The short version: remove what you want to keep, secure any valuables, and make sure the crew can get in. Everything else is their job.
- You only need to do three things before the crew arrives: remove what you are keeping, secure valuables, and confirm access.
- You do not need to bag up, clean, dismantle furniture, or carry items downstairs. The crew does all of that.
- Documents and paperwork are where people most often lose something important. Remove anything with a letterhead and review it later.
- Walk each room the day before for sentimental items and photographs. You cannot un-dispose something.
- A five-minute conversation at booking, with photos, prevents most day-of surprises.
01What you actually need to do
Most customers over-prepare. They bag things up, try to sort everything into piles, and spend days doing work the clearance crew would have done anyway. Here is what genuinely needs doing before the crew arrives.
- Remove anything you want to keep. Put it in one room, a car, or a garage. Flag it clearly so the crew does not touch it.
- Take out valuables. Jewellery, cash, documents, passports, bank cards, medications. The crew will not be looking for these, but they can get mixed in with general items. Do not leave them loose.
- Confirm access. Either be there, leave a key with a neighbour, or set up a key safe. The crew needs to get in, everything else is optional.
That is the list. Three things.
02What you do not need to do
These are the things people feel they should do but do not need to.
| Task | Do you need to? |
|---|---|
| Bag everything up in bin bags | No. We load as-is. |
| Clean the property first | No. We expect mess. |
| Dismantle furniture | No. We do that. |
| Sort into donate/recycle/bin piles | No. We sort at the facility. |
| Move items downstairs | No. We carry from wherever they are. |
| Be present the whole time | No. A key or key safe works. |
Spending a weekend bagging up the contents of a house before a clearance crew arrives is wasted effort. It does not make the job faster or cheaper.
03Documents and paperwork
This is the area where people most often lose something important. Before the clearance day, go through any drawers, filing cabinets, or boxes and remove:
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates
- Wills, powers of attorney, trust documents
- Property deeds or lease agreements
- Financial account statements and pension documents
- Insurance policies
- Driving licences and passports
- Utility bills or any documents needed for estate administration
For probate clearances especially, the solicitor may need specific documents later. Remove everything with a letterhead and review it later in your own time. If in doubt, take it.
Found a document you don't recognise?
Bag it up and take it away. Old share certificates, premium bond certificates, and insurance policies can have real value. Check with the estate's solicitor before discarding anything printed on official paper.
04Sentimental items and photographs
These are the items that cause most regret if lost. A clearance crew works quickly and at volume. They cannot identify what is sentimental to your family.
Before the job:
- Walk each room and physically remove anything with sentimental value.
- Check under beds, in wardrobes, in loft spaces, and in kitchen cupboards. Photographs in particular end up everywhere.
- If you find items you are unsure about, old letters, photo albums, trinkets, bag them up and take them away. Review them later at home. You cannot un-dispose something.
Mukin crews are careful and will flag unusual finds, but the safest approach is to do a personal walk-through the day before the job.
05Prepare the access route
The crew needs to move items from inside the property to the vehicle. A clear path saves time and reduces risk of damage.
- Move cars off the driveway if possible.
- If there are steps, make sure handrails are secure.
- If access is through a narrow hallway, move anything breakable that is not being cleared.
- For flats, confirm whether the lift is large enough or whether the stairs are the only option, and let us know at booking so we factor in the time.
06What to tell us before we arrive
A five-minute conversation at booking prevents most day-of surprises. Tell us:
- Whether there are items you are still deciding on, we can hold off on specific rooms
- Any restricted items like asbestos, clinical waste, or fuel
- Whether any furniture is very heavy or requires specialist dismantling
- Parking restrictions or permit requirements near the property
- Whether a neighbour or agent is providing access instead of you
Call 07857 386029 or send a WhatsApp with photos to 07857 386029. Photos of each room take two minutes and mean the quote is accurate and the crew comes prepared.
07On the day itself
When the crew arrives, the first thing they do is a walk-through with you (or whoever is on site). This is your chance to confirm what is going and what is staying. Point out anything fragile that is remaining, flag the items you have already set aside, and mention anything you spotted since booking.
Once loading begins, the crew works through room by room. A standard 3-bed house takes 4 to 6 hours with two people. You do not need to supervise, the crew will call if they find anything that needs a decision from you.
At the end of the job you get a waste transfer note. This is a legal document confirming the waste was collected by a licensed carrier and disposed of correctly. Keep it.