A house clearance usually happens in three stages: you set aside everything the family wants to keep, you choose a clearance firm, and the firm empties the house of the rest. If you’re clearing a loved one’s home, we’re sorry; it’s a hard job, and doing it in that order means nothing that matters leaves by mistake.
1. Set aside what the family keeps
Start with the things nobody can replace: photographs, letters, personal papers, keepsakes, and anything named in the will. Agree with the rest of the family what each person wants before any firm is booked.
If the home belonged to someone who has died, the executor needs to value their money, property and possessions before applying for probate, if probate is needed. GOV.UK explains how to do this, so it’s worth valuing the contents before they go.
2. Choose a clearance firm
Ask two or three firms to look round and quote for the same job, and ask each one what happens to everything they take away.
The key check is the waste carrier registration. Householders have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to make sure their waste only goes to someone authorised to take it. A firm that carries waste in England should have a registration number starting CBDU. You can check it on the Environment Agency’s public register, by business name, number or postcode, or by calling 03708 506 506. Keep a note of the number and ask for a proper invoice.
3. Clearance day
The firm removes everything that’s been agreed, and the house is left ready for the next step, whether that’s a sale, a handover to a landlord or work starting. Walk round with the firm first so everyone knows exactly what stays.
When storage helps
Sometimes a house has to be cleared before the family is ready to decide what to keep. A storage unit gives you a safe place for those belongings, so the house can be cleared, sold or handed back on time while you take the decisions at your own pace. If you later sell an item, or arrange a charity or clearance collection from the unit, that’s fine with us, as long as you or someone you’ve given access to is there to let them in.
Before anything goes into storage, clear out food and anything perishable, and take any rubbish with you, as we can’t take either on site.
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?
Further reading