Domestic guide

House Clearance: Skips, Costs and What to Expect

A practical guide to clearing a property for probate, end of tenancy or downsizing, including sizing and sensitive handling.

What a house clearance actually involves

Clearing a property for probate, end of tenancy or downsizing is not the same as a standard declutter. You are typically dealing with a full household of furniture, white goods, clothing, books, crockery and accumulated belongings built up over years or decades. The volume is larger than most people expect, the mix of materials is complex, and there is often emotional weight on top of the practical work. This guide focuses on the practical side: how to size a skip correctly, what the waste rules mean for a clearance job, and what to expect from the process.

How much waste a house clearance generates

A typical two or three-bedroom house clearance, once you include furniture that cannot be donated, produces between 8 and 15 cubic yards of waste. A one-bedroom flat or bedsit is usually 4 to 8 yards. A larger four or five-bedroom property can exceed 20 yards, which may mean two skips or a 20-yard RoRo container if the access allows. The safest approach is to overestimate slightly. Hiring a skip that is one size too small means a second delivery, which costs more and takes more time than upgrading at the start.

Choosing the right skip size

• 4-yard midi: suits a one-bedroom flat or a partial clearance, holds roughly 40 to 50 bin bags of mixed household waste
• 6-yard builder: the most common choice for a two or three-bedroom house, holds 60 to 70 bin bags and takes flat-packed furniture
• 8-yard maxi: good for a larger house or where you have a lot of bulky furniture such as sofas, wardrobes and mattresses
• 12-yard: suits larger properties or where you are clearing outbuildings, garages and loft in the same hire
• 20 or 40-yard RoRo: for trade clearance companies handling multiple properties back to back, needs level hardstanding and reasonable access

Where the skip goes and whether you need a permit

If the skip can sit on a driveway or private forecourt, no permit is needed. If it has to go on a public road, we arrange a council skip permit on your behalf before delivery. Permit timescales vary by council: Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse usually turn permits around in two to three working days. South Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and West Berkshire are similar. We cover all the local authorities in our 30-mile radius around Faringdon, so we know which ones to contact and what they require. Standard skip hire is 14 days, which is enough time for most clearances. Extensions are available if the job runs long.

Items that cannot go in a skip

House clearances frequently throw up materials that are prohibited from skips under environmental regulations. These need separate arrangements and it is worth identifying them before the skip arrives so the clearance does not stall.

• Fridges, freezers and air conditioning units: contain refrigerant gases that require specialist disposal, collected separately
• Televisions and computer monitors: classified as WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment), handled through council recycling centres or retailer take-back schemes
• Tyres: not accepted in skips, take to a tyre fitter or council tip
• Asbestos: requires a licensed contractor and specialist removal, never put in a general skip
• Plasterboard and gypsum-based materials: banned from general skips since 2009 because they produce hydrogen sulphide when mixed with biodegradable waste in landfill
• Tins of paint, solvents and aerosols: classified as hazardous waste, take to a household hazardous waste facility
• Batteries: separate collection, most supermarkets and tip facilities take them

Sorting before the skip arrives

A bit of sorting before the skip is delivered makes a real difference to cost and recycling outcomes. Anything in good condition can go to a local charity shop, furniture reuse charity or listed on a free-to-collect site. Clothes, books and smaller household items often find takers quickly. Whatever is left after that goes in the skip. Mixed household waste from a clearance is sorted at our licensed waste transfer facility: metals, timber, cardboard, plastics and glass are separated and sent to appropriate reprocessors. Over 92% of skip waste we collect is recycled or recovered, avoiding landfill.

Duty of care and paperwork

Whether you are clearing a property personally or using a clearance company, waste collected in a skip comes with a legal duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. As a licensed waste carrier, we issue a waste transfer note for every skip hire. Keep a copy: if you are acting as an executor or letting agent, the paperwork shows the waste was disposed of legally and through a registered carrier. This matters if the matter ever reaches a solicitor or dispute. Our Environment Agency waste carrier licence number is available on request and on every waste transfer note we issue.