A little preparation makes a house clearance quicker, cheaper and far less stressful. The essentials are simple: decide what you are keeping, secure your paperwork and valuables, set aside anything the team cannot take, and make sure they can get in, park and work safely. The checklist below covers each step, whether you are clearing your own home before a move, a rental property between tenants or a loved one's house after a bereavement.
1. Choose your clearance company first
Book the right company before you start sorting, because their answers shape the rest of your plan. Ask whether they are a registered waste carrier, then check them on SEPA's public register. This matters: under the duty of care in Scotland you must only give your waste to an authorised person, and if someone you paid dumps it, you can be held responsible. The fixed penalty for fly-tipping in Scotland is £500, and fines on conviction can reach £40,000.
Our guide to questions to ask house clearance companies before hiring them covers insurance, recycling, paperwork and the other checks worth making. Treat a price that seems too good to be true with suspicion, and ask where your waste will go.
Help them quote accurately
Send clear photographs or a short video of every room, including the loft, garage, shed and garden if they are part of the job. Mention anything heavy or awkward, such as a piano, a large wardrobe or a chest freezer. The more a company can see, the more reliable your up-front price will be.
2. Decide what stays, what goes and what is passed on
Walk through the property room by room and sort everything into three groups. Coloured stickers work well:
- Red: keep. Items you or the family are taking.
- Amber: sell or donate. Good furniture and household items you would like to pass on yourself.
- Green: clear. Everything the clearance team can take away.
Where you can, move all keep items into one room, close the door and tell the team that nothing in that room is to go. Clear labels on furniture that must stay, such as a landlord's appliances, help avoid mistakes. If you are not sure how sorting fits into the wider process, our post on what a house clearance service involves explains each stage.
3. Secure paperwork and valuables
This is the step people most often regret rushing. Before the team arrives:
- Gather passports, birth and marriage certificates, wills, title deeds, bank and pension letters, insurance policies and recent bills.
- Check pockets, handbags, books, envelopes and the backs of drawers, where cash, jewellery and letters often turn up.
- Keep keys, chargers and anything you need on the day in a box that travels with you.
- Shred old bank statements and other personal papers, or ask about secure confidential waste disposal for larger amounts.
If you are clearing a home after a death, do not throw away anything that looks official until the estate is settled. When in doubt, keep it and ask the executor or solicitor.
4. Set aside anything the team cannot take
Many clearance companies, Jettison Express included, do not remove hazardous waste or asbestos. Gather chemicals, solvents and gas bottles in one place and ask the council where to take them. If there is an old shed, garage or outbuilding built before 2000, mention it when you book, because its roof or panels may contain asbestos cement. Do not break or cut anything you are unsure about.
5. Sort out access and parking
A clearance moves quickly when the team can get straight in and the van can park close by. Think about:
- Keys and entry: who will let the team in, and whether there is a door entry code for a shared close or block.
- Stairs and lifts: how many flights there are, whether a lift is working and whether large items will need to be taken apart.
- Parking: permit zones, yellow lines or busy streets near the property. If a parking permit or visitor pass is needed, arrange it in advance.
- Loft access: whether there is a ladder and lighting in the loft.
6. Check the utilities
Keep the electricity on so the team has lights, particularly in lofts, cellars and stairwells during the darker Scottish months. Switch off and defrost any fridge or freezer the day before so it does not leak during removal. If the property is being left empty afterwards, arrange final meter readings once the clearance is done.
7. Let the neighbours know
In a tenement or shared block, a clearance means people and furniture on the common stair for a few hours. A quick note or a knock on the door is a courtesy that heads off complaints, and it helps if neighbours know not to park in the space you need.
8. Take photographs before and after
Photograph each room before the clearance and again once it is finished. This is especially useful for executors and solicitors keeping a record of the estate, and for landlords and tenants dealing with an inventory at the end of a tenancy.
9. On the day
Be there, or make sure someone can be contacted, so the team can check anything they are unsure about. Do a final walk round with them before they leave and keep the paperwork they give you. For more on what to avoid, our house clearance tips on what to do and what not to do are a useful companion to this checklist.
How Jettison Express can help
Jettison Express is a Glasgow-based clearance company and registered waste carrier. Our uniformed team calls ahead when they are on the way, works to an up-front rate, dismantles larger furniture and lifts carpets and flooring. Everything goes to our depot to be sorted, with over 90% recycled, and we finish with a sweep and tidy before leaving paperwork.
We carry out house clearances in Glasgow and across central Scotland, including Edinburgh and Stirling, as well as Motherwell, Hamilton, Paisley and Perth.
When you are ready, contact Jettison Express for an up-front quote or call 0333 880 6800, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to empty drawers and cupboards before a house clearance?
No, the clearance team can bag up and remove the contents of drawers, cupboards and wardrobes. You should still go through them first, because cash, jewellery, keys and important documents often turn up in unexpected places. Once you have taken out anything you want to keep, everything else can be left for the team.
Should I be at home during the clearance?
It helps if you are, at least at the start, so you can show the team what stays and answer questions. If that is not possible, make sure keep items are clearly labelled or moved into one room, arrange how the team will get in, and stay contactable by phone throughout the day.
Should I switch off the utilities before a house clearance?
Keep the electricity on so the team has lighting, especially in lofts and on stairs. Switch off and defrost fridges and freezers the day before so they do not leak during removal. If the property will then be left empty, arrange final meter readings after the clearance.
How can I get an accurate house clearance quote?
Give the company as much detail as you can. Clear photographs or a short video of every room, including lofts, garages and gardens, show the volume and type of items. Mention stairs, lifts, parking and anything unusually heavy. Jettison Express agrees rates up front, so you know the cost before the work starts.