These are the things customers usually wonder about before booking a clearance. If your answer is not here, get in touch and we will explain.
Those operators usually take only the individual items that sell easily, or that are valuable enough to charge a commission on.
That is why they very rarely work on an all or nothing basis. We differ by focusing on service instead.
The drawback of using them first is that the home afterwards is usually still full of everything else. That takes considerably more capacity, skill and proper equipment, plus a wider network of buyers to sell it well.
It can mean a higher cost for you in the end, because by the time you find us the best pieces are already gone. That in turn affects the valuation any firm offering a complete solution can give you.
When you book a skip for combustible or unsorted waste, you still may not put just anything in it.
Electronics, plasterboard, hazardous waste and, in some municipalities, large sprung furniture are all excluded, and at worst that means very expensive penalties. Every municipality has its own rules, so find out what applies before you hire one and start loading.
On top of the hire itself come delivery, collection, emptying and a daily rate, plus a tipping fee charged by weight. Those prices also differ between municipalities and are hard to predict.
And you have to do all the loading yourselves. That is why we always suggest getting several quotes first. It often costs less in the end, and you may not have to lift anything at all.
Textiles, worn clothing, books, pictures and rugs we always value at flea market prices, or at worst straight to disposal.
If you have something of that kind you suspect is worth more, we suggest sending photos to a reputable auction house instead. Then you can be entirely sure nothing has been missed.
We grade contents in five levels: sellable waste, budget, quality, antique and auction.
Yes. Household refuse and food waste, in the fridge, freezer or larder for instance, may only be handled by the contractor holding the municipal waste contract in that particular municipality.
So it matters that you hand over keys to any adjoining refuse room, if you want those spaces emptied and possibly cleaned depending on the level of service you want.
The same applies to building materials, both what has been used in a renovation and what is left over. Note it on the form and we will allow for it from the start.
No. As long as you do not want help packing, dismantling or transporting individual items you intend to keep, you only need to set those particular things aside before we start. Ideally before you send us photos too, so that the valuation, and therefore the quotation, is accurate.
If something included in our quotation disappears, email or text us new photos before the job begins.
Some firms quote without packing or sorting included, so that you have to buy boxes and pack the whole house yourself. You never need to think about that with us. We have to separate everything anyway to maximise recycling and resale, so we unpack and resort whatever is in boxes and bags regardless.
It does not increase our labour cost, rather the opposite. That is why we always ask you to leave everything exactly as it stands, for your convenience and for ours.
Most of our work comes when someone has died, or needs to move to smaller accommodation. Whether it is a rented flat or one that is owned, we are very used to working with three parties:
1. Whoever books the job, often a close relative or a court appointed administrator. 2. Whoever we actually work for, whether a person or an estate still going through probate. 3. Whoever signs the work off before we invoice.
For a rented property the inspection is usually done by a caretaker or the landlord, and for an owned one by the new owner if the sale has completed. Sometimes you do it yourselves, and sometimes the estate agent steps in.
We handle all contact and scheduling with whoever inspects, and we are always there when it happens, so that anything raised can be dealt with on the spot. If the inspector is satisfied, so are you.
Yes, but normally the first contact goes through the quotation form with overview photos attached. Once we have seen those we decide whether a visit is needed.
It usually is when there are many valuable pieces that cannot be judged properly from photographs, when the job is very large or spread across several places, or when the property is heavily hoarded or needs sanitation.
We always value two things at once: what the work costs us, and what the contents are worth. What you see on the quotation is the difference between them.
The work side is calculated from labour for packing, sorting, dismantling and removal, plus tipping fees and transport. Tipping fees are charged by weight and differ between municipalities.
The valuation side comes from your overview photos. We grade contents in four levels: sellable waste, budget, quality, antique and auction. Even some waste that can be sold counts towards the deduction.
That is why honest, clear photos affect your quotation more than anything else. The better we can see condition and quantity, the larger the deduction can be, and the smaller the risk of anything having to be recalculated later.
The whole property is cleaned thoroughly, with every surface vacuumed and damp wiped.
Kitchen: hob and oven cleaned inside and out including the trays, extractor and filter degreased, cupboards and drawers wiped out, fridge and freezer cleaned. Removing the oven glass and pulling out the cooker, fridge and freezer is included as standard.
Defrosting the freezer is not normally included, because we cannot always control the order the work happens in. If appliances are wedged or built in so that moving them risks damage, we leave them. If you know from experience that something is awkward, tell us beforehand.
Wet rooms: descaling and cleaning of tiles, bath, shower screens and basin. Drains cleared, toilet scoured, mirrors and cabinets wiped out. Removing bath panels is not normally included, but we do it where it can be done safely.
All rooms: surfaces, skirting, doors, wardrobes and window sills wiped, floors vacuumed and damp mopped.
A standard end of tenancy clean assumes the property has been normally maintained over the years. Roughly weekly cleaning, plus a thorough clean once or twice a year taking in windows, appliances and the bathroom.
Nicotine damage, animal or human waste, old ingrained food and liquids, heavy long-standing limescale and mould always count as sanitation work. Please attach separate photos of each affected area.
Extra deep cleaning of the oven and other appliances can of course go somewhat beyond the normal without affecting the price. But in severe cases, or if you are unsure where the line falls, send extra photos. Otherwise the quotation may have to be recalculated afterwards, which neither of us wants.
Yes. Every customer has a full right to cancel with no fee, even after accepting one of our offers in writing.
If the job has already started and you want to stop it mid-way, you pay only for the work actually done. If thirty per cent is complete, you pay thirty per cent of the agreed quotation and deduction.
Where the quotation means we pay you rather than the other way round, the assessment is adapted to the individual situation.
Textiles, worn clothing, books, pictures and rugs we normally value as flea market goods, or at worst straight to disposal.
If you suspect something might be worth more, send photos to a reputable auction house first so that you know for certain.
See our terms for more detail on what we are not permitted to resell.
Yes. No job is too small. We buy, clear and clean whatever the size.
We always offer a complete solution adapted to your particular needs, so professional removals are an obvious option when you hire us.