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A home in Dublin 18, and keys in someone else's hands
When someone in Sandyford, Stillorgan or Leopardstown dies, the keys to their home often end up with someone other than the person organising the clearance. The family solicitor has them while the estate is being dealt with. A brother or sister who lives nearby keeps a set. A neighbour has looked after the house since the funeral. Meanwhile, the people making decisions may be across the city, in another county or abroad.
We work with that, not against it. We collect the keys from whoever holds them, keep the family and the solicitor informed, and clear the home at a pace that suits everyone. For the wider approach, see our main bereavement house clearance page.
Collecting and returning the keys
- From the solicitor. We arrange a time with the office, sign for the keys if needed, and bring them back as agreed.
- From a relative or neighbour. They can let us in each morning, or hand the keys to us for the length of the job.
- Locked up every evening. Windows checked, doors locked, and the alarm set if there is one and we've been given the code.
- Photos at every stage. Sent to the family, and to the solicitor if you'd like, so nobody has to visit to see how it's going.
If the solicitor is acting for the estate and the invoice needs to go to them, tell us at the start. Our page for solicitors, executors and estate agents covers that side in more detail.
A family house or an apartment?
Dublin 18 has both, and they're cleared differently:
| Family house | Apartment | |
|---|---|---|
| Who to tell | Neighbours, if you'd like them to know | The managing agent or concierge |
| Access | Front door, and usually a drive for the van | A booked lift, fobs and a loading point |
| Hidden storage | The attic, the garage and the garden shed | A basement cage or a storage locker |
| Typical time | One to two days for a full house | Often a single day |
Apartments bring a few extra details. Fobs, car park passes and the parking space itself belong with the apartment, so they're returned with the keys rather than cleared with the contents. Post can pile up in the lobby letterbox, and the managing agent may hold a spare key or fob the family didn't know about. If your parent had a storage cage or bike locker in the basement, find out before the day so it isn't missed.
For houses, the Sandyford house clearance and Stillorgan house clearance pages describe the local homes. For apartments, our page on full apartment clearances in Sandyford explains the building side.
What we keep aside for the family
Before anything is bagged, we look through every drawer, wardrobe, box and pocket. These are always kept:
- documents, including bank statements, share certificates, insurance policies and wills
- photographs, letters, cards and diaries
- jewellery, watches, cash and medals
- keys, and anything that looks as if it might be important
We keep them in a box of their own and give it to the person you've chosen, daily or on the last day, whichever suits. Nothing personal is thrown out, however small.
Need help with a parent's home in Dublin 18? Send a few photos when you're ready, or ask whoever has the keys to send them. We'll suggest a gentle plan and give you a fixed price, with no obligation.
Taking it in stages
Families rarely want the whole home emptied in one go. A first visit might take the attic, the garage and anything plainly unwanted, while the family has time with the rest. A second visit clears the main rooms once everyone has chosen what to keep. The whole plan, and its price, is settled before the first visit, so there's never pressure to move faster than the family wants.
Some families like to be in the house while we work, deciding room by room. Others would rather not watch it happen and prefer to come back to an empty home. Both are completely fine, and we follow your lead.
If the death was recent and you're not sure where a clearance fits yet, our page on the first weeks after a bereavement goes through what usually comes first, and the bereavement clearance guide explains the steps for executors.
When the home is empty
The rooms are left clear, with floors swept or vacuumed, ready for the estate agent, a letting or the family. Whatever can be used again goes for reuse where we can manage it, scrap metal and old appliances go to recycling, and anything left over is disposed of at licensed facilities, all under our waste collection permit, NWCPO-25-13287-01. Our crew is fully insured on every job, too. Carpets that are staying for a sale look their best cleaned in an empty room, and we do that as well: carpet cleaning in Sandyford.
