It depends on how much is truly rubbish once the things being kept, sold or given away are out of the house. As a guide, Wakefield Council’s skip service describes a 4 cubic yard skip as holding around 40 black bin bags and an 8 cubic yard skip around 80.
Work out what’s really going in it
The skip only needs to hold what nobody wants and nobody can use. Before you book, take out everything that’s staying in the family, anything to be valued or sold, and things a charity shop could take. GOV.UK also points out that your council may collect large items such as sofas and fridges, and that you can take waste to your local recycling centre, so the skip doesn’t have to take everything.
What’s left decides the size:
- A few rooms of bagged-up clutter, old bedding and small broken items suits a smaller skip, around 4 cubic yards. Wakefield describes theirs as suited to low-volume jobs and small enough to fit easily on a driveway.
- Bulky furniture, carpets and a garage or shed to empty takes up space fast, so an 8 cubic yard skip gives more room. Birmingham City Council gives its 8-yard skip as roughly 12ft long, 5ft 6in wide and 4ft high.
If you’re unsure, describe the house to the skip company and ask what they’d suggest. If some of the contents are worth keeping, see whether a skip or storage costs less. Larger skips are available too.
What can’t go in
Ask your skip company for its list before you start loading. Council skip services such as Birmingham’s and Wakefield’s turn away fridges and freezers, televisions, paint, chemicals and asbestos, and Wakefield’s also refuses sofas and other foam-upholstered furniture, gas bottles and anything flammable. Those items need a council collection, the recycling centre or a specialist.
Where the skip can go
If the skip sits entirely on the drive or other private land, you don’t need a licence. If it has to go on the road, GOV.UK says you need a skip licence from the council, though in most areas the skip company arranges it for you. A skip can’t go on the pavement, and on the road it may need lights or markings.
If you’d rather not deal with a skip at all, a house clearance service can take things away instead. Whichever you choose, GOV.UK says to check the company is on the register of waste carriers.
Before anything goes in
Once something is in the skip, it’s gone, so it’s worth a last look through drawers and boxes first. If the family needs more time to decide about furniture or keepsakes, a storage unit can hold the keep and undecided piles while the house is cleared. Our units are for the things you’re keeping, so the skip takes the rubbish and the unit takes the rest. Our room-by-room size guide helps you choose a unit size.
Call us on 0800 2545585 and tell us roughly what’s staying, and we’ll help you choose a size, or get a price online.
Related questions
- Should I put things into storage before a house clearance?
- What should I keep in storage when clearing a parent’s home?
- How do I know what unit size I need?
Further reading
- GOV.UK: Skip licence
- GOV.UK: Dispose of household waste