House clearance after a death in Newbury
If someone close to you has died and the house needs clearing, we can do it at a pace that suits the family, and price it up front from a few photos. There is no need to decide anything today.
- A few quick questions
- A price from your photos
- No obligation
Clearing a home after a death is a lot to carry on top of everything else. This page sets out what usually happens and when, what to put aside first, and how we work around you so the house is left as you want it.
What tends to happen, and when
First days
Nothing needs clearing yet
Look after yourself and the family first. The house can wait while you deal with the people who need to be told.
Early on
Find the paperwork
Locate the will, documents and anything that proves who owns what. Keep these safe before anyone starts moving things.
Once you are ready
Sort what stays
Family walk through the rooms and choose what to keep, give away or pass on. Take your time with photos and keepsakes.
When the house is ready to empty
Clear the rest
Send us photos of what is left and we give you a price before we start. We carry everything out in one visit.
Afterwards
Hand the house back
The rooms are empty and ready for a sale, a let or a final tidy, whenever that is needed.
What to keep aside before anything is cleared
- Will, deeds and any legal papers
- Bank statements, pension and insurance letters
- Passport, birth and marriage certificates
- Family photos and albums
- Jewellery, watches and anything of value
- Cash, keys and spare keys
- Letters, cards and address books
- Items someone has asked for by name
Check the drawers and pockets twice
Important things hide in ordinary places. Look through coat pockets, books, kitchen drawers, biscuit tins and the backs of wardrobes.
Papers are often kept in boxes in the loft or garage, so check those too before they are emptied.
If you are unsure whether something matters, put it in a box to keep aside. It is far easier to throw something away later than to get it back.
Photos like the ones you would send us
Photos customers sent with their quote requests: the kind of jobs we take on.
How we work around the family
Step 1
You choose the pace
Take what you want first. We only start once you have told us the house is ready.
Step 2
We look at your photos
A few photos of each room are enough for us to give you a price before we start.
Step 3
We carry everything out
We carry everything out from inside, so you don't lift a thing. The whole job is done in one visit, with no limit on items.
Step 4
The house is left clear
Rooms are emptied and swept through, ready for whatever comes next.
Gentle things to remember
Do
- Ask other family members what they would like to keep
- Put valuables and papers somewhere safe first
- Take photos of items before they go, if it helps
- Check that anyone clearing is a registered waste carrier
Don't
- Feel you have to rush the whole house
- Throw out unopened post or papers
- Clear anything the will or an executor has not agreed
- Let anyone take items without checking what they are
Questions families often ask
Can you clear the house while we are not there?
That is something to arrange when you send your photos. Tell us what suits you, and we will plan around it.
What if there are things we want to keep?
Set them aside or mark them clearly before we come. We clear only what you tell us to.
Do we need to sort everything first?
No. Take what matters to you and leave the rest. We carry everything out from inside, so you don't lift a thing.
What about big furniture and appliances?
We take them too. See furniture and appliance removal or our wider house clearance service for more detail.
Related
Where we work
Based in Newbury, and out to the towns around it. Every postcode listed is in our area.
Boundaries: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3.0). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2024.
Rather we took it away?
Send a photo and we'll price it before we come.
- A few quick questions
- A price from your photos
- No obligation