Your Job – Loft Clearance

This page explains what goes into a loft clearance once you have been quoted. For a general description of the service, see our Loft Clearance page.

It starts with the hatch

In a loft, the access often takes more work than the contents. A few boxes behind a small hatch can take longer to clear than a much bigger load in a room with a door. Everything that comes out has to go through the same opening.

• Hatch size. Whether a full box, a suitcase or an old chair can fit through, or has to be passed out in pieces.
• Ladder position. Where the ladder sits, whether it is fixed or has to be set up, and how steady it is.
• Space on the landing below. We need room to stand, receive items and put them down. A narrow landing slows the work.
• Lighting. Many lofts are dark, with little or no fixed light.
• Headroom. Low roof space means working bent over or on our knees, which slows the pace.
• Boarding. Whether there is a boarded area suitable for working, or only bare joists.

One box at a time

Every box still has to come down the same route, often one at a time, before it can be carried out to the van. That route is the hatch, the ladder, the landing, the stairs and then the path to the van. See Your Job – House Clearance for how stairs, parking and carry distance affect the time.

What we commonly find

• Dusty boxes
• Old suitcases
• Christmas decorations
• Stored papers
• Belongings that may have been up there for years

Things that have been put away and forgotten can still matter to someone. If a box holds photographs, letters or personal paperwork, we set it aside rather than discard it. See Valuables & Personal Items.

What can affect the job

• Brittle boxes. Old cardboard can split when lifted, spilling the contents, which then have to be gathered up by hand.
• Damaged flooring. Weak or broken boards limit where we can safely work and carry.
• Signs of pests. Droppings or nesting material change how the area has to be handled. See Verminous Property Clearance.
• Suspected hazardous materials. If we come across something we think may be hazardous, we stop and discuss it with you before going on. See hazardous household waste.

What to tell us beforehand

• What you want kept, and roughly where it is
• Whether the loft is boarded, and how much of it
• How the loft is normally accessed, such as a fixed ladder, a loose ladder or steps
• Whether there is a light up there
• Anything you know about what is stored, or how long it has been there

Photographs of the hatch, the landing below and the inside of the loft help us give a more accurate quote.

If we cannot assess the loft at the survey

Sometimes we cannot see into the loft at the survey. The hatch may be stuck, painted shut or blocked, or there may be no safe way up. In that case we need to confirm access and scope before we agree that part of the job. We will tell you what we could not assess and what we need to check, so the quote for the loft is not a guess.

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.