I want to clear the lot

Just occasionally, a client decides the best thing they can do is to make a clean sweep of their property, get rid of everything and move forward, unencumbered, into the future they want for themselves.

In this situation, there are a few possibilities to deal with your belongings and furniture;

• Sell or donate the contents via local or national sales sites like Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or Freecycle

• Give the lot to a charity, friends or relatives

• Call in a house clearance specialist to value and clear everything

Each option has its merits and pitfalls. Selling everything yourself is time consuming while you photograph, measure, describe and post individual items. #

You are then dependent on people turning up to collect and pay the asking price when they say they will.

For one or two things this is a viable option, but for an entire property, unless you have masses of time to spare and endless patience, it’s a big commitment to make.

Donating everything to charity is another option, but there’s no option to raise some money from selling your stuff.

Some charities like Emmaus a homeless charity, or The British Heart Foundation will agree to collect most furniture. Others will be more selective and take only key items they know will sell quickly.

For clients who choose to clear the majority of items from their home, I’ve found working with specialist House Clearance Companies is a good, fast and effective solution… with the added bonus of payment for furniture and possessions which have a resale value.

It’s always important to get at least two quotes from specialist companies, and to walk around the property with the estimator, making a note of the value quoted for individual items.

This is a great way of getting a feel for the company you are working with. Whilst there may be items the clearance company will pay for, most of what they agree to take away may not have any real financial value.

When I worked for a client in Kent, we were lucky enough to meet up with Andy from The Bay Emporium. He is an accredited House Clearance Specialist and fully registered for rubbish disposal – this reassurance is essential to ensure your unwanted possessions don’t end up fly-tipped in a country lane! 

Andy provided a detailed summary of the items of value and arranged the two-day clearance of a large house to suit the client’s needs. Everything went very smoothly and Andy’s calm and supportive attitude was exactly what was required as my client said an emotional goodbye to over 50 years of generational clutter.

If you decide to clear almost everything from a house, whether to move abroad, after bereavement, or simply to walk away from your possessions for a fresh start… be kind to yourself and choose the best and easiest option for your well-being.

For more information on Decluttering, Interiors Therapy or making your house ready to sell, you know what to do!