House clearance Leiden
House clearance in Leiden
An upstairs flat on one of the canals with a stairwell opening of half a metre, a property divided into rented rooms that has to be emptied between two tenants, or a gallery flat in the Merenwijk after a death. Nova clears them out and hands them over broom clean, the standard Dutch handover condition.
Clearing a home in Leiden
Three kinds of request from Leiden
The first comes from relatives. A parent dies or moves into sheltered accommodation, the house has to be empty by an agreed date, and the children live elsewhere. What that involves is set out on our page about house clearance after a death.
The second comes from landlords. Leiden is full of properties divided into rented rooms, and between two tenants something often has to happen within a few days. The third comes from residents who are moving themselves and cannot or would rather not empty the old home on their own.
- Papers and photographs set aside
- Keys via the notary or the managing agent
- Handover report with photographs
- Usable items to the second-hand shop
Inside the canal ring
Clearing a canal house takes preparation
The centre of Leiden is largely car-free and the buildings are narrow and tall. Anyone who simply parks a lorry outside is in the wrong place. So we arrange it in this order.
Measure first, then plan
At the survey we measure the stairwell opening, the turn on the landing and the width of the front door. That decides what has to come apart and whether a furniture hoist is needed.
Loading window or a one-day exemption
Loading and unloading in the low-traffic centre is allowed from Monday to Saturday between 04.30 and 11.00. If we have to work outside those hours, we apply to Leiden city council for a one-day exemption. It does not cover the pedestrian zone and it is not a parking permit: once loaded, the lorry drives straight off.
Hoisting or dismantling
If a wardrobe or a sofa will not fit through the stairwell, it comes apart on the spot. Where a hoisting beam is still fitted above the facade, it can sometimes be used. Usually we set a furniture hoist against the window and bring the large pieces down that way.
Stairs and hallway left clean
We cover stairs, thresholds and communal hallways and sweep them afterwards. In a building with several residents, that is the first thing anyone complains about.
Room lets and divided properties
One room cleared, or the whole building
Leiden has a university and a university of applied sciences, and you can see that in the housing stock. A large share of the student rooms is let by DUWO, and alongside that there are many private landlords with a property divided into rooms. If you let a home you do not live in yourself to more than two people, a conversion permit from the council is required in a number of Leiden neighbourhoods.
For us, a property like that means working while the neighbours are at home. We agree what time we can come in, who holds the key to the shared hallway and where we may set up. The stairwell stays clear, because the other residents need to get past. A room with a bed, a desk, a wardrobe and a fridge is usually done in half a day.
Do you have several properties, or a whole building to be cleared at once? Then we plan it as a single job, with one fixed price. See also commercial clearance.
Outside the canal ring
Merenwijk, Stevenshof and the rest of Leiden
Most of Leiden was built after the war and is simply easy to reach. There the van parks outside the door and the clearance is mainly a question of volume.
- MerenwijkSlaaghwijk, Zijlwijk and Leedewijk: walk-up and gallery flats among plenty of greenery and water. There is usually a lift, but the walk along the gallery to the van is long. We allow time for that.
- Leiden-NoordDe Kooi, Noorderkwartier and Groenoord. Small older homes next to new build from the regeneration around the Kooiplein. Narrow streets, so we load as close to the door as we can.
- Morsdistrict and StevenshofHoge Mors, Lage Mors, the Transvaalbuurt and the spaciously laid out Stevenshof near the A44. Here the box lorry can park right outside the house.
- Professorenwijk and Bos- en GasthuisdistrictRoomier family houses in Vreewijk, Gasthuiswijk and Boshuizen among others, often with a cellar cupboard and a loft that has filled up over thirty years.
If you rent from De Sleutels, Ons Doel or Portaal, a final inspection is part of the handover. Flooring up, screw holes filled, rails and light fittings off, storage unit and balcony empty. We do that within the same job, so the home is approved first time.
Costs and distance
What does a house clearance in Leiden cost?
To be fair, Leiden is not next door. From our base in Bodegraven it is about 25 kilometres, a drive of just under twenty minutes along the N11. We are glad to come, but we are not going to pretend we are five minutes away.
We charge no call-out fee in Leiden either. That is our policy, whatever the distance. What does set the price is the amount of contents, how easy the property is to reach and whether a furniture hoist or an exemption is needed. You can read more about how that is built up under house clearance.
- Student room, studio or small flatFrom € 500
- Terraced house or family home€ 1.000 to € 1.750
- Canal house or large detached house€ 1.750 to € 3.000 or more
- In a hurry for a handover dateOften possible within 24 to 48 hours. See emergency clearance.
Service area
Leiden and the municipalities around it
We work throughout Leiden, from the centre to Stevenshof, and in the neighbouring municipalities of Oegstgeest, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude. On the route here lie Alphen aan den Rijn and Nieuwkoop, our nearest locations. Towards Den Haag we also come to Zoetermeer.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about house clearance in Leiden
Can you take a van into the low-traffic centre?
Loading and unloading there is allowed from Monday to Saturday between 04.30 and 11.00. If that window is not enough, we apply to Leiden city council for a one-day exemption. That exemption does not apply in the pedestrian zone and is not a parking permit, so we load and then drive straight off.
The stairs are too narrow for the sofa. What do you do then?
First we look at whether the item can come apart. If it cannot, it goes down through the window on a furniture hoist. In buildings with a hoisting beam, that can sometimes be used. We measure this at the survey, so that on the day itself it is settled how everything goes out.
We let rooms. Can one room be cleared while the rest is occupied?
Yes, we do that regularly. We agree in advance what time we can come in and which route we take, and we keep the shared hallway and the stairwell clear. An average room is empty and swept in half a day.
Do you know the handover requirements of De Sleutels, Ons Doel, Portaal or DUWO?
These landlords work with a final inspection and a list of what has to be removed. We hand over according to that list: flooring out, walls without wall plugs, no rails or hooks left, storage unit swept. Send the handover letter with your enquiry and we will go through it point by point.
Do you charge extra because Leiden is 25 kilometres from Bodegraven?
No. We charge no call-out fee anywhere, Leiden included. The price depends on the contents and how easy the property is to reach, not on the kilometres we drive.
Can you handle a gallery flat in the Merenwijk or Stevenshof as well?
Yes. There is usually a lift there and the vehicle can stand close to the entrance. We do allow time for the walking distance along the gallery, and we protect the lift and the communal hallway.
The building is old and the stairs are fragile. How do you prevent damage?
We lay blankets and boards over treads and thresholds, protect corners and door frames, and carry large pieces with two or three people. In old buildings with sloping floors or a tight turn, we would sooner dismantle an item or use the furniture hoist than force it through.
What if there is asbestos in the building?
In buildings from before 1994 that does happen, for example in old floor panels or around a boiler installation. We do not remove it ourselves, only a certified asbestos contractor may do that. At the survey we point out which material is suspect and where you will need such a contractor. Once that is finished, we pick up the clearance.
“We hadden veel oud ijzer en spullen waar we vanaf wilden. Na contact op te nemen konden ze diezelfde dag nog langskomen. Alles werd snel en netjes meegenomen. Vriendelijke service en afspraken goed nagekomen. Zeker een aanrader!”
Doha el Haidouri2 months ago“Onlangs mijn verhuizing laten doen door Nova Woningontruiming. In een woord top ! Zorgvuldig en snel!”
Natalia Kamermana month ago“Super goede service! Alles werd netjes, snel en professioneel geregeld. Erg vriendelijk en duidelijk in de communicatie. Zeker een aanrader!”
Hajara month ago“Het appartement en de schuur van een familielid laten ontruimen hier in Bodegraven. Jeroen en zijn team hebben zowel de schuur als de woning keurig leeggemaakt en netjes opgeleverd. Alles verliep vlot en professioneel.…”
Mark Selamat4 months ago“Zeer tevreden over Nova Woning Ontruiming. Vanaf het eerste contact verliep alles duidelijk en professioneel. Ze kwamen afspraken na, werkten efficiënt en gingen respectvol om met de woning en spullen. De oplevering was…”
Thijs Velta month agoReady for the next step?
Request a survey for your home in Leiden
Tell us which address in Leiden it concerns, which floor it is on and when the property has to be empty. Then we know straight away whether a furniture hoist or an exemption is needed.
- A reply within 24 hoursA quick first estimate and an appointment to suit you.
- A fixed price up frontA clear quote, with no surprises afterwards.
- Call us now085 7444 039 · contact@novawoningontruiming.nl