A house clearance service refers to the clearing of items within a property. This could be everything in there or just a few items. This can differ to normal rubbish removal and tip runs due to the size and number of items that need to be removed. In this guide, we’ll cover the who, what, why, how, and when of house clearances as well as give you our top tips and tricks so that you can tackle any house clearance you have with confidence!
When do you need to do a house clearance?
Usually, you would need to do a house clearance if the occupant of the property is moving out. This could be that you are moving home, you have a tenant leaving a rental, or a family member is going into care.
A house clearance is required in these situations to get the property ready for the next occupant clearing out all the unwanted items and junk left over.
If you are downsizing, you might also want to dispose of some items as your new home may not have enough space for them.
People suffering a family bereavement may need a house clearance to empty the home of the recently deceased to re-sell the home, rent it out to a tenant, or help with the grieving process.
This kind of house clearing can be difficult for people, and oftentimes they will choose to pay a professional company to complete the task.
What is taken during a house clearance?
Everyone is different so it’s essential to decide what you’d like to go and what you’re going to keep. This can be quite an emotional process for those suffering a bereavement, so please give yourself plenty of time to sort everything out.
Whether you choose to take items to the local recycling center yourselves, hire a skip, or pay a company to do the clearance for you, it’s worth double-checking what can and cannot be disposed of. Different companies and recycling centres have different rules which change frequently so it’s always best to check with them first.
How do you clear a house?
There are a number of options to consider when talking a house clearance, all with their pros and cons. Which one you choose will depend on your budget, how much stuff you are clearing, how much free time you have, when the property needs to be cleared, and how physically capable you are. Generally, the final choice will be a mix of the options outlined below.
DIY house clearance
As the name suggests this will involve doing the work yourself, having said that it’s a good idea to get at least one extra pair of hands when moving larger or heavier items. This method is probably the cheapest but by far the most labor-intensive, time-consuming, and physically demanding! If you’re on a tight budget but have a free couple of days and some mates, this is for you! You will probably need to hire a large van, we would recommend hiring a Luton type van with a tail lift if possible. If you’re in Stoke-on-Trent we highly recommend Stoke Van Hire, you can see their website here.
Before you hire a van, check with the tip you are planning on taking the waste to if they accept vans. Most of them will require a permit that you would need from the council, again all have slightly different rules so just make sure you can take the rubbish there in the van you are thinking about hiring before you hire the van.
Please take care when lifting and moving heavy or bulky items. What may seem light and manageable at first may feel different once you’ve held it for a while whilst moving it. Get at least one other person to help, wear appropriate shoes and clothes and be mindful of your surroundings. If you are uncertain about anything then it may be better to leave the item to a professional firm (more on these later).
Skip hire
Hiring a skip can be a better option if you can afford it. As with the DIY clearance you will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting, but in this instance, you only need to load items into the skip, the hire company takes care of the transport and the unloading.
This option will cost more but should be quicker and you don’t need to faff about hiring a van or getting a permit for the recycling centre. There are a couple of things to consider when hiring a skip though, you need to check what can go into the skip, generally they will accept more stuff than the recycling centres but please check before you book a delivery.
It’s a good idea to book the skip for when you need it so that you can start filling it immediately. This prevents other people from loading up your skip, which you will have to pay for! Similarly, once the skip is full try to get the hire company to collect straight away.
How much is skip hire?
This will depend on the size of the skip and where you are in relation to the hire company (companies further away from you charge more to cover the fuel costs). Generally though a larger skip is going to cost you £250+.
If you have to put a skip on the road, you will need a permit from the council which the hire company will arrange. These tend to last around 5-7 days and cost between £60-£100.
A house clearance company
This option is the most expensive but the least stressful. A professional company will come in and do all the heavy lifting for you, removing all the agreed items, transferring them to a waste transfer site or charity then ensuring they are disposed of correctly.
This option is ideal for those that aren’t as physically capable, those who don’t have much time or those that do not live near the property such as landlords.
For those who are suffering from a family bereavement, this option can be less emotional as someone else is removing the loved one’s belongings. Sometimes the service can be carried out without the customer even being at the house.
How to choose a house clearance company
We would always recommend asking friends or family if they know a company first, as there is no substitute for word of mouth. If they don’t know anyone we would then suggest looking on local Facebook groups or Google Places. Select ones that have a lot of reviews and a decent presence on social media as this shows that they are active and listen to customers. When you call them do they sound helpful and professional? Do they respond to their reviews good and bad? Do they have a website? These are just some things to consider when choosing a company.
When you find a couple that look good, ask for a couple of quotes. For smaller clearances this should be as simple as sending some pictures, for larger or more complicated jobs it may be better if someone visits the house. All good companies should quote for free.
Finally, you want to check that the company is licensed and insured. This means that they have their waste carriers license and public liability insurance, any hesitation to show you these is a serious red flag. The waste carriers license is needed to transport and dispose of any waste, if the company is caught fly tipping your rubbish, you too could be liable and fined up to £5000.
How much does house clearance cost?
There are a number of factors that affect the price of a house clearance service, mainly the type of waste collected, the amount of waste collected, any access or other restrictions and the number of people involved.
Average sized properties should cost between £500-£900, however, if there is a significant amount of waste such as in a hoarder house that figure could be much higher. Don’t forget, loading the waste on is only part of the job, the company then needs to drive the waste to a disposal site then unload it.
Unlike individuals house clearance companies need to pay to dispose of the waste, usually this is around £160 per tonne, then they have fuel costs, insurance and staff wages to consider. You can find more information about house clearance prices on this short video.
Other options
Some charities will come and collect items, however, the number of items they are willing to collect has decreased over the years so definitely check with them first. Certainly, all furniture must have fireproof labels and no markings on them to be collected.
The council also offers a collection service for certain items, there is sometimes a cost but they can be cheaper than a house clearance company for certain items. Again, the fees and what they will take varies from council to council and is changing all the time so it’s important to check and plan ahead.
Some items can be resold if they are in reasonable working order on sites such as eBay, Facebook marketplace, or if you’re feeling old school, the local car boot. This can be a great way to earn some extra cash, white goods and furniture in particular seem to sell really well on Facebook.
Hopefully this guide provides a good overview of a house clearance process and outlines some of the different options and things to consider before tackling a house clearance. The main thing though is plan ahead of time and make sure you have all the information you need before spending any money.
We have written a free checklist to help you plan any house clearance projects you may be undertaking. If you’d like a copy, or any more information about house clearances, contact us here. Also if you have any tips you’d like to share pop them in the comments below.