There's no good time for this, and there's no rush either. A good clearance company moves at your pace, not theirs.
Before you start
If probate isn't settled, don't dispose of anything yet. If it is, the first job is to walk through the house and mark what's to keep, what's to donate, what's to recycle and what's to dispose of.
What a clearance team should do
- Visit the house first, free, before quoting
- Listen more than they talk
- Pack and store anything you want to keep
- Donate usable furniture and clothes to local charities
- Recycle what can be recycled
- Dispose of the rest through licensed facilities
- Leave the house clean and ready
Sentimental items
Photo albums, letters, jewellery, paperwork: we put these aside in clear-labelled boxes for the family to go through later. Nothing gets thrown out without you seeing it.