You’re separating. The common apartment must be vacated in 48-72 hours. Emotions are raw, time is short, decisions feel both urgent and irreversible. This article is practical, not emotional — but written with the awareness that in your current state, a too-fast decision can generate regret you’ll carry for years.

Before anything: what you should NOT do in 48h

❌ Don’t throw anything that’s shared family memory

Photo albums
Wedding letters
Kids’ drawings
Gifts from parents/grandparents of either spouse

These belong to both of you or to no one. Not a solo decision in 48h.

❌ Don’t discard items of uncertain value

Jewellery you’re not sure of
Artwork
Specific furniture (an antique from your mother-in-law, for example)

Evaluation takes 5 minutes. Errors are permanent.

❌ Don’t donate “as-is” your ex’s things

Even if you’re mad, donating their stuff to Renaissance WITHOUT their consent = civil law breach
You can be sued for the value
Consequences that trail for months/years

❌ Don’t take revenge on their items

Breaking, damaging, throwing their personal items = civil damage + possible criminal
Even if provoked, do NOT engage

❌ Don’t pressure the process with the kids present

If you have kids, their emotional state is the top priority
Separating physical possessions shouldn’t happen with them around
Find them time with grandparents, friends, or schedule the work during school

The realistic 48-hour plan

Hour 0 — The reality check (30 min)

Before doing anything:

Who initiated the separation? (matters for psychological dynamic)
Is it amicable or conflictual? (matters for communication)
Who has access to the apartment? (legal locks, etc.)
Are there kids? (major factor)
What’s YOUR deadline? (your move-out date)

Answers shape everything below.

Hour 1 — The shared inventory (2 hours, if amicable)

If you can still communicate:

Sit at the kitchen table, silent pen paper
List bed by bed, room by room what’s in the apartment
4 columns: Yours / Theirs / Shared / To donate-toss
Agree together on each item
Photograph disputed ones
Sign and date the inventory (both)

If it’s conflictual, see “Option B” below.

Hour 2-4 — Your things are packed

Focus ONLY on what’s yours:

Personal clothes
Personal items (photos, letters you wrote, gifts to you)
Work equipment (your laptop, your documents)
Your kids’ specific items (if they live with you primary)

Pack in boxes LABELED clearly with your name + date.

Hour 4-6 — Shared items: “what goes, what stays”

Quick shared decisions:

The sofa: “I don’t want it, you keep it” or “Neither of us, donate it”
The dishes: split by set (2 wine glasses, 2 wine glasses, etc.) or one person keeps
Kitchenware: similar split

For the “neither wants” items: our pickup (see below).

Hour 6-12 — Heavy lifting + departure

Professional mover for YOUR stuff (see section below)
Or a cube van + friends
You take what’s yours
What’s not yours stays

Hour 12-36 — Your ex does the same (if applicable)

They do what you did.

Hour 36-48 — Final cleanout

If the apartment is in one of your names:

Our team comes for what’s left (donations + toss)
Basic cleanup
Hand over keys to landlord

Option B: Conflictual separation

If communication is impossible:

Legal tools

Temporary restraining order (court order) can give one party exclusive occupation
Legal separation agreement with lawyer’s help can freeze movements until formal division
Mediated separation (CPFO, Familles Unies, etc.) — middle ground

Practical plan (conflictual)

Only access the apartment when your ex is NOT there
Take photographs of everything before touching
Only take YOUR personal items (clothes, work documents, strictly personal gifts)
Don’t touch shared items — wait for legal division
Our service can wait — we don’t want to be in the middle of a dispute

Documenting

Photo + date of every room
Photo of any valuable item you leave
Receipt of items you take (if you have a witness)

This documentation protects you if there’s a later accusation of taking property.

The kids’ factor

If you have children:

What matters to them

Familiar objects (their bed, their toys, their crib)
Routine (meals, bedtime)
Sense of stability

What doesn’t matter to them (yet)

Dining table
Couch
Parents’ decor

Priority order for moving

Kids’ personal items (bed, bedding, drawings, favorite toys, teddy bears)
Anything transitional (kids’ books, games they often play)
Your basic setup (what you need to function in new place)
Shared items (later, calmly)

Stability signal

At the new place, put up kids’ things IMMEDIATELY. Their bed, their drawings on the wall, their favorite books. This signals “we’re ok, life continues”.

Our service for this context

We’ve been through many of these scenarios. We approach them with discretion.

”Urgent separation” package

Same-day or next-day pickup (90% of the time)
Rapid on-site triage — we help you sort the “shared, un-wanted” pile quickly
Discrete — no judgment, no gossip
Free on-site visit if uncertain volume
Pricing: standard rates, no “urgency premium”

When we arrive

We ask who’s decision-maker (YOU, not the household)
We take only what YOU say goes
If there’s dispute on an item (“keep it, donate it, throw it”) and we can’t tell: we leave it
Discretion in the building (no loud noise, no conversations in halls)

Cost

Typical apartment cleanout post-separation:

3½ apartment: $299-549 (1/4 to 1/2 truck)
4½ apartment: $499-849
5½+ or larger home: $769-1,400

The mover question

Your mover is DIFFERENT from our service:

Movers handle

Loading YOUR packed boxes
Moving YOUR furniture (which you’re keeping)
Driving to your new place
Unloading at destination

Our service handles

What you DON’T want (leaving behind)
What’s donated
What’s trashed

Both are needed. Book them in sequence:

Mover in the morning
Us in the afternoon (or next day)

Recommended movers (by budget)

Student movers (COOP Mouvement, Laval University): $30-40/hr/mover, flexible, low cost
Standard movers (Maheux, Alderson, Déménagement JSD): $100-150/hr for 2 movers + truck
Premium / senior-service movers (Pronet, Maheux senior): $140-180/hr for 2 movers + truck + packing help

Emergency option: 24h turnaround

Sometimes you need the mover THIS weekend. In Quebec City:

Most movers require 1-2 weeks notice
Student movers are often available same-week
Paying a premium gets you 24-48h service

Finances

A separation cleanout + move = expensive when you combine:

Mover: $600-1,200
Our cleanout: $299-849
First month rent + deposit at new place: $1,200-2,500
Utilities hookups: $150-300
Groceries/supplies for new place: $300-500
Total: $2,500-5,400

How to split costs

If amicable: split the cleanout portion 50/50. If conflictual: whoever initiated the separation often absorbs cleanout cost (pragmatic reality, not legal rule).

Tax considerations

Cleanout costs are not deductible typically (vs business-related moves). Save receipts in case your accountant finds a way.

Support resources in Quebec City

Hotlines / crisis

CLSC in your district — short-term psychological support, free
Ligne Parents (418-525-2573) — specifically for separation + kids
SOS Violence Conjugale (1-800-363-9010) — if violence involved

Legal / mediation

Centre Accompagnement Séparation (CAS) Quebec City
Justice Québec — free mediation sessions
Avocats Services Juridiques Québec — consultations

Support groups

Femmes Québec (support groups for women post-separation)
L’Accalmie (men in transition)
Groupe Solidarité Monoparentale (single parents)

Practical support

Association Société Saint-Vincent — furnish you in emergency (furniture, clothes)
La Maison Père Dominique — emergency shelter if needed

Typical errors to avoid

Error 1: Signing papers in emotion

Any document given by ex-partner during 48h hot phase: don’t sign without 48h cooling-off. Read with lawyer or trusted friend.

Error 2: Hiding money/assets

Illegal and will backfire during legal division. Don’t.

Error 3: Arguing via text while packing

Put the phone away. Focus on task. Talk later.

Error 4: Asking friends to “side” with you

Their role is to support YOU, not take sides. Respect their space.

Error 5: Dating too soon

You’ll do this at your own pace. Don’t rush to feel okay. The goal in 48h is physical separation, not emotional.

What “good” looks like 1 month later

A month after the cleanout:

You have your own space, functioning
Shared items are either split (signed off) or still in dispute (with legal support)
Kids (if applicable) have a routine in both parents’ places
The “bitter phase” is passing

In summary

A separation cleanout in 48h is brutal but navigable with:

Clear list of what’s yours/theirs/shared
A plan for kids’ stability
Professional support (mover + us)
Restraint on impulse throwing
Reaching out for emotional help

If you want a quote for the physical cleanout portion: 418 506-0077. We come within 48h, we’re discreet.

This article offers general practical guidance. For legal matters, always consult a lawyer specialized in family law.