House clearance checklist
What to sort before the crew arrives, in the order that keeps the important things safe and the day straightforward.
A little preparation makes a clearance go smoothly and protects what matters. The order is simple: give yourself time, find the paperwork, rescue the valuables and keepsakes, decide what to keep, sell, donate, and clear, then sort the practical bits — utilities, post, and access — before you book. This is general guidance; for a clearance tied to an estate, follow the advice of the solicitor or probate practitioner handling it.
The step-by-step checklist
- 1
Give yourself enough time
A clearance almost always takes longer to prepare than the clearing itself. Block out a few evenings to work through the house before the crew arrives, so nothing important is decided in a rush on the day.
- 2
Find the paperwork first
Before anything is bagged, gather the documents: property deeds, the will if there is one, financial statements, insurance policies, warranties, and manuals for anything staying. Paperwork is the easiest thing to lose in a clearance and the hardest to replace.
- 3
Rescue the valuables and keepsakes
Go room by room for jewellery, cash, watches, medals, photographs, and anything sentimental. Check the obvious hiding places — drawers, coat pockets, the backs of wardrobes, inside books. Set these aside somewhere safe before the sort begins.
- 4
Sort into keep, sell, donate, clear
Work through each room deciding what stays, what has resale value, what a charity could use, and what is genuinely waste. Reuse and charity first keeps good things out of landfill and can lighten the clearance.
- 5
Sort the utilities and read the meters
Record gas, electricity, and water readings and tell the suppliers. Do not cancel everything at once — a property being cleared or sold often needs heating and power kept on, so switch things off in the right order rather than all together.
- 6
Redirect the post and update addresses
Set up a Royal Mail redirection and update the address on any accounts and subscriptions, so letters follow the right person rather than piling up at an empty house.
- 7
Check access, parking, and keys
Work out where the van can park, which floor the property is on, whether there is a lift or stairs only, and how the crew will get in — keys, a key safe, or a neighbour. Sorting this in advance keeps the day smooth and the quote accurate.
- 8
Book the clearance
With the valuables out, the paperwork safe, and access arranged, book the clearance. Keep the invoice and the waste transfer note afterwards — proof the contents were disposed of properly, and a record if the clearance relates to an estate.
Easy things to miss
Most of what gets overlooked in a clearance is not the obvious furniture — it is the small, tucked-away things that are gone before anyone notices. A quick sweep of these saves a lot of regret:
- The loft, cellar, garage, and shed — where paperwork, tools, and keepsakes often sit for years
- The freezer and food cupboards — empty and defrost them before the day, not on it
- Spare keys, remotes, and fobs — for cars, sheds, meters, and the house itself
- Meter cupboards and the airing cupboard — documents and valuables get hidden in both
- Inside furniture — pockets, drawers, the backs of frames, and books used as hiding places
- Digital and financial loose ends — a note of online accounts, subscriptions, and passwords
If the property is large or very full, a photo walk-through on your phone before you start is a quick way to record what was where, and it makes describing the job for a quote far easier.
Charity, reuse, and what happens to the rest
It is worth separating the genuinely usable from the waste before the clearance. Furniture, clothing, and household goods in good condition can go to charity or reuse, which keeps decent things in use and can reduce what needs disposing of. Anything with resale value is better set aside to sell rather than cleared.
Whatever is left as waste should go with a licensed carrier and a waste transfer note — your proof it was disposed of properly rather than fly-tipped. On a house clearance with us, reuse comes first, recycling next, and you get that paperwork as standard.
Clearing a home after a death
When the clearance follows a bereavement, there is no need to rush any of this. Take the time you need. It is often sensible to wait for probate before higher-value items leave the property, since they may need a value for the estate, and many families prefer to hold off until the grant is through and relatives have had a chance to visit.
Keep valuables, documents, and photographs safe first, and let the rest wait until you are ready. A clearance can be arranged remotely through a key safe or a solicitor, so no one has to be present who would rather not be.
Our bereavement house clearance service handles all of this gently and at your pace, and the probate house clearance checklist sets out the order for executors in more detail.
Ready to clear the house?
Tell us about the property and we will send one fixed price, usually within a couple of hours. For a smaller job, price it instantly instead.