How Can I Clear My House Quickly?

There are many reasons why you may need to clear your property out. For example, you may be planning to sell it up or rent it out within a short timeframe.

Some people can take their time to get the house move sorted.  Perhaps they have an extended period to exchange contracts or reached an agreement with the seller of the new property. 

Others are at the start of the process and realise that a clean and tidy property is likely to help them achieve the most amount of value from the sale.

However, if you are extremely busy or the date for moving house is fast approaching, a swift and efficient house clearance will be an immediate priority.

So… How can you clear your house of clutter and get all of your belongings removed as quickly and safely as possible? 

Below are some hints and tips…

What to do When Moving House

Focus on getting as many ‘hands on deck’ as possible to help you out. 

Try calling in favours from friends and family members.  Also, make sure everyone in your household pulls their weight!

Beyond this, there are three key avenues you should consider:

1. Removal companies
2. Self-storage
3. Skip hire

Removal Companies

Removal specialists are a superb resource when you have little time available for moving house.  Companies of this kind can provide boxes and crates on the day.  However, you may find things move more quickly if you already have absolutely everything packed and ready to go.

More often than not, you can get your house cleared with just one or two truckloads – and you won’t have to drive backward and forwards between your old property and your new one.  This also means you can handle clearance operations in an organised manner.

This is, however, the most expensive way to clear your house and can reach into the thousands.

As a slight aside, although you may feel that the asking price you achieved could have been higher, and you shouldn’t take on costs like this (without more money in your back pocket).

However, the amount of time and hassle you’ll save often makes this a decision you won’t regret.  Indeed, an excessive asking price out of touch with reality is the most common reason properties fail to sell.  The amount you’ve ended up with, by and large, is reflective of market conditions (and what buyers are willing to pay).

Self-Storage

If you don’t already have the keys to your new place but you’re ready to start emptying it, you might decide to utilise a self-storage facility.

This can serve as a halfway house for the belongings you plan to keep, allowing you to securely stow everything away as you wait to move into your next property.

Most self-storage companies offer weekly or monthly rates, and prices are determined by the square footage of any unit – as well as their specialist features and facilities. There are usually state-of-the-art security systems in place, and many companies offer boxes and containers.

Skip Hire

Waste removal should feature high up on any moving house checklist, as it should always be organised carefully.

It’s much easier to work out how to pack for moving house when you’ve got rid of all unwanted items. To make this happen as quickly as possible, it’s a great idea to hire a skip. 

Waste containers of this kind can be as small as 2 cubic yards, but can go up to 20 cubic yards or more.  It’s worth checking that you’ll have enough space. If not, it’s also possible to arrange a permit with the local council to place a skip on the pavement outside.  This usually takes 2 working days to organise.

You can usually keep a skip in the same place for two or three weeks depending on the service provider. It’s best to hire a large size just in case, as it’s cheaper to underfill a skip than it is to have to hire a second one because you’ve found yourself with more waste than expected.

Using a skip means that you can keep all rubbish safely contained in one area, and it can be removed in one go. You won’t need to spend time making trips to the tip: everything will be organised for you.

What’s more, many skip hire companies make sure to dispose of the waste they collect in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

House Clearance Companies

Perhaps you’re not planning to take any of the contents of the property with you. Maybe it’s a house left to you in someone’s will.  Or you’ve gained ownership of it through probate and you wish to sell it on or rent it out.

How does house clearance work in circumstances of this kind?

Using a house clearance service

If you need to quickly remove the contents of a property for sale or to let, one of the best options is to contact a house clearance company.

These specialists will quickly and efficiently categorise and remove every item from a home, leaving it bare, unless you have specified that anything should be left.

To make their job easier, it’s a good idea to earmark an area in which to leave items that will go and another area for things you wish to keep. Better yet, you could remove the “keepers” altogether.

It usually takes up to half a day for a house to be cleared, although this depends on how much there is to remove and how organised the property happens to be.

Much will also depend on the size of your property.  For example, we’ve worked with people selling their bungalows quickly who, with a bit of advanced preparation, have been able to clear their properties within a day.

How much does a house clearance cost?

According to Check A Trade, house clearances typically start from £80 for an extra small project (a few hours work typically).

Larger clearances can set you back around £350 or more. 

Remember also, that you may have cleaning costs to pay for.

Whether you’re clearing your own belongings out of a property or removing someone else’s, the above approaches will save you valuable time.

For further information, contact the team at Property Solvers today. We’ll be happy to provide you with all of the advice you require for a speedy and stress-free house move.