If you're the executor
Being named executor usually means doing the practical jobs while you're still grieving. In Walkinstown, that often means a semi-detached house a parent lived in for most of their life, with a garage, a garden and decades of belongings. This page is about getting that house cleared properly without adding to the load.
Walkinstown's housing is mostly mid-century semis on the roads that fan out from the roundabout, with Crumlin and Drimnagh on one side and Greenhills and Perrystown on the other. They're solid family homes, and many still belong to the people who bought them new, or did until recently. That's why so much of our work here is for families settling an estate.
Who does what
| Who | Usually looks after |
|---|---|
| The executor | Agreeing the date, the keys and what stays |
| The solicitor | When the house can be cleared, and anything that needs valuing first |
| The family | Taking keepsakes and furniture they want before the clearance |
| The estate agent | Photos and viewings once it's empty |
| Spotless | Clearing, sorting and disposal, with papers and valuables handed back |
The timing is for you and the solicitor to agree; some estates need the contents looked at before anything goes. When you have a window, send photos and we'll hold a date that fits it. Nothing is booked until you say so.
What we hand back
Executors are often surprised by what turns up in a long-held home. As we clear, anything that looks official or personal is set aside, unopened, for you to go through:
- bank, credit union and post office books, share certificates and old policies
- wills, deeds and letters from solicitors or the council
- photographs, letters, medals and religious items
- cash, jewellery, watches and spare keys
- anything with a family name written on it
None of that is thrown out. For more on how a clearance fits around an estate, see our guide for families and executors and our bereavement house clearance page.
spotless.ieThe garage, the attic and the garden
Walkinstown semis often have a garage at the side, and that's usually where the volume is: tools gathered over a working life, a chest freezer, paint, bikes and furniture moved out of the house years ago. Old freezers and fridges go for proper appliance recycling, and shelving or a workbench can be taken down. See garage clear-outs, attic clearance and, for the end of the garden, shed clearance.
If the house became very cluttered in its last years, perhaps because a parent found it hard to let things go, we work through it patiently and privately; see hoarder clearance.
Settling an estate in Walkinstown? Send photos of each room, the garage, the attic and the garden on WhatsApp. We'll send a fixed price you can share with the family and the solicitor.
When a parent moves into care
Not every Walkinstown clearance follows a death. Sometimes a parent moves into a nursing home and the house has to be emptied, either to sell or to let. That can feel harder, because the person is still here and may have strong views about where their things go.
It helps to ask them first, if they're able: which pieces they'd like in their room, which should go to which grandchild, what they'd like donated. We'll keep those wishes in mind on the day, set the chosen pieces aside, and bring anything of uncertain value to the family's attention before it leaves.
Around the roundabout
Most houses here have a driveway, so the van can usually pull in close. The roundabout and the main roads leading to it are busy at rush hour, so we arrive early and load during the quieter middle of the day. With the van on the drive, there's no need to block the road or bother the neighbours. If the drive is shared, or a neighbour's car usually sits outside the gate, let us know.
If none of the family lives locally, that's no obstacle. A neighbour, a relative or the solicitor's office can hand over the keys, and we'll send photos of each room as it's finished, so you can see the house emptied without making the trip.
Price, paperwork and the empty house
The figure we give you is fixed before booking. It's built from the volume, the carry and anything with its own disposal route, like freezers and mattresses. A typical Walkinstown semi with a full garage takes one to two days. Let us know whose name, or the estate's, should go on the invoice.
We're fully insured on every job. Waste is carried under permit NWCPO-25-13287-01, which makes Spotless an authorised waste carrier, and the executor or solicitor can check that on the national permit register. Usable pieces are offered a second life where possible; scrap, appliances and electricals go to recyclers; whatever remains is delivered to licensed facilities. What you get back is a house of empty, swept rooms, ready for the next step.
If a parent lived in an apartment instead, that's no different for us. More detail is on the main house clearance page and on house clearance across Dublin.
