Moving House in Dublin: What to Clear Before the Removal Van Arrives

October 5, 2026

Most of us move far more than we need to. The removal van is loaded with things that have sat in a cupboard for years, furniture that will not fit the new place, and boxes nobody opened after the last move. Every one of those items costs time to pack, space in the van and effort to unpack, and then it takes up room in the new home.

Clearing before you move is the simplest way to make moving day cheaper and calmer. This guide walks through how to decide what goes, room by room, what to do with it, and the Dublin-specific points that catch people out: parking for the van, apartment access, and the limits on what you can take to a recycling centre yourself. It is aimed at people moving between homes in Dublin and the surrounding counties. If you are moving abroad, see clearing a property before you go, and if you are moving to something smaller, see downsizing a home.

Start With the New Space, Not the Old One

The question is not "do I still want this?" but "will this fit and will I use it in the new home?" Before you sort anything:

• Get the floor plan and measure the main rooms, or at least the key walls and doors.
• Note what the new home already has: fitted wardrobes, a built-in kitchen, appliances that are staying.
• Check access for large furniture: stairs, narrow hallways, tight turns, lifts.
• Decide which large pieces will genuinely fit, and be honest about the ones that will not.

Large furniture is the biggest decision. If a wardrobe, a sofa or a dining table will not go through the new doors or fit the new room, deciding now saves an awkward scene on the day.

A Realistic Timeline

The right timing depends on the size of the property and how much has built up. As a rough shape:

• Six to eight weeks before: measure the new space, decide on large furniture, and begin on the rooms you use least: attic, garage, shed, spare room.
• Three to four weeks before: sell or donate anything of value, and book any clearance for the bulk of what is left. Check parking arrangements for moving day.
• One to two weeks before: clear the rooms that are done, keep out only what you need to live, and sort hazardous items and electricals.
• The last few days: final clearance, keys, meter readings and a last walk-through.

If you have left it later than that, a clearance can often be arranged at short notice. Tell us the date you need the property empty and we will say honestly whether we can fit it in.

Room by Room: What to Clear

The Attic, Garage and Shed

These are where moves go wrong. They hold the most, you look at them the least, and it is easy to tell yourself you will deal with them later. Start here and start early. Items that have sat untouched for years are usually safe to let go. Our pages on attic clearance, garage clearance and shed clearance cover what is involved, and our guide to what to keep from an attic may help you decide.

The Kitchen

Duplicate pots, mismatched crockery, gadgets used once, and food cupboard contents past their date. Keep what you cook with weekly. Check whether appliances are staying with the property under your sale or rental agreement.

Wardrobes and Bedrooms

Clothes you have not worn in two years, ill-fitting items, spare bedding and old mattresses. Good clothing and linen can go to charity. Mattresses and bulky bedroom furniture need a plan, as they are not accepted in the household bin.

Living Areas

Old sofas, TV units, bookcases that will not suit the new layout, and boxes of books and media. This is where large furniture decisions matter most.

Children's Rooms

Outgrown toys, clothes and equipment can often be passed on or donated. Involve the children, as it makes things easier on the day.

The Garden

Garden furniture, pots, tools and green waste. See our garden waste clearance page if there is a lot to clear.

Storage Units

If part of your belongings are in a storage unit, a house move is the moment to decide what you are still paying to keep. See storage unit clearance and our piece on when a storage unit costs more than it is worth.

Keep, Sell, Donate, Recycle or Clear?

Electricals, Batteries and Hazardous Items

Not everything can go in a clearance van or a bin. Citizens Information explains that retailers must take back old electrical equipment free of charge when you buy a similar new item, that civic amenity sites take waste electrical equipment, and that batteries can be returned to civic amenity sites or retailers. See its page on electrical waste. Paint, solvents, chemicals, gas bottles and fluorescent tubes need their own routes, and asbestos needs specialist disposal, so check MyWaste.ie's A to Z of waste. Our guide to household waste vs hazardous waste explains what we can and cannot take. Tell us about hazardous items when you ask for a quote.

Why You Cannot Just Take It to the Dump

Many people plan a few runs to the recycling centre in a borrowed van and find it does not work. Council recycling centres are set up for householders using their own domestic vehicles. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown's Ballyogan recycling facility says it is for domestic use only and does not accept commercial waste, and Fingal's recycling centres state that commercial waste is prohibited and that bulky waste, wood, metal and some other items carry a charge. Rules, hours and charges change, so check the council's page before you go.

For a full house, a skip or a clearance service is usually more practical than repeated trips. If you hire a skip and it has to sit on a public road, you may need a permit from the council. Dublin City Council's page on putting a skip on the road explains when a permit is needed and how far ahead to apply. Our guide to skip hire vs a clearance service compares the options.

Dublin Moving-Day Practicalities

Parking for the Van

Where parking is restricted or paid, getting a van close to the door is half the job. Dublin City Council allows paid parking spaces to be suspended on application for uses including set-down and collection, with a number of working days' notice and a daily fee per space. See the council's suspension of paid parking page for current notice periods and fees. Other council areas have their own arrangements, so check with yours. In residential streets without restrictions, the issue is usually simpler: tell neighbours and keep a space clear.

Apartments and Lifts

Many apartment developments are run by an owners' management company that can set house rules for the building, which Citizens Information explains in its guide to management companies for apartment blocks. Many buildings have rules about moving times, lift use or loading areas, so ask your management company or letting agent before moving day. Our apartment clearance page covers the access side.

Stairs and Large Items

Tell the clearance team or the removal company about stairs, tight hallways and anything heavy such as pianos, safes or wardrobes that do not come apart, so the right number of people turn up.

Last-Minute Clearance

Plenty of people find themselves a few days from moving day with a house still full. If that is you:

1. Decide what is coming with you, and put it in one room or one part of the house.
2. Photograph everything else in each room and send it to a clearance company for a quote.
3. Tell them the date you need the property empty.
4. Leave keys or arrange access if you will be elsewhere.

Where our schedule allows we can take on short-notice jobs, and we will say honestly if we cannot. Most single-property clearances are completed in one visit.

“Ciprian and the team did a fantastic job clearing our full house plus our shed in a day and a half. They were very professional, clean and so quick. I highly recommend these guys.”

— Sinead James, Google review

Moving-Day Preparation Checklist

• Items to keep are packed or in one place, and clearly separated from items to go.
• Items for donation are bagged and agreed with the charity.
• Electricals, batteries and hazardous items have a plan.
• Parking for the van is sorted, and any permit or suspension is booked.
• The building's management company has been told, if it is an apartment.
• Keys, alarm codes and meter readings are noted.
• The property has had a final walk-through.

A printable version, with room-by-room prompts, is on our moving house clearance checklist page.

What Moving-House Clearance Costs

Clearance is priced on volume, access and time, not on a fixed rate card. Clearing before you move often costs less than moving everything and clearing later, and it always costs less than paying movers to carry things you do not want. For how quotes are worked out, see what drives clearance costs in Dublin. Photos of each room are the quickest route to an accurate price.

Sources: Citizens Information, WEEE; MyWaste.ie A to Z; dlr Ballyogan; Fingal recycling centres; DCC suspension of paid parking; DCC skip permits; Citizens Information, management companies. Rules, fees and notice periods change, so check the current position.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I clear before or after I move?

Before, wherever you can. You avoid paying to move items you do not want, and you get a clearer picture of what the new home needs. For a property being sold or handed back, clearing first also means the property is empty on the day.

Can you clear the house on moving day?

Often, with notice. Tell us the date and time you need the property empty and the access details, and we will tell you whether it works.

What should I do with furniture that will not fit the new home?

Sell or donate it if it is in good condition, and have the rest cleared. Charities decide what they accept, so ask before you arrange a collection.

Do I need to be there?

Not necessarily. If access is arranged in advance, many clients are not present for the whole job.

Can you clear the attic, garage and shed at the same time?

Yes. We quote for the whole property together if that is what you need.

Get a Free, No-Obligation Quote

Send photos of each room on WhatsApp, or use the form below, and tell us your moving date.