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Newer homes near the M50, older houses towards Glenamuck
Carrickmines has changed a lot in a short time. Large new homes and developments have gone up around the M50 junction and along the roads towards Cabinteely and Kilternan, while some older houses on bigger plots remain, many of them on the Glenamuck side. The two kinds of house give very different attics.
| Newer homes | Older houses on bigger plots | |
|---|---|---|
| The attic | Often large and fully floored, sometimes a finished room with roof windows | Partly boarded or open joists, with insulation between |
| Getting up | A wide hatch with a ladder, or a fixed stairs to an attic room | A smaller hatch, sometimes with no ladder |
| What's up there | Plenty of it: furniture, boxes from the last move, sports gear | Decades of storage, old trunks, leftovers from past building work |
| What slows us down | Sheer volume, and dismantling furniture in attic rooms | Working from joists, and passing things through a tight opening |
Either way, the photos you send tell us which it is and how to plan the day.
Big floor, big load
A large floored attic doesn't feel full until you start emptying it. A spare bed, a desk, rows of storage boxes, golf clubs, a rowing machine, suitcases for every member of the family: it adds up to more than many people expect, and it all has to come down one stairs.
So we plan for volume. We bring enough van space for the job, take furniture apart where it stands, and keep the landing clear by loading as we go. Where there's a fixed stairs to an attic room, covers go down on every step and on the landing below before we start. Our loft clearance page goes into attic rooms in more detail.
Clearing for a conversion
If you're converting the attic, adding roof windows or upgrading the insulation, the space has to be empty before the contractor starts. Here's how we fit in:
- Tell us the start date. We'll book the clearance a few days before it, never the same morning.
- Everything goes unless you say. Shelving, old boarding offcuts and leftover materials from previous work can all come out.
- The eaves are cleared too. Builders need to see and reach the whole roof space, not just the middle.
- The floor is swept. Ready for the architect, the surveyor or the first trade through the hatch.
Our page on clearing an attic so other work can happen covers timing with contractors for insulation, conversions and roof repairs.
Clearing before a move
When a Carrickmines family moves on, the attic is often the hardest part of the house to face. Good furniture, children's things and boxes from previous moves all need a decision. We bring everything down, set aside anything you or your family want, and sort the rest for reuse, recycling or disposal.
It helps to think in four piles before we arrive, even if you only decide on the day:
- Coming with you. Brought down first and left where the removal company will find it.
- For family. Grouped in one room so relatives can collect it.
- For reuse. Sound furniture, toys and sports gear set aside for reuse where possible.
- Everything else. Sorted for recycling, with the rest going to licensed facilities.
Anything that looks valuable or personal, like framed pictures, jewellery boxes or letters, gets put aside for you to look at, not bagged. If the house is being cleared after a death, our bereavement clearance in Carrickmines page explains how we work with families at their own pace.
Planning a move or a conversion in Carrickmines? Send photos of the attic, the hatch or stairs, and your key date on WhatsApp. We'll reply with a fixed price, usually the same day.
Access, gates and parking
Most homes here have a driveway, which makes loading easy. If your development has a gate, a fob or a management company, tell us when you book so we can be let in without delay. For older houses with long drives or narrow entrances, a photo from the road helps us choose the right van.
Traffic around the M50 junction and the retail roads nearby can be heavy at weekends and at rush hour, so we usually aim to arrive early and be loaded before the roads fill. If you'd like a particular day, say so, and we'll tell you honestly what's free.
A few things can't go in the van: paint, solvents, oils, garden or cleaning chemicals, gas cylinders, and anything you suspect might contain asbestos. Please move paint and chemicals out yourself beforehand, as we can't take them, and leave anything that might be asbestos untouched for a specialist.
Costs, and the other buildings on the plot
Every attic gets a fixed price from photos, agreed before booking. Volume matters most, then the way up and down, then anything that needs dismantling or separate recycling. Everything we take leaves under waste collection permit NWCPO-25-13287-01, and we carry full insurance while we work.
Bigger plots usually mean more than one space to clear. See garage clear-outs in Carrickmines for double garages and workshops, and shed clearance in Carrickmines for garden rooms and green waste. For the whole house, our Carrickmines house clear-out page has the detail. Our main attic clearance page covers how we work in any attic, and the attic clearance guide is worth reading before you go up yourself.
