Plan your household dissolution right: costs from 400–10,000 €, step-by-step guide, AI-powered selling tips and tax deductibility.
Helpful Folks Redaktion
Experts in Moving Help and Everyday Services
April 13, 2026
A household dissolution is one of the biggest organisational tasks you can face. Whether after a death in the family, when moving into a care home, after a divorce, or simply when downsizing — an entire household needs to be reviewed, sorted, sold, given away, or disposed of. It costs time, energy, and often money. But with the right planning, a clear strategy, and the right helpers, this mammoth task becomes a structured process. In this guide, you'll learn everything about costs, organisation, and the best tips — including smart tools that help you sell household items profitably.
A household dissolution can become necessary in a wide variety of life situations. The most common reasons:
All these scenarios share one thing: an entire household must be systematically dismantled — under time pressure and often emotional strain.
Good planning is the foundation of every successful household dissolution. Don't rush — proceed systematically:
Set a timeframe. Plan at least two to three weeks of lead time — more if possible. If the property needs to be cleared at short notice, professional dissolution companies charge express surcharges of 20 to 40 per cent.
Take inventory. Go through the entire household room by room. Note what's there and take photos. This helps with valuation and later sales.
Apply the four-pile system. Sort every item into one of four categories: Keep — memorabilia and personally valuable items. Sell — everything still in good condition and saleable. Give away — usable items that won't find a buyer. Dispose of — broken or worthless things that need to go to the recycling centre or into a skip.
Secure important documents. Before you start clearing: review all paperwork and safely store important documents such as wills, insurance policies, bank statements, and land registry excerpts.
Cancel contracts and subscriptions. Rental agreement, electricity, gas, telephone, magazines, insurance — create a list of all ongoing contracts and cancel them within the notice period.
Organise helpers. Whether family, friends, or professional assistance — you'll need support. On Helpful Folks, you can find moving helpers near you who also assist with household dissolutions.
Plan skips and disposal. For larger quantities, you'll need a waste skip. Check with your local waste management company for prices and permits. Hazardous waste such as paints, batteries, or electrical appliances must be disposed of separately.
The decision depends on three factors: time, budget, and emotional strain. Both options have clear advantages and disadvantages:
| Criterion | DIY | Professional Company |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Low (only skip + disposal) | 500–5,000 € (depending on scope) |
| Time required | Several days to weeks | 1–3 days |
| Physical strain | High | Low |
| Emotional control | High — you decide about every item | Low — much is quickly disposed of |
| Value offset | Self-organised sales possible | Some companies offset sales revenue |
| Hazardous waste disposal | Bring to recycling centre yourself | Included in the price |
| Ideal for | Small flats, plenty of time, emotional attachment | Large houses, time pressure, co-heir situations |
Tip: A middle ground often works best: you handle the personal review and selling of valuable items yourself, and hire a company for the clearing, carrying, and disposing of the rest. This way, you keep control over keepsakes while still saving time.
The costs for a professional household dissolution depend heavily on the size, location, and condition of the property. Here's a realistic overview:
| Living Situation | Cost (Average) | Cost per m² |
|---|---|---|
| Studio flat | 400–1,000 € | 20–40 € |
| 1-bedroom flat | 800–1,500 € | 20–40 € |
| 2-bedroom flat | 1,000–2,500 € | 25–50 € |
| 3-bedroom flat | 1,500–3,500 € | 25–50 € |
| Detached house | 3,000–8,000 € | 30–60 € |
| House with cellar + attic | 4,000–10,000+ € | 35–60 € |
Get at least three quotes and compare scope and price. Clear out what you can yourself beforehand — every cubic metre less saves money. And sell valuable items yourself rather than leaving them to the company.
The biggest mistake in a household dissolution: throwing everything in the skip. Many items still have real value — and with the right strategy, sales can finance part of the dissolution costs.
If you want to sell an entire household, you face a huge task: photographing, describing, pricing, and listing every single item online. That takes days. This is exactly where PicToSale comes in — an AI-powered platform that automates the entire process.
Here's how it works: you simply photograph the room with your smartphone. The AI automatically recognises individual items, creates professional product images, generates item descriptions, and suggests realistic prices. You can organise your dissolution by floors and rooms, have item conditions transparently documented, and generate a project link to share in groups or with interested parties.
This not only saves an enormous amount of time but also delivers more professional results than self-written listings — which demonstrably leads to faster sales and better prices. PicToSale is currently in beta and free to use until the end of April 2026.
Much is written about costs and logistics when it comes to household dissolutions — the emotional aspect is often overlooked. Yet it's frequently the biggest challenge, especially after a bereavement.
Every item in a home tells a story. The coffee mug grandmother drank from every morning. The bookshelf father built himself. The curtains that have hung there for 30 years. Parting with these things can feel like giving up the memory of a person — even though that's not actually the case.
Take the time you need. It's perfectly fine to enter a room, sit down, and simply remember before you start sorting. Invite family members and friends so everyone has the chance to choose keepsakes. Some people photograph important items before giving them away — this way, the memory remains without having to keep everything.
If you find the emotional burden becoming too great, there are two paths: either get professional help for the clearing so you can focus on reviewing and remembering. Or plan the dissolution in several stages over several weeks — rather than pushing through everything in one weekend.
Good news: professional household dissolutions are tax-deductible. In fact, there are two ways:
As a household-related service (§ 35a EStG): You can deduct 20 per cent of labour costs directly from your tax bill — up to 4,000 euros per year. This applies to clearing and sorting work, cleaning, and carrying. However, material costs and skip fees are not deductible — only pure labour costs count. Important: payment by bank transfer and a proper invoice are mandatory.
As an estate liability for inheritance tax: In the case of inheritance, the costs of household dissolution can be deducted from inheritance tax as estate settlement costs. Prerequisite: the measure serves the proper handling of the estate, for example in preparation for a sale or handover.
Can I use both simultaneously? No — you must choose one route. With a high inheritance tax value, deducting as an estate liability is usually more beneficial. With a smaller inheritance, the tax deduction under § 35a EStG is often more advantageous. When in doubt: ask a tax advisor.
A household dissolution is a task that requires organisation, patience, and sometimes emotional strength. With structured planning, the four-pile system, and the right helpers, it becomes manageable. Sell valuable items through smart tools like PicToSale, deduct the costs from your taxes, and get support when you need it. On Helpful Folks, you'll find helpers for moves and clearances near you — reliable, flexible, and at fair prices.
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