logistics in a Blanchardstown job

The same amount of waste takes very different times depending on how far it has to be carried. Give the crew this information in the quote:

• Floor and lift: a third-floor flat with a working lift, one without, and a ground-floor house are three different jobs. The Dublin comparison is in our guides, and it holds here.
• Lift booking: management companies often require the lift to be booked and padded. Ask early, because a refused lift on the day wastes everyone’s time.
• Parking and loading: tell us where the truck can stand and for how long. If you need a space reserved, arrange it with the management company or neighbours.
• Gates and codes: estate gates and key safes need codes passed on in advance.
• Distance to the truck: a short carry from a driveway is easy; a long walk from an inner courtyard is slower.
• Fixed items: built-in wardrobes, kitchen units and radiators are only part of a clearance if agreed. Fixtures that belong to the building stay unless the landlord instructs otherwise.

We protect floors, stairs and common areas as we work. For apartment-specific detail, see apartment clearance Dublin.

What to do with different items when you are moving out

Furniture that is still good

Offer it first to friends, family or a local group. Anything left on the day and still in good condition is set aside for reuse where there is a realistic second life.

Mattresses and beds

Mattresses are accepted at Coolmine and charged. A tenant moving out of a rented bed does not usually need to do anything with a landlord’s mattress, but if it is yours, put it on the list.

White goods and electricals

Fridges, washing machines, cookers and TVs are WEEE and are accepted free at Coolmine. With us they are kept out of the general load. Disconnect and defrost them a day ahead.

Food and kitchen contents

Empty the fridge, freezer and presses before the day. Food waste in bags and spilled sauces make a clearance harder for everyone.

Clothes and bedding

Good clothes can go to charity shops. The rest is textile waste. Duvets and pillows are charged at the council centres.

Cleaning products, paint and chemicals

Leave them for the council route. We do not take chemicals, paints and solvents or oils. Coolmine accepts paint, herbicides and cleaners with a charge, and takes cooking and engine oil free.

Papers and personal documents

Shred what needs shredding and keep what you need for the handover (we do not offer shredding or data destruction). Do not leave post in the property.

Garden and balcony items

Garden furniture, barbecues, pots and tools are part of the job if included in the quote. Green waste is charged at Coolmine (€6 car boot, €10 full car).

After the clearance: cleaning and the final check

We sweep through at the end of a clearance, and the property is left empty and swept, not deep-cleaned. If the property needs a deep clean before handover, arrange it for the next day. A final walk-through, ideally with photos on your phone, is worth doing:

• Check that every room, cupboard and press is empty.
• Check the attic hatch, shed and any storage unit or locker.
• Check the bins, outside and in the bin store.
• Note the meter readings and return keys as agreed.
• Take a photo of each room.

If you realise something is missing, contact us at once. Loads are held briefly before they are sorted into streams, so quick action matters.

What drives the cost of a handover clearance

We do not publish prices, but the factors are worth knowing because some of them are yours to control.

Three short messages that save a lot of phone calls

Most handover problems are communication problems. These are plain templates you can adapt; none of them needs to be formal.

To the management company or landlord

“I am clearing the apartment on [date]. Could you confirm whether the lift can be booked and padded between [time] and [time], where a truck can stand, and whether there is a loading bay or key fob needed? Please also tell me about any rules on noise or common-area use.”

To the neighbours

“A clearance crew will be here on [date] from about [time]. There may be a truck outside and some noise on the stairs for a few hours. Thank you for your patience.”

To the clearance company

“Three-bed house, Blanchardstown. Photos attached for each room, the attic and the shed. Stairs: one flight with a turn. Parking: driveway for one truck. Staying: the dining table and the fridge. Deadline: keys back on [date]. Not sure about: the paint in the shed.”

A message like the last one gets a quicker and more accurate answer than “how much to clear a house?”, and it is the information we need to give a fixed price.

If you do use Coolmine: practical tips for the visit

• Check the day and the time. It opens until 8pm on weekdays and 6pm on Saturday, with last entry 30 minutes earlier, and closes on Sundays and bank holidays.
• Load it in the order you will unload. Recyclables and WEEE are free; general waste, wood, metal and green waste are charged, so keep each category together in the vehicle.
• Bring a card. Payment is by debit or credit card.
• Bring a second person. Staff are not permitted to help lift, and a wardrobe is a two-person job.
• Expect a queue on Saturday mornings. A weekday evening is usually quieter.
• Keep paint, herbicides and cleaners in labelled containers and take them separately.
• Check the weather. The centre may close in severe weather.
• Do not take commercial-looking loads. It takes household waste only.

Phone 01 890 5000 if you are unsure about an item.

What clearance day looks like, hour by hour

An example for a three-bedroom house with an attic and a shed, with no lift to worry about. Times are indicative only, as every job differs.

The load is sorted on the truck throughout: reuse first, then metal and WEEE, paper, cardboard, timber and textiles apart, then authorised disposal. A smaller job can be an hour or two.

What a clearance crew will and won’t do at a handover

What we do

• Lift, carry and load everything on the agreed list.
• Disconnect and remove appliances where this is straightforward.
• Protect floors, stairs and common areas as we work.
• Sort the load on the truck for reuse, recycling and authorised disposal.
• Sweep through and photograph the finished rooms.
• Stop and ring you if we find something unexpected.

What we don’t do

• Take asbestos, chemicals, paints and solvents, oils, fuel, gas cylinders or clinical waste.
• Decide who owns an item. If there is doubt, settle it before the day.
• Deep-clean, repaint or repair. We sweep and leave the property empty.
• Take down fixtures that belong to the building unless the landlord instructs it.
• Give legal advice about tenancies, deposits or sales; your solicitor or the relevant body does that.

Saying clearly what you expect on the day, in the quote, is the most effective way to avoid arguments afterwards.

Why the permit matters to you as the person who owns the waste

In Ireland, anyone who collects waste from you should hold a waste collection permit. If waste is dumped illegally, it can be traced back to the person who produced it. That is why it is worth asking for a permit number from anyone you hire, including a man with a van from a classified ad. Fingal County Council’s own advice on bulky waste is to use an authorised collector with an NWCPO permit.

Krystal Klean Express Limited holds Waste Collection Permit No. NWCPO-25-13287-01, issued by the National Waste Collection Permit Office. Keep the confirmation we send, which is useful if a landlord, buyer or solicitor asks who cleared the property.

What affects the quote

We do not publish prices. The things that decide a quote are the volume, the weight, access, the mix of items and how much can be reused, and your deadline. Photos of every room, the stairs and the route to the truck give a fixed price. Related: furniture removal Dublin.

Blanchardstown clearance questions

Related pages

• Apartment clearance Dublin
• House clearance Dublin
• Furniture removal Dublin
• House clearance in Swords: Fingal waste rules and costsClearing a house in Swords: Fingal County Council has no bulky collection. Estuary recycling centre fees, what it refuses, and how a sorted clearance compares.