If you’re clearing a loved one’s home, we’re sorry; it’s a hard job. The short answer is sometimes: usually you pay for a clearance, but some firms work out the value of anything they can resell and take it off your bill, and if the contents are worth more than the job, they pay you the difference. Not every company works this way, so ask before you book.
Questions to ask before you book
When you get quotes, ask each firm whether they’ll sell anything of value for you, and if so, whether they take that value off their price or pay it to you in cash. Ask for the quote in writing so you can see how it’s worked out, and on the day, check with them what resale value they’ve noted for the things they’re taking.
Check the firm is registered to carry waste. A registered carrier has a number starting CBDU, and you can look it up on the Environment Agency’s public register. The law expects householders to take reasonable steps to make sure their waste only goes to someone authorised to carry it, and checking the register does exactly that.
Getting a fair price for things worth selling
If you think something is valuable, such as jewellery, paintings, antiques or a collection, it can pay to sell it separately rather than letting it go with the clearance. If you’re an executor, you’ll also need to value the person’s possessions, along with their money and property, before applying for probate if the estate needs it. For items like jewellery and paintings, GOV.UK suggests working out what they’d sell for, for example by looking up similar items on online marketplaces.
Take the time to decide
Choosing what to keep can take time, so it helps to take what matters out of the house before the clearance, rather than deciding under pressure on the day. A household storage unit can hold family pieces, items you plan to sell and anything still being decided while the house is cleared and sold. When a buyer, an auction house or a clearance firm collects from the unit, you or someone you’ve given access to simply needs to be there to let them in and oversee it.
If you’d like to talk it through, call us on 0800 2545585, or get a price online.
Related questions
- Should I put things into storage before a house clearance?
- What should I keep when clearing a parent’s home?
- Who pays for storage while an estate is being sorted out?
This page explains how clearances commonly work. It isn’t legal or tax advice.
Further reading