Updated on · 8 min read · by the team at Sparkling Services
Living abroad and need to clear a parent's house in Belgium? It can be done without endless trips: the Belgian notary coordinates the estate, and a clearance company can assess the volume by video, collect the keys, clear the home and send you photos and an invoice. Here is how to organise each step safely from a distance.
Can a house really be cleared without you being there?
Yes: with a notary in Belgium, a trusted contact or a key safe, and a clearance company used to working remotely, almost everything can be done without you being present. One or two trips may still be useful, for example to sort keepsakes, but they are not essential.
The key is to keep three topics separate: the estate itself (notary, tax return, inheritance tax), managing the property (insurance, meters, post, sale or letting) and the physical clearance (sorting, removal, cleaning). Each has its own point of contact, and all three move forward in parallel.
Sparkling Services can work for families based in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Spain, North America and elsewhere, as well as for expats who have left Brussels. We communicate in English, French and Dutch, by phone, email or messaging app.
When the heirs are spread across several countries, one simple arrangement saves a great deal of time: appoint a single point of contact for the notary and the clearance company, with written agreement from the other heirs on what that person may decide alone (clearance date, items to keep, budget). Time differences and crossed messages between several relatives are the main cause of delay in a remote clearance. A shared online folder with the photos, the quote and the list of items to keep lets everyone follow progress.
What does the Belgian notary do?
The Belgian notary is your main anchor: they establish who the heirs are, draw up the necessary documents, often prepare the inheritance tax return and can hold the keys or coordinate access to the property. Appoint one quickly, ideally in the area where the property is located.
- Certificate or deed of inheritance (certificat / acte d'hérédité, attest / akte van erfopvolging): proves who the heirs are and is required by banks, among others, to release accounts.
- Powers of attorney: if you cannot travel, the notary will explain what form of proxy is needed. Depending on your country of residence, a signature before a local notary and an apostille may be required.
- Cross-border estates: within the European Union, a European Certificate of Succession can help prove your status as heir in another member state.
- Agreement between heirs: the notary can record who decides on the clearance, the sale of the property and how costs are shared.
Before having the house cleared, ask the notary whether this raises any issue for the estate: acting as an owner can count as accepting the estate, which matters if there are debts.
Which deadlines apply when the heirs live abroad?
The deadline for the inheritance tax return depends on where the death occurred, not where the heirs live: four months for a death in Belgium, five months elsewhere in Europe, six months outside Europe. Inheritance tax must then be paid within two months of that deadline.
| Situation | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| The deceased lived in Belgium | Inheritance tax return in Belgium, filed with VLABEL (Flanders) or the Federal Public Service Finance (Brussels, Wallonia), usually prepared by the notary |
| The deceased lived abroad but owned property in Belgium | In principle only real estate located in Belgium has to be declared in Belgium (a so-called transfer return) |
| The deceased rented a home in Belgium | In Flanders and Wallonia the lease ends automatically within two to three months of the death; in Brussels the heirs must give notice or agree an end date with the landlord. Either way, the clearance becomes the priority |
These rules sit alongside those of your own country, which may also tax the inheritance. Ask the Belgian notary and an adviser in your country of residence how to avoid double taxation.
How does a remote clearance work, step by step?
A remote clearance follows the same stages as a standard one, with visual proof at every step: video survey, written quote, organised access, documented clearance and a photo report.
- Survey: a live video walk-through with someone on site, or photos and videos room by room, including cellar and loft. An in-person visit with whoever holds the keys is also possible and is free.
- Fixed quote: sent by email, listing what is included and which items must be set aside.
- Access: keys handed over by the notary, a neighbour, an estate agent or a secure key box, as you prefer.
- Clearance: sorting, donations, removal and recycling, usually in 1 to 3 days for a whole house. We apply to the municipality for parking if needed.
- Report: before-and-after photos or video, a list of documents and items set aside, a detailed invoice and return of the keys.
A full clean can follow straight away, so the property is ready to be sold, let or handed back to the landlord.
Keys, photo report and payment: a remote clearance in detail
From a distance, three moments need careful organisation: handing over the keys, proving the work was done and paying. For each one, we agree in writing, before the job, who does what.
1. Handing over the keys
You name a single key contact: the notary, a neighbour, a relative, the estate agent or a key safe whose code you send us. We confirm by email the day and time we collect the keys, and when and where we return them. If there are several heirs, make sure they all know who this contact is, so that no set of keys circulates without your knowledge.
2. The before-and-after photo report
Before starting, the crew photographs every room, including the cellar, loft and outbuildings. At the end, the same rooms are photographed empty. The report also lists the documents and items set aside, with where they were stored or who they were handed to. You can forward it to the notary, your co-heirs or the estate agent.
3. Paying remotely
You accept the quote in writing, with a simple email. After the job, the detailed VAT-inclusive invoice is made out to the name you give us: the estate, one of the heirs or whoever is paying. Payment is by bank transfer, with no money changing hands on site. If the costs are to be paid from the estate's account, ask the notary or the bank how this works in your case.
How do you recover keepsakes and papers from abroad?
Draw up a precise list, with photos, of what you want to keep; we set those items and every document we find aside before anything is removed. This is the step that needs the most communication, and the one that prevents regrets.
- Send a list of items to keep, with photos and the room where each one is.
- Designate a room, cupboard or labelled boxes that must not be touched.
- All papers, photos, jewellery, keys and digital devices found during sorting are set aside by default.
- Items you keep can stay in a locked room, be handed to the notary or a relative, or be collected by a carrier of your choice.
Sparkling Services does not carry out international removals, but we are happy to pack the boxes so that the shipping company you appoint can collect them without delay.
What happens to the furniture and belongings?
The value of reusable or resaleable items is deducted from the price; what can be used again is resold or donated to reuse charities, and the rest is sorted and recycled through suitable channels (recycling parks, sorting centres). For heirs at a distance, the quote sets out this calculation in writing, with photos: the clearance can be free, or we pay the difference by bank transfer if the value of the items exceeds the cost of the clearance.
Furniture, crockery, linen and appliances in good condition can go to charities and social-economy organisations (for example Les Petits Riens, Oxfam, Terre or the Kringwinkel network in Flanders), depending on what they accept. Materials are separated (wood, metal, textiles, electrical appliances, paper) for recycling. If you believe something is particularly valuable, have it appraised and sold before the clearance, for example through an auction house.
How do you secure and manage an empty house from abroad?
An empty house must stay insured, be minimally heated in winter and be checked regularly; arrange a trusted contact on site or scheduled visits. Water damage and break-ins are the most common risks.
- Insurance: tell the home insurer about the death and the vacancy; some policies restrict cover for unoccupied properties.
- Energy and water: read the meters, then transfer the contracts to the estate or cancel them depending on your plans (sale or letting).
- Post: arrange mail forwarding to one of the heirs or to the notary.
- Local taxes: some municipalities tax properties left empty for a long time; in Flanders a vacant home can be placed on a vacancy register. Check if the sale is taking time.
If the property is to be sold, a cleared and cleaned house makes the estate agent's viewings and the inspectors' work (EPC, electrical inspection, asbestos certificate in Flanders) much easier.
Checklist before starting a remote clearance
Before setting a date, pull these points together: they save trips between countries and decisions made in a rush.
- The notary knows the planned date and who is following the clearance.
- One contact person has been named, with the other heirs agreeing in writing on what they may decide.
- The list of items to keep is written down, with a destination for each: handed to a relative, posted as a parcel, left with the notary.
- The keys: who holds them, where the crew collects them and to whom they are returned.
- Parking: the company can apply to the municipality for permission; check that it does.
- Insurance and meters: the house stays insured until the sale, and meter readings are taken on the day of the clearance.
- A shared folder holds the quote, before and after photos and the invoice, open to every heir.
How much does a remotely organised clearance cost?
A remote clearance costs no more than a standard one: the price depends on volume, access and the type of items, minus the value of reusable items: the clearance can be free, we can pay you the difference, or you pay a fixed price on quotation. The quote is fixed, the detailed invoice including VAT is sent by email, and payment is by bank transfer.
To get started, send us the property address, a few photos or a video and your contact details: Sparkling Services, +32 485 39 99 41 or the contact form. We reply in your language and send you an estimate usually within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to travel to Belgium to clear the house?
No. The survey can be done by video or photos, the keys can be handed over by the notary, a neighbour or an estate agent, and you receive before-and-after photos and a detailed invoice. A trip is still useful if you want to sort keepsakes yourself, but it is not essential.
What is the inheritance tax deadline if I live abroad?
The deadline depends on where the death occurred, not where you live: four months for a death in Belgium, five months elsewhere in Europe and six months outside Europe. The Belgian notary can prepare and file the return for you.
How do I get the keys to you from abroad?
The most common options are a handover by the notary, a neighbour or relative, the estate agent handling the sale, or a secure key box. At the end of the clearance we return the keys the same way.
Can you send me the items I want to keep?
We don't carry out international removals, but we set aside and pack the items and documents you want to keep. They can then be collected by a carrier of your choice, passed to the notary or left in a locked room.
How does payment work?
You receive a fixed quote by email, then a detailed invoice including VAT after the clearance, together with before-and-after photos. Payment is by bank transfer. Costs are usually borne by the estate or shared between the heirs.
Who holds the keys during a remote clearance?
A single contact chosen by you: the notary, a neighbour, a relative, the estate agent or a key safe. We confirm by email when we collect the keys and who we return them to at the end of the job, so you always know where the keys are.
What does the photo report sent after the clearance contain?
Photos of every room before the job and of the same rooms empty afterwards, including the cellar, loft and outbuildings, plus a list of the documents and items set aside and where they are. You can forward the report to the notary, your co-heirs or the estate agent.
Can the invoice be made out to the estate?
Yes. The detailed invoice, VAT included, can be made out to the estate, to one of the heirs or to whoever pays the costs. Payment is by bank transfer. If you want to pay from the deceased's or the estate's account, the bank and the notary will tell you which conditions apply.
What if the heirs disagree about what to keep?
It is best to settle this before the clearance: while the estate is undivided, emptying the home in practice requires the agreement of all heirs. The notary can help find a solution. In the meantime, disputed items can be set aside and the rest of the home cleared, on written instructions.