House clearance and removal tips

Some useful advice derived from our many years in the business

Preparing

  • Look at moving as a chance to get rid of things you no longer need. Consider making charity and for sale piles in each room for items you no longer really need.
  • We all have a predisposition to hoard old paperwork for a long time. Large amounts of paper can be very heavy so do yourself a favour and dispose of any paperwork that you no longer need before you move.
  • It makes sense to have plenty of packing tape, markers, labels and a good sharp pair of scissors.
  • Make sure to defrost any friges or freezers you own in time for moving day.

House clearances

  • Plan ahead - allow a good half day to pack up a room. Giving yourself enough time to do a job goes a long way to reducing the stress that comes with it.
  • Prioritize items - go through everything to decide which items you and your family wish to keep, sell, donate, or throw away. We recommend using the traffic light sticker system to do this
  • Estimate volumes - next you need to go through each room and write down how much volume each sticker category would fill. Once you’ve done this, add it all up and get a total volume estimate for each category.
  • Arrange for collection - now you need to decide whether you will remove all the items yourself, or employ a firm to do this for you.

Moving out

  • Pack overnight bags containing a few essential items for yourself and everyone who is moving with you. Make sure everyone keeps these bags close to hand, just in case!
  • Pack the items you will most likely need sooner in clear plastic bins so you can see what's inside. Things like rubbish bags, eating utensils, certain cookware, extension leads, phone chargers, toilet paper etc.
  • Wrap any fragile items in clothes or towels. You can save money on packing materials, and you're packing your breakables and clothes at the same time.
  • In addition to labelling what’s in your boxes, record what room you'll be putting them in as well, that way you can prioritize and unpack by room.

Moving in

  • If possible, show up to your new home before the move and pre-clean everything that requires it. Not all sellers will leave things spotless for you
  • If you've been able to gain access before the move, try and get any decorating/carpet fitting done before all your belongings are moved in as it will be far easier in an empty house
  • For peace of mind change the locks on the exterior doors. Estate agents, removals agents, previous owners etc. all may have keys, so it's worth thinking about
  • Have any mechanical/electrical equipment that came with house cleaned and serviced as you will not know how safe any of this equipment is.

Frequently asked questions

An easy answer is just about anything! We clear cluttered houses, verminous properties, garages, gardens, garden sheds, lofts and general junk both part clearance and full clearance 7 days a week. We also clear offices, factories, warehouses and clean residential and commercial properties too. We clear anything incuding: white goods, furniture, carpets, clothing, furniture, curtains, tools, toys, electricals and general junk.
We are able to remove most things, although there are a few exceptions which, legally, we can’t dispose of:

Chemicals such as oil, petrol and paint.
Building waste like bricks, rubble and soil.
Hazardous materials such as asbestos.

However, we can offer some advice on how to safely and legally dispose of these materials, and point you in the right direction. If this service is likely to be needed please advise us when booking your house clearance.
We cover the South West from Land's End in Cornwall to Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Bristol. However, in certain circumstances we will take on jobs even further afield, so give us a call now.
We will make every effort to ensure that these items are re-used, and where this is not possible, recycled. We are part of a long established auction company and as such can generally find new homes for most things. This strategy of re-use and recycle is not only environmentally friendly, but it also makes good economic sense too because, by spending less money on landfill charges, our overall costs are reduced which, in turn, means that we can keep our prices more competitive.
We always handle these items with the utmost care and discretion. Should it be necessary, we can destroy any personal or sensitive information by shredding and/or incinerating and provide you with written confirmation that this has been completed. If we happen upon any such items during the course of a house clearance, we would retain these for your examination prior to any disposal.
If requested, we can perform various mainentance tasks for landlords such as draining central heating and water tanks, thereby protecting against pipe bursts or, if required, we can decomission the system entirely including the electrics. We can also help to secure the property by changing the locks. In order to facilitate this we only use quality locksmiths, plumbers and electricians. Additionally any gas works would also be carried out by a Corgi registered plumber. These kinds of services are very important where the property is expected to be empty for large periods of time. We can even arrange for any necessary remedial works to be completed whilst the property is empty, as we also commission quality local builders who have completed works for us in the past to a high professional degree.
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Top removal tips

Preparing
  • Defrost your refrigerator prior to the move date.
  • It’s useful to keep a notebook at hand to write down reminders.
  • Get in touch with utility companies to verify service start dates at your new home.
Packing and labeling
  • Label boxes on all sides so you can see what it contains in a stack without having to move everything around.
  • Clearly mark boxes containing fragile goods.
  • Pack a suitcase with clothes and toiletries like you’re going on a trip for a few days.
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