Your Job – Hoarding Clearance

People often look at a room like this and ask us, ‘Where do you start?’ We start by making enough room to work safely. Then we take it a bit at a time. A bag by the door might be rubbish, but it might also contain family photographs or paperwork someone’s been looking for.

This page explains what goes into the job you have been quoted for. For a general description of the service, see our Hoarding Clearance page.

What happens at the survey

At the survey we look at:

• Blocked doors. Whether doors open fully, and whether we can reach every room.
• Narrow routes. Paths between belongings, landings and stairs, and whether we can carry things out safely.
• Unstable piles. Items that could slip, fall or shift when we move what is next to them.
• Parking. Where the van can stand, and any restrictions.
• Carry distance. How far we will have to carry things to the van. See Your Job – House Clearance for how parking and carry distance change the time.

We also agree what stays, what goes and what to look out for. A clearance can cover one room, several rooms or the whole property. We quote for what we can see and assess at the survey.

Agreeing updates, access and stages before we start

Before work begins we agree how you would like to be kept informed, who our point of contact is, how we get access, and whether the work will be done in stages. That might mean one room first, or a few days of work with a pause between them. Agreeing this at the start means nobody has to decide in a hurry on the day. For why we work this way, see why hoarding clearances are staged.

How we work through the property

We work through the property in stages. We keep a safe route out at all times, and we sort as we go, rather than moving everything into one pile and sorting it afterwards. Clearing enough floor space first gives us room to work, and lets us see what is underneath.

Photographs, documents, keys and valuables

If we find photographs, documents, keys or valuables, we put them somewhere safe for return. If we are unsure about an item, we set it aside and ask. See Valuables & Personal Items for how we handle them. You can help by telling us before we start what you are hoping to find, such as a particular document, a piece of jewellery or a set of photographs.

Reuse and charity

Where agreed, suitable items go for reuse or charity, if they can be accepted. See our charity donations.

What can change the job

• More than expected. A blocked room may hold more than expected, because we can only see part of it from the doorway.
• Wet contents. Wet items can be much heavier than they look.
• Hidden hazards. Sharps, broken glass or signs of rodents may only become visible once we start. See Sharps & Needle Removal and Verminous Property Clearance.

If something affects the agreed work, we speak to you, or your named contact, before proceeding with that part. We do not carry on with that part of the job and tell you afterwards.

Deep cleaning

Deep cleaning is quoted separately where it is needed. Clearing a property means removing the contents. Cleaning afterwards is a different piece of work, which we agree before it is started.

What to tell us beforehand

• Which rooms are involved, and which are not
• What you want to keep, and anything you are hoping we find
• Parking, stairs and any restrictions on access
• Who our point of contact is, and how you would like updates
• Anything you already know about, such as damp, sharps or signs of pests

Ready to go ahead?

Arrange a free survey or call us on 0151 733 3355. You can also go back to Your Job to see the other services.