Estate / Probate Clearance in Coppet

Yes, it just has to be organised differently. The lanes of the historic centre are not open to a truck, so we work from the nearest authorised loading point, agree a short loading window with you, and carry by hand. At the visit we measure the passage widths, the doorways and the stairwell so the plan is set before the day itself, and the vehicle never stands blocking the Grand-Rue.

Arcade floors, stone treads, handrails, shared entrances and common areas are covered before anything moves. Stairwells in the bourg are narrow and steep, so bulky furniture is dismantled inside the flat rather than forced through a door frame, and items come down from the vaulted cellar piece by piece. We walk the building with you at the end to confirm nothing has been marked.

Then we do not clear. While acceptance, renunciation or a bénéfice d'inventaire (public inventory of the estate) is still open, the contents must stay where they are. We can carry out the visit, prepare the quote and draw up a written inventory in the meantime, so the clearance can start on the day the position is confirmed.

In practice, yes. The notaire remains the central point, but in Vaud the juge de paix (justice of the peace) has a role in the certificat d'héritier (certificate of inheritance) and in inventory matters, and a Vaud régie (managing agent) uses its own handover form and its own notice periods. We work to the Vaud sequence rather than the Geneva one, and we wait for the document that names who decides instead of relying on assumptions.

Usually yes. Send us the form and the état des lieux (handover inspection) date at the first call. We plan the clearance and the final cleaning backwards from that date, note anything the form requires, and can attend the inspection with you to help protect the garantie de loyer (rental deposit).

Sorting is done room by room, with you present whenever possible. Bank and insurance papers, title deeds, tax files, multilingual correspondence, letters, photographs, jewellery, medals, collections and artwork are separated, written into an inventory and handed over against a photographic protocol, to the heirs or to the notaire's office.

Anything that may carry market value is put to one side and referred to an independent specialist for antiques, art, watches, rugs, wine or sailing and boathouse gear. We do not purchase estate contents ourselves, so there is no interest in undervaluing an item. If a piece turns out to be worth little, we say so plainly.

No, and in Coppet that is the usual situation. We photograph each room before and after, provide a video walkthrough where useful, and ask for written approval per stage. With a power of attorney or the notaire's agreement we work in your absence; items kept are sent on or placed in storage according to your instructions.

Yes. In the bourg the vaulted cellar and the attic often hold as much as the flat itself, and in PPE (condominium) buildings there is usually a storage compartment and a garage box. On the lake side we also clear the boathouse, the pool plant room, garden sheds and terrace furniture. All of it is recorded at the visit so it sits inside the fixed quote, not added later.

Items kept by the heirs are set aside first, usable furniture and household goods go to charities, resale items to the agreed channel, and the rest is separated into ferraille (scrap metal), wood, encombrants (bulky waste), WEEE appliances and hazardous waste for the local déchetterie (recycling centre) under the Vaud and commune rules, which differ from Geneva. The price follows weight, volume and access, given in CHF after the visit rather than over the telephone.