Many people seek to clear their houses for various purposes, so the concept of house clearance is not a foreign or rare one.
Despite its prevalence, the majority are not fully aware of the intricacies of the entire process or how it works.
If this describes you even slightly, then this blog is for you.
We will delve into all the fundamentals of house clearance, providing answers to the most common questions regarding the subject.
What is House Clearance?
To begin with, house clearance is a general term that essentially refers to the removal of unwanted items within a house or home.
You dispose of contents either partially, meaning some of the contents are removed, or completely, meaning everything gets cleared out.
House clearance can be done in two ways: you either do it yourself or hire a house clearance company.
What Do You Need to Do Before House Clearance?
Before you even think about clearing a house, it is essential to consider what you need to do before doing the actual house clearance work.
The following are two of the most indispensable things that you require doing before a house clearance:
Preparation and Planning
Preparing for house clearance beforehand is not to be undervalued.
It is easy to be biased towards impatience and diving headfirst into clearing out the house without first considering thorough, strategic thinking.
We will go through the step-by-step process of preparing for the clearance process with a house clearance company later, so keep on reading.
Obtaining Permits
Permits are extremely crucial to acquire before any house clearance work takes place. But what are they?
Permits are official licenses or formal documents that authorise particular activities, ensuring that specific regulations are adhered to strictly.
Since house clearance is one of these activities, you must obtain the permits needed.
You can do this by consulting regulatory agencies to determine which permits you need, which will enable you to carry out the house clearance without any future inconveniences.
How Long Does It Take to Clear a House?
The duration of the house clearance process is not a universal rule: it depends on several factors:
- Home size
- The number of items that will be removed
- The types of items need to be removed
- The size of the house clearance company team
However, on average, a house clearance typically takes around half a day to two full days.
What is Removed in House Clearances?
As mentioned before, you either dispose of all the contents of your house or some of them. But some everyday items are usually removed when house clearance is in question, and some of these examples include:
- Furniture: Such as beds, worn-out sofas, and wardrobes
- Electrical equipment: Such as computers, televisions, and printers
- White goods: Such as fridges, freezers, and washing machines
- Mattresses: Such as single and double mattresses
What is the House Clearance Process Like?
Now, it’s time to discuss the actual process of house clearance. The following are the major steps to be taken in the case of hiring a house clearance company:
Initial Contact
The first step when you finally decide to clear the house is to do an initial contact and enquiry.
This includes reaching out to a house clearance company and giving them all the necessary information they will need to know. Some of the rudimentary questions the company will ask you include:
- What is the type and size of your property? E.g. how many bedrooms are there, and whether it is a house or an apartment
- What is the location?
- What are some potential access issues? For example, the stairs have no lift, the location is remote, and there are parking limits.
Assessment and Quotation
Secondly, the clearance company must scrutinise the property.
According to the information they have been provided with before examining, they will give you a quotation. Some companies will also offer a free quote during the property assessment phase.
The house clearance company will assess a few things, such as:
- The volume and type of the items you want removed
- Identify any hazardous or challenging items
- Discuss any special requests that you might have
Booking the Clearance Service
After the company has explored and examined your property, you are now ready to book and schedule the service of the clearance company, once you have agreed to their quote.
They will tell you the date, time, and all the details of the clearance day. Professional companies will take into consideration your ideal timeframe for the house clearance and will do their best to stick to it.
Responsible Item Disposal
At this point, the clearance process officially begins as the clearance company arrives at your property to start removing the agreed-upon items.
But there is a critical step that should be executed first, and that is sorting the items before final disposal.
Such item categorisation can be represented like so:
- Keep: These are valuable items you wish to preserve and not dispose of
- Donate/Sell: These are usable items you intend to give away to charity shops
- Recycle: These can include plastic, paper, wood, metals, and electronics, which are then separated and sent to recycling facilities.
- Upcycling/Resale: These are valuable items or antiques that can be repurposed
- Discard: This refers to general waste or rubbish, including any defective items that are no longer useful and thus need to be disposed of.
Property Cleaning and Handover
Finally, after clearance and disposal are completed, the clearance team will ensure that the property is neat and clean before the final handover.
You or your representative must inspect the place meticulously after clearance; you do not want to discover any mistakes in the future that you should have noticed earlier on.
Why You Should Hire a House Clearance Company like Eco Waste Clearance?
Licensed waste carriers are always more efficient at the process of house clearance than if you did it on your own, and that’s why we always recommend booking a house clearance service.
Eco Waste Clearance in London will provide you with a one-of-a-kind house clearance service that you won’t find anywhere else.
Our team’s unique expertise and endless passion for what they do are surely something you do not want to miss.
For a no-obligation, free quote, contact us today!
