However, there are also good reasons to clear out the household yourself, either in whole or in part. Even though it is not easy to sort through the estate of a close relative, you may not necessarily want to entrust this task to strangers. Making others happy with personal items can give you a good feeling in this situation. And finally, recycling is more environmentally friendly than simply throwing everything away. You should meet the following requirements for this:

You are not under time pressure to clear the household by a certain date. Family or friends are helping you with the clearance. You are physically fit enough for the clearance work. You have a clear idea of where you want to pass on usable items and what you want to keep. Ideally, you have a vehicle or trailer for transport.

Even if you do the clearing out yourself, you will have to factor in the cost of gasoline and the disposal of bulky, residual, and hazardous waste. Allow enough time for the tasks involved: viewing, clearing out, sorting, dismantling, placing and managing advertisements, researching, selling, donating, and disposing of items.

A list will help you in your approach, on which you can categorize the items in the rooms using the following questions:

What can be used by family and friends?

What would I like to sell?

What would I like to give away?

What needs to be disposed of (free of charge/for a fee) and how?

Especially if you are sharing the work, it is helpful to mark the respective destination with a sticker on the item. Different colors for different uses make things even easier.

Research and inquire about markets for used goods, second-hand stores, local donation organizations, and flea markets. Items that clearly need to be disposed of can be pre-sorted into different containers or placed in specific areas of the household. Tips for proper disposal can be found at the end of this article. You should always keep an eye on the waste ABC, the waste calendar with disposal dates, and the opening hours of the recycling centers.

The following household items and everyday objects are found in every apartment when it is vacated. Opportunities to sell them can be found on general marketplaces on the Internet. EBay Kleinanzeigen is the largest online classifieds portal in Germany. Regionally, the Mainz online exchange and giveaway market is a good place to go (you will find the link at the end of the article). In addition, there are very specific portals for individual needs—DIY, agricultural equipment, boats, and much more. If you want to give away well-preserved everyday items, you can contact local second-hand stores, such as "Fast wie neu" in Wiesbaden.

Furniture: Older furniture that is no longer in fashion or large, heavy pieces of furniture are unlikely to change hands, even if they are being given away for free. However, there are special online marketplaces for antiques and furniture and home accessories from the 1950s to 1970s.

Clothing, towels, and bedding: Charitable institutions, churches, aid organizations for refugees, single mothers, or homeless people accept clothing donations for people in need.

Decorative items: Here, it is important to find a collector. A flea market or garage sale can help.

Books: The value of books is often overestimated. You can find out the market value on popular online marketplaces such as Booklooker, Medimops, or Antikbuch24.de. Only old, well-preserved first editions still fetch a good price, provided they don't smell musty.

It is best to have slides digitized at a photo shop. If you have the time, you can also buy your own digitizing device.

Music and video cassettes usually find no buyers. They should be disposed of properly in the residual waste.

Collections and antiques are something for specialists. If you have time to explore the (international) market, you may find a suitable buyer. It may also be worth contacting local antique dealers.

Glass tables or glass, e.g., mirrors, cannot be collected by the bulky waste collection vehicle, but can be delivered free of charge to the Mainz recycling centers.

Appliances with gasoline engines (e.g., gasoline lawnmowers, chainsaws) must be emptied of gasoline and oil and then placed in the scrap metal container at the recycling center. Electric mowers or electric radiators, on the other hand, can be registered as bulky waste.

Car parts must be taken to a scrap car recycling center.

Medicines are usually expired and can be disposed of in the residual waste.

Stuffed animals and grandpa's antler collection may be of interest to schools, universities, and hunting clubs before they are disposed of in the residual waste. Very old preparations were previously treated with arsenic and belong in the hazardous waste collection point.

Anything that is obviously waste or items that you cannot get rid of should be disposed of or recycled. Today, many items can be recycled if they are sorted and collected correctly.

Old clothing is collected by the Mainz municipal waste disposal company in cooperation with the German Red Cross (DRK). The DRK provides around 100 collection containers in the city area. This ensures that wearable clothing is passed on and clothing that is no longer wearable is sent for recycling.

For bulky waste, you can arrange a free bulky waste collection appointment with the waste disposal company or deliver the bulky waste to the recycling center.

Recyclable materials such as small electrical appliances, metal, wood, construction waste, and flat glass can be dropped off at the recycling centers.

All packaging waste belongs in the yellow bag.

Paper—including books—should be disposed of in the paper waste. For large quantities of files, consult a professional provider; see the list of links below.

Paints, cleaners, solvents, and weed killers are just some of the hazardous substances that often come to light when cleaning out basements and workshops. These should be taken to the hazardous waste collection vehicle or the hazardous waste collection point in Budenheim.

Any remaining waste can be disposed of in the residual waste bin or a residual waste container, which you can rent.

Now you're done! For more information on household clearance, please contact the Mainz Environmental Store or the Mainz Waste Disposal Company.