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Hiring a house clearance company is perfect for when you find yourself in a situation that requires large amounts of rubbish and unwanted items to be removed. This can take up a lot of time and money to remove, something that you may not have to spare. By hiring a house clearance company, you can save the hassle of removing items yourself and have experts do it for you!
You may be wondering what does a house clearance include? Can I do it myself? Why would you want to spend hours of your time going back and forth removing all the rubbish, when you could hire professionals to do the job for you? Other than saving you hassle, you may be wondering why else you should be hiring a house clearance company, why you would need to hire them, how it works, and what they can take.
Rubbish can quickly build up inside our homes during certain situations that may take a lot of time and therefore money to remove. By hiring a house clearance company, you are saving yourself a lot of hassle!
Having professionals handle your house clearance needs is so much easier than attempting to remove items yourself. But how? And what can a house clearance company take and what does a house clearance include?
In this guide we are going to cover what exactly house clearance is, why you may require to hire one, how it works, what is included, and some questions that you may want to ask the company. With all this information you will be an expert on house clearing companies and will be able to decide whether you require their services or not.
To learn what a house clearance includes read on.
What is a House Clearance?
A house clearance is all about removing unwanted items. A house clearance company is not afraid to do the dirty work for you by removing all sorts of items from your home that need to be gone. Usually a house clearance is done when there are large amounts of rubbish and unwanted items in the property. It is not a clean but a clearance of items.
House clearance companies take care of any rubbish that you want out. This could be anything from one room that is full and needs to be cleared, to a whole house clearance. No matter what size of the property, a team will be able to help you to get rid of any unwanted items that have gathered, or any rubbish that you want gone.
House clearance can be a difficult task if you have large items that may take a lot of energy and time to remove. Maybe you are having a refresh in your home and want to get rid of any old appliances or furniture, or maybe you are helping your relative clear out all her old newspaper clippings. Whatever the task, a house clearance company will be able to come in and help you.
A house clearance company will remove unwanted items for you by being in charge of making sure that anything you do not want it safely taken out of your house and disposed of properly. Saying that, a house clearance company is only required when there is large amounts of rubbish and unwanted items in the property.
If there are large items that you need removed, this may be difficult for you to handle on your own. For example, if you need to remove old appliances such as fridges or washing machines this could be difficult to get out of the door and transported to be safely disposed on. By hiring a house clearance company, you can be sure that they will do the heavy lifting for you as they have the equipment and materials necessary to do so.
When should I get a house clearance service?
There are certain situations as to when you may need to hire a house clearance company as they specialise in the removal of large items and multiple items, rather than house cleaners who focus on cleaning. Here are a few reasons why you may need to hire a house clearance company.
- When renovating
During home renovations or home building, rubbish, packaging, and general mess can build up very quickly and can end up being in the way of progression. When the rubbish has built up to be worth hiring someone, get in touch and they will come and clear the house for you. This will save you from having to hire a skip or do multiple trips to the tip as they will do all the work for you.
The benefit to this is that you can be sure that the clearance company will remove all unwanted rubbish for you and will be able to properly dispose of it, for example they will recycle where they can.
- Auction properties
You may need to hire a house clearance company if you buy a property that has not been cleared since the last tenant, for example a property at auction. These homes are typically left abandoned and therefore left with all sorts of furniture, appliances, and rubbish inside. If you are looking to renovate, or just to sell on you will need to clear it out first to make sure it is suitable to do work on or be sold.
If you are in this situation then you will benefit from hiring a house clearance company as otherwise you could end up wasting your time and energy on clearing the place out. The company will do the work for you, so you can focus on the more important aspects of the property such as renovation or selling plans.
- For bereavement or when someone is taken into care
Unfortunately, there are some situations where you may find yourself needing to clear the home of a loved one for example when grieving or when the owner of the home is taken into care. This can, of course, be an upsetting and draining time so you may find it easier to collect any precious or sentimental items then hire a clearance company to look after the rest for you (items such as appliances and furniture). This gives you the opportunity to save anything you would like to keep but then not have to worry about removing large items or items that can be reused or recycled.
Research to find the best house clearance company is key to this as you want to work with someone who is going to respect both you and your wishes during this time. Therefore, it is crucial to find a house clearance company that will be respectful yet efficient too.
There are also cases where the property has been occupied by someone who has been unwell or unable to look after themselves and the property. In this situation you can be faced with potentially insanitary, dangerous, or unpleasant environments.
If this occurs, there are certain house clearance companies that will be able to help, and others that will not. This is because they will require professionals who have the correct equipment and protective gear to safely remove anything from the property to no danger of anyone involved. This is much safer than homeowners or relatives attempting to clear the property and makes sense to bring in experts.
- Hoarded homes
Hiring a house clearance company may be necessary when faced with homes that contain years’ worth of accumulated possessions whether that be rubbish or other items. This could be due to compulsive hoarding syndrome, meaning a house clearance company will know that this process needs to be handled respectfully. They will most likely have dealt with similar situations so will know how to handle it with care all while efficiently removing items too.
House Clearance Services
Here we are going to explain what you may expect when hiring a house clearance company from the initial search to the day they come and remove the items. Please note that different companies of course work in different ways, but here is a general guide on what to expect.
Choosing a Company
Different companies specialise in different situations for when you may need to hire them. In general, every house clearance company will be able to help you with your needs, however if you have a specific situation, for example dealing with a potentially insanitary property, then you should research into who has the equipment and gear necessary to help you.
To find the best house clearance company for your needs, it means doing some research. Going online to look at reviews as well as asking people that you know for any recommendations is a great way to figure out who to contact.
When you have found a few different companies online, you should ask them to provide you with a quote so you can decide which is the best value for money for you. This may involve providing a description of the property and uploading pictures for them to see so that they can provide you with the most accurate quote possible. There may be some companies that ask to send someone round so that they can assess the property before the quote, this will help them get an idea of how much it will be.
Something to note is whether the companies you are looking at have an official license for house clearance. Licensed companies will be sure to dispose of the items properly either by recycling, donating, or maybe taking the items to landfill. Without the license they may wrongly dispose of items that can be traced back to you, potentially leaving you with a fine to pay.
Depending on your situation there are different ways to find the best service for you and your needs. For example, if you are needed a house clearance for a family member that has passed away then there may be a company who deals specifically with this kind of work. This is because you may need to work with them to establish what you want to keep and what you want them to throw away.
Finding the best house clearance company for you means doing your research. Looking at reviews and asking people you know for recommendations is a good way to figure out which company you want to hire.
It may also be a good idea to ask for quotes from multiple different companies so that you can decide which is the best value for money. You may find that sending images will help you to get the most accurate price as it can be hard to accurately describe your situation over the phone or in an email. Some companies may even request to send someone over to perform an assessment before they give you the quote.
It is important to make sure that any company you contact has an official license for house clearance. This is because licenced companies will be sure to dispose of the rubbish, waste, and items properly either by recycling, donating, or maybe taking the items to landfill.
You don’t want to go with a company that will (without you knowing) wrongly dispose of items that can be traced back to you, potentially even leaving you with a hefty fine for fly-tipping.
What Does A House Clearance Include? The Disposal Of Items
In terms of the items found in a home that needs to be cleared, there are two categories. Items to be sold and items to be thrown away. Items that can be sold include appliances such as ovens, fridges, and washing machines as well as certain items of furniture. The items that can be sold are permitting that they are not faulty or damaged, however. These items could also be donated to charity depending on their quality as this is more efficient than throwing them away.
A house clearance company may try to sell the items that they remove, meaning they could charge you less to remove them than other items such as rubbish. There is nothing stopping you from selling them yourself, however, this will take time to organise when it may just be easier to have the items removed at a fair price by the clearance company.
Items that can just be thrown away and not sold or donate include rubbish, bedding, and used clothing, among others. A house clearance company can easily remove these items and therefore will charge standard labour, transport, and removal prices.
There are some items that you will need to check with the company as to whether they are able to remove them. We have touched on this already as some items require special equipment so that they can be removed safely. These items include hazardous materials such as medical waste, asbestos, petrol, and weaponry. Some companies will refuse to clear away these items and others will just need to be told beforehand. Make sure you check with the company that they have the knowledge and materials to do the job safely.
Because of these reasons, it is important to be clear with any company that you contact so they know what you want removed rather than being faced with the unexpected when they arrive. This not only means they can give you a fair quote, but also avoids disappointment on both ends on the day when they are unable to remove certain items.
What Does A House Clearance Include? Charitable Donations
We have mentioned donating certain items to charity, but there are also some charities that will do the house clearance for you. They may not be able to remove as much as a traditional house clearance company, however, they may haul away small boxes of items or pieces of furniture that may be suitable to sell.
A way to think about it is whether you would wear the clothes in the property, or if you would buy the furniture in the condition they are in. If the answer is no, then they are most likely not suitable to be donated and will just need to be safely disposed of. If yes, then you may want to consider contacting local charities to see if they can help you with any of the items you could donate. Speak with your house clearance company to arrange any charitable donations you may wish to make.
What Does A House Clearance Include? Clearance Day
When you have chosen the house clearance company that you would like to hire and have arranged a day for them to arrive you reach the ‘clearance day’. There are some companies that will ask you to try and arrange the items and rubbish in a certain way to help the process if you can. For example, they may request that you make sure any large items are not obstructed by anything else.
This request, however, depends on the company as you may be paying them to do all of the work for you, meaning you will not be expected to do anything but answer the door. In this case, they may be charging more, but it means that you can sit back and watch as they house is cleared rather than trying to prep beforehand.
Make sure to be clear on your expectations as it will make the job easier for both the house clearance company, and you. If you are requesting that they clear the entire property, that is a large and full home, then you will be expected to pay more than a single room clearance where some items have already been removed and donated by you. By being clear you will help them to charge you fairly and will help the process from both ends.
What does a house clearance include?
Items that can be taken
Most companies will be able to remove any item, but what does this mean? Items ranging from furniture to actual rubbish can be removed and cleared away properly.
For clarity, we have provided a list of items that a house clearance company will be able to take off your hands and have gone through each category.
Furniture – house clearance companies will be able to remove all sorts of furniture (basically anything that you can think of). Some may be able to be recycle or re-sold/donated, others may be damaged or soiled so will need to be safely disposed of.
Depending on the item and the size, it may cost more to remove. This is because some items, for example large old sofas, are heavy, will be difficult to get out of the property, and will take up a lot of room in any removal vans.
- Sofas
- Armchairs
- Dining tables
- Dining chairs
- Bedframes
- Bookcases
- Cabinets
- Coffee tables
- Sofa beds
- Footstools
- TV stands
- Side tables
- Benches
- Barstools
The list goes on.
Appliances and electricals – similarly to furniture, there are some items that may be larger and will therefore take more power, time, and materials to remove. Be aware that these will cost you more money to remove, however, will be necessary to have professionals do the job to stay safe.
Especially with appliances and electricals there is the risk that they could be damaged and dangerous (for example if there is broken glass around). This means that the house clearance company will need to send a team with the appropriate equipment needed to complete the job safely as remaining safe is an important part of any house clearance.
- Fridges
- Freezers
- Washing machines
- Tumble dryers
- Ovens
- Hobs
- Dishwashers
- Microwaves
- Kettles
- Coffee machines
- BBQs
- Sinks
- Irons
- Radiators
- TVs
- CD/DVD players
- Remotes/controllers
e.c.t.
Materials – another set of items that can be removed by a house clearance company is any materials lying around the property. This means any old materials that may have been used or neglected by past or present owners of the property.
These are generally easy to remove and depending on the condition can be re-used or donated to a charity. There may, however, be items such as mattresses that will take more effort to remove, especially if they must be maneuvered downstairs and out of the front door. With the bigger items, again expect that you may need to pay more money to have them safely removed by the professionals.
- Old clothes
- Curtains
- Drapes
- Bedding
- Mattresses
e.c.t.
Miscellaneous items – in some cases there may be general possessions that need to be cleared away that you do not want to keep. This can be anything from décor items to books to crockery. A house clearance company will be able to remove any of these items for you too.
General waste – some properties may just be filled with rubbish, for example if they are abandoned. This may be bagged up or could just be strewn over the property. A house clearance company can be hired to take the time to remove all the rubbish safely from the property and dispose of it properly too.
Remember to be clear and transparent with what you have that needs to be removed as it will help them to come up with the best price that is fair. The house clearance companies quotes and prices will be fair considering the amount of labour, how many vans they need and how they will be disposing of the items.
What Does A House Clearance Include? Items that cannot be taken
There are, of course some items that they may not be able to safely remove. Please note that this may not apply to every house clearance company as with the right knowledge and equipment it is possible to safely remove these items.
We have mentioned it but hazardous materials such as medical waste, asbestos, petrol, and weaponry may not always be safe to remove. Checking with the house clearance company beforehand is crucial to avoid wasting both yours and the companies time and resources.
Hazardous items need to be safely removed but also safely disposed of. Some companies will not be capable of doing this but other will have the resources and connections needed to make sure that nothing hazardous is put in the wrong hands.
Overview
So now you should know the answer to “what does a house clearance include?” – the service includes consultation, item disposal and general help with the house clearance process.
House clearance companies will handle the dirty work (sometimes literally!) for you. They will have dealt with all sorts of situations before, meaning they will listen to you and your needs and safely remove your items.
They are the best people to go to if you need to remove all sorts of items from a property but do not have the time or power to do so. This is because they are experts at what they do and have the knowledge needed to make sure all items are properly disposed of or donated.
Remember to be clear with the company when asking for a quote and providing information as it will help them to figure out the fairest price for you. This means communicating with them well to decide what you want to be removed, what could be recycled and what can be donated.
Whilst the majority of items can be taken by a house clearance company, you should speak with them directly to double check their standards and their answer to what does a house clearance include.
