A house clearance is the emptying of a whole property of its contents, by the family or by a firm that takes the furniture and belongings away to sell, donate, recycle or dispose of them. It usually follows a death, a move into care, a downsize or the end of a tenancy.
Storage holds what you're keeping, or haven't decided about yet, while the rest is cleared. We provide the unit; we don't offer a clearance service.
Before the clearer comes
Sort into three piles: keep, undecided or awaiting valuation, and clear. In England, GOV.UK says you "must check the company is on the register of waste carriers" and "select 'upper tier'". If fly-tipped waste is "identified as yours", you could face a fixed penalty notice or prosecution.
Storing the keep pile with us
- Size. Our room-by-room size guide puts "a studio clearance" at 50 sq ft; our house clearance post suggests "roughly 150 to 200 square feet" for a whole three-bedroom house. Our downsizers post adds: "If you are only storing what you cannot decide about yet, the unit is often two sizes smaller than you assumed."
- Cost. The median (middle value) of the listed prices on our September 2026 price lists is about £78 per four weeks for 25 sq ft, about £143 for 50 sq ft, about £319 for 150 sq ft and about £362 for 200 sq ft. Prices vary by site. Nothing is added at checkout: the total in your online quote is what you pay, and our prices include VAT.
- Terms. A two-week minimum stay, then written notice, normally 14 days, which runs alongside the minimum rather than on top of it (see notice period).
- What can't go in. Our terms bar "combustible or flammable substances"; "currency, deeds and securities"; and "items which are unique in nature and/or where the value to You cannot be assessed on a financial basis". Ask us on 0800 2545585 before storing a one-off heirloom or painting.
- Clearance day. Access is normally 6am to 10pm (confirm your site's hours when you book; Cheltenham's page shows 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 10am to 4pm at weekends and bank holidays, and also 6am to 10pm). Our guide to booking storage for a move says "a removals crew cannot be left to load into the unit without you", so you or someone you authorise must be there (do I have to be there?).
- Later collection. Yes, for an arranged collection: a buyer picking up something you've sold, a clearance firm, or an auction or charity collection. You, or someone you've given access, need to be there to let them in and oversee it, because our sites don't hand goods over for you.
Who is clearing?
After a death, a move into care or a downsize, see probate, executor and downsizing for who decides what goes. Clearance firms storing for clients: our house clearance post says we have "no formal trade-partner scheme with special terms".
Related terms: Executor · Probate · Removals company · Downsizing
Related questions: What should I keep in storage when clearing a parent's home? · Who pays for storage while an estate is being sorted out?