Probate property clearance
Clear the property without losing what matters.
We search for documents, photographs and anything of value before a single thing is removed, and hand everything we find back to you. You do not have to be there, and there is no charge for a quotation.
What worries people
The worry is not the furniture. It is everything else.
Most people who ring us are not worried about the wardrobes. They are worried about what might go out with them.
The things families tell us they are anxious about:
- a will, a deed or a bundle of letters going out with the rubbish;
- photographs nobody can ever replace;
- jewellery, coins or cash tucked somewhere nobody thought to look;
- being asked to decide quickly about things they are not ready to decide about;
- having to be in the house while strangers empty it;
- not knowing where any of it ends up.
We search the property before we clear it. Papers, photographs and anything that looks like it matters are set aside, listed and given back to you — not thrown away and apologised for later.
You are not rushed. If you are not ready to decide about something, it stays. And you do not have to be there; most families we work for are not.
How we work
What we do, and what we will not do.
We search first
Before clearance begins we go through the property looking for paperwork, photographs and valuables. Nothing is removed before it has been checked.
We list what we find
Documents, photographs and items of value are set aside and recorded, so you can see what was found and where.
You keep what you want
Anything you want to keep is put aside. If you have not decided yet, it stays until you have.
Reusable things go to charity
Furniture and household goods in good condition go to charity partners rather than to waste, and we get receipts.
Everything else is disposed of properly
We are a registered upper-tier waste carrier, CBDU502187, and keep the disposal paperwork for the estate.
You do not have to be there
We can work from keys and send photographs as we go, so nobody has to sit in the house while it is emptied.
Afterwards
What we give you at the end.
A simple record of what happened in the house, so that if anyone asks later — a sibling, a solicitor, the estate account — the answer is written down.
What is included depends on what you ask us to do, and it is set out in the quotation before we start.
What you receive
Depending on the agreed instruction and scope
- Everything we foundDocuments, photographs and valuables, listed and returned to you✓
- Photographs of the roomsBefore we started and after we finished✓
- Charity receiptsFor anything reusable that went to a charity partner✓
- Disposal paperworkWaste transfer records for the estate✓
- Confirmation the property is clear✓
- An itemised invoiceSo the estate account shows what was paid for✓
Process
How it works.
Tell us about the property
Where it is, roughly how big, and how full. Photographs help but you do not need them. There is no charge for this.
We come back with a quotation
In writing, itemised, so you can see what you are paying for. If we need to see the property first, we will say so — the visit is free.
You tell us what to keep
Before we start, you tell us anything that must not be moved. If you are unsure, it stays.
We search, then clear
Room by room. Anything that looks like it matters is set aside and listed rather than removed.
You get everything back
Documents, photographs and valuables returned to you, with the paperwork for the estate.
A parent's house, three bedrooms
A family needs a parent's home cleared before it is sold. Nobody lives locally, and nobody feels able to spend three days going through it themselves.
They tell us which few things must not be moved. We collect the keys, search the property room by room, and set aside the paperwork, photographs and anything of value.
Those go back to the family with photographs of every room and the disposal paperwork for the estate. Nobody had to be in the house while it happened.
An illustrative example of how a job usually runs. It is not an account of a particular family.
Questions we are asked
The questions families ask.
Do I have to be there?
No, and most people are not. We can work from keys, and we send photographs as we go so you can see what is happening without being in the house.
What if you find something important?
That is what the search is for. Documents, photographs, jewellery and anything else that looks like it matters are set aside, listed and given back to you. Nothing is removed before it has been checked.
What if I have not decided about something yet?
Then it stays. Tell us and we will leave it. You are not being asked to make final decisions about a parent's belongings on the day the van arrives.
What happens to things that are still usable?
Furniture and household goods in good condition go to charity partners where we can, and we get receipts. The rest is disposed of properly and the paperwork kept for the estate.
Do I need a grant of probate first?
Not necessarily to get a quotation. Before work begins we do need to know that whoever is instructing us is entitled to do so, which is usually the grant or a letter from the solicitor handling the estate. We will explain what is needed.
How much does it cost?
That depends on the property and what needs doing. We give you a written, itemised quotation before anything starts — there is no charge for it and no obligation.
What if the house is very full?
Then we would rather come and look than guess. Some properties hold far more than the number of rooms suggests, and a figure given down the phone would be wrong. The visit is free.
No obligation
Tell us about the property.
A few details is enough to start. We will come back to you with a written quotation, and there is no charge for it.