What you need to remember when clearing a house
Moving home has long been considered one of the most stressful life events and a big part of moving home for a lot of people is clearing out a house. No matter if you’re clearing out a house you may have just bought or clearing an old home out before it is sold, there are things you need to remember that will make the task a lot easier. Below are five of the most important things to remember, which we hope will make your next house clearing a more straightforward process and hopefully less stressful.
Plan what you’re going to do
As stated, this is going to be a stressful time, so having a plan of action is really important. By planning out how you’re going to work through a house clearing, you can break up what is a huge job into smaller and more manageable tasks. For some of you, this might mean working through the house room by room, while for others it will be sorting through possessions first and then moving onto furniture. Only you can work out your plan based on the size of the house and how much stuff is involved.
Make sure you’re safe
Parts of clearing out a house can be dangerous, and you need to make sure that what you’re doing is safe. If for example, you’re clearing out a house you have just bought and want to make changes to the room layouts, you must have the building checked by a professional to locate all the structurally integral walls. Even tasks like taking old wallpaper off the walls or ripping up old carpet requires safety measures. Ensure you have the correct safety equipment such as, but not limited to, gloves, goggles and a dust mask to keep yourself safe while clearing a house. Remember as well, that even if you feel confident in your ability, some jobs will need to be handled by a professional.
Get a skip
The amount of waste generated with clearing a house may not fully become obvious to you until you start. To avoid this waste piling up and your bins overflowing, it can be a good idea to have a skip brought to the site. This allows all of your waste generated to be contained in one place and quickly and easily removed when full. If you’re moving into a new home and making a significant change such as installing a new kitchen or bathroom, there will be a lot of bulky waste generated, such as old cabinets or skins. It’s important to remember that in some parts of the country you will be responsible for getting a skip licence to keep a skip on a public road. By discussing with a skip hire company what your needs are, they will be able to explain this process to you and if it is necessary or if they will handle it.
Enlist some help
As mentioned, in some cases, house clearing can be a huge job. Having other people to help you can really make the process move quicker and relieve some of the stress you may be feeling. There are obviously professional companies you can use for jobs like this, but even getting friends and family to pitch in some of their spare time can make a real difference.
Not everything needs to be thrown out
While you may end up throwing out a lot of waste from a house clearing, it’s important to remember that not everything is waste. There may be materials which can be recycled, and other items can even be sold or donated. Some charities take furniture donations, and there are lots of places online where you can post unwanted furniture that others may want to buy.
If you keep these five key points in mind when you’re clearing a house, the process should be less stressful and smoother. This article was written in collaboration with the experts at JBM Environmental Services, who specialise in waste management services.
