House Clearance

[Maggiethecat]

Probate recently granted for a relative’s estate and the house will be listed soon.

There are some big pieces of well-made furniture which we haven’t been able to shift eg dining table, sideboard, wardrobes.

Auctioneers we contacted say that there is a little interest in this type of furniture these days.

Last resort is that we get a company to clear them for free in the expectation that they may be able to sell them and keep any profit for themselves.

We would prefer if someone could take them for free and offer us something for them.

Has anyone managed to use a company offering such a service?

Yes, South London.

EP was mentioned upthread and I did see that there’s one near the house.

There’s loads of smaller items so good to know they take those too.

I just moved in unfurnished place, also from London. Am interested

We’ll figure out whether going to charity or if listing on the usual platforms.

There’s quite a lot to do!

Not in London but nearby. We used a local house clearance company, recommended by the estate agent, that advertised themselves as 'pay us to collect and donate your items to charity'. They were absolutely awful - they hardly bothered to hide that they wanted everything for themselves, to the point where family members who'd turned up wanting various items for sentimental reasons were refused and told they didn't have the right because I'd signed a contract giving the company the lot (which was not at all how it was represented). I was offsite and received a call from a grieving family member in tears, basically hysterical because she thought I'd instructed them and couldn't imagine why I'd do that. We'd left instructions about not touching some things, but their team completely disregarded them, among other things binning an entire large library of books we'd promised to donate to a university department in the deceased's name - we were all just gutted. They rampaged through the house and broke things - again, family members on site were sending me photos of smashed and trampled beloved things before I managed to connect with the estate agent (who got quite an earful) and get them to stop. Another family member went out in the garden to calm down, where he encountered one of the team pissing up the back wall of the house. Later I received a call from the business proprietor in which they bald-faced lied about what had happened, accused one family member of being crazy, and insisted on their full fee. The consensus, on surveying friends and colleagues, is that home clearance is pretty much always like that, it's just unusual for anyone to be watching. I felt so horrible that I put our family through this at such a difficult time. So don't use a home clearance company or, if you do, don't watch them at work!

The home clearance companies won't do it free,I paid hundreds to clear a house,don't advise using them.
As someone above said,not respectful at all either.

Beware of recommendations from estate agents - they may be getting a backhander.

If it’s good quality furniture, and it looks like it is, could you send to an auction house? (Like that bloke (Angus?) on the telly? - although he’s in Yorkshire, so not him.)

I've used a house clearance company, they were efficient and respectful. They carefully put aside items that I'd asked them to (photo albums etc). They will decide whether things can be sold on (by them), taken to the tip (if in bad condition) or any other outcome. The advantage of a good house clearance company is that everything is done for you, quickly, on agreed dates. You could waste a great deal of time on Freecycle, Facebook etc, with people who don't turn up as planned - this has happened to me.

The sad truth to come to terms with is that there isn't much of a market now for large, bulky items (that table looks nice but is too big for many modern houses).

I follow a local house clearance guy on SM and hes always outraged at people thinking it's free.

I thought it was free too 😳

Yes, we thought that was likely the case. The estate agent was otherwise excellent and scrupulous but when we complained he didn't seem particularly surprised! I think they're just not used to anyone seeing what goes on behind the curtain(s)...

Someone checked out one from the telly and it was about £100/hr for travel and clearing cost. Travel cost alone, return from Yorkshire, would be about £800 😳

Agree, different tastes and way of living now.

If it is decent furniture in good shape maybe consider etsy.

It all depends on how quick you want rid of it, and whether it is a piece people are likely to want.

People do want good quality s/h wooden furniture.