Even if you have never experienced one before, you will know what the terms house clearance means. For most people it implies removing all the belongings in a property so that it’s just the house itself that’s left standing.
But what about the details ie what happens to the furniture, electrical equipment, artefacts and other keepsakes when it’s time to remove them? And that’s why we’ve created this blog post – to hopefully answer some questions you may have if organising a house clearance has been left to you due to a loved one or friend having passed.
How are items disposed of?
Most items from a house clearance are either sold on (at auction or second-hand market places – online or physical), donated to charity shops or disposed of in a skip which is later taken to recycling and landfill.
Choosing what to keep
Deciding what you want to hold on to and, conversely, what you want to chuck out, can be the hardest part. That’s because it can be tempting to keep far more items than you really should (or have space for). For this reason, it’s a good idea to bring along an ‘impersonal friend’ for this part. He or she is less likely to be as sentimental as yourself and can give good practical advice on what would be worth keeping and vice versa.
To help with the actual removal it’s a good idea to use some sort of coloured sticker system where red, for instance, is for items that you’ll keep, yellow for things that are going to the charity shop, and green for recycling. Blue could be for bags full of clutter going straight to landfill. Next, get all the items with the same colour stickers together so that it’s easier to move them all at once.
How long does it take for a house clearance?
Whether the house clearance team are there for a couple of days or double that time depends entirely on how large the house is and the amount of possessions there are to sift through. Presumably the family will have already removed any personal items they want to keep and it’s the larger furniture pieces that are left, together with anything destined for landfill. As a general rule of thumb though, most house clearance operators estimate half a day per room.
Selling and donating furniture
Furniture, ornaments, accessories – if they are in a good condition and worth a bit of money then these can all be sold on to good homes at a fraction of the original cost. Think Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Gumtree, Vinted, Freecycle etc. The latter is giving the items away, just as you would if you took them to your local charity shop. With large items of furniture, it’s a good idea to ring your local council as they’re always looking for beds, sofas, wardrobes etc for their Homeless service.
How to go about moving stuff
There are a number of options open to you when it comes to finally, physically emptying the property. This includes moving the items yourself by car or hire van. You can, of course, also hire a removals firm (but which will cost you). The DIY version will mean lots of trips to and from recycling, landfill, charity shops etc but at least you’ll get the satisfaction of having achieved something. And you’ll sleep well that evening because you will no doubt be exhausted.
Hiring a skip
It’s quite common these days to be walking down a long residential street and find a skip parked on the roadside. Lockdown, of course, prompted lots of decluttering and post lockdown there have been plenty of moving house going on. Skips are great for chucking out items for recycling or landfill. The skip company themselves will sort through your discarded possessions and discard them in the appropriate manner.
The cost of the skip will depend on the size you’ve ordered. You may also need to pay for a permit if the skip is on a public road (you can get this from the local council). If the skip is to be located in a parking bay then you have to get a temporary parking ban licence.
Calling a clearance company
Calling, or writing to, ourselves and arranging a time for a clearance of the property to take place, means you don’t have to concern yourself with the process anymore. That’s because we’ll take care of it all for you. You can also rest-assured that we are fully insured and licenced to remove items to landfill.