Frequently Asked Questions
N.A.C Property Clearance
Recommended By Trading Standards
Efficient - Reliable - Professional
Trading Standards Approved
Buy With Confidence
Customer Rating:
Natural Resources Wales
Licensed Waste Carrier
License Number:
CBDU5887
Frequently Asked Questions
N.A.C Property Clearance
Mark Parry Business Owner
Any questions you may have regarding our service or house clearance services in general, are answered on this page.
All the information supplied here is my own opinion based on nearly 15 years of experience in the house clearance industry and is for guidance only.
If you can think of any questions I might have missed please feel free to drop me an email or give me a ring I will be happy to help.
Q: What is Buy With Confidence - Trading Standards Approved?
We are a Buy With Confidence Trading Standards Approved business, we have been vetted, approved, and continue to be monitored by Local Trading Standards, we feel this helps to reassure our customers that they will receive a professional and quality service from us at all times.
By applying to become a Trading Standards Approved business we have made the commitment to operate in a legal, honest and fair way and have agreed to abide by the scheme’s code of conduct which requires us to follow the letter and spirit of the law.
For a more detailed explanation of the Buy With Confidence - Trading Standards Approved Scheme please click on the link below.
Q: Is there such a thing as a free house clearance service?
Is there such thing as a free house clearance I hear you ask, honestly I would have to say no because if a company offers a free house clearance then who is paying their fee, it certainly won't be them doing the clearance out of the kindness of their heart so it must be you who's paying one way or another?
For a more detailed explanation about companies that offer a free house clearance service and how it works please click on the link below.
Q: What are the risks of cheap house clearance quotations?
We don't claim to be the cheapest house clearance company in South Wales, but we will try to be the most professional, so If you are looking for a cheap house clearance service then I'm sorry you have come to the wrong site.
There are loads of legitimate man and van type businesses with lower overheads that can clear your property for a cheaper price, but there are also a few rouges out there, so please remember if the price seems too good to be true then it probably is too good to be true.
Labour, transportation, and waste disposal costs are not cheap so to protect yourself you must ensure you get a duty of care waste transfer note for your waste.
This legally required document should include as a minimum business contact details, vehicle registration number, and Natural Resources Wales Waste Carrier registration number, if the contents of your property get fly-tipped and traced back to you, you could be liable and could get fined.
For a more detailed explanation about the risks of unusually low house clearance quotations please click on the link below.
Q: What is house clearance and what does it entail?
When you sell a property to a new buyer or hand a rented property back to a local authority or private landlord they would require you to completely clear the full contents of the property
This would include all free-standing items of furniture and white goods, along with all loose items of general clutter, clothing, bedding, pots, pans, china, and bric-a-brac, etc, from all fitted cupboards and wardrobes, rooms, attics, and basements.
You may also be required to remove items you may have fitted yourself including carpets, curtains, and stairlifts, you will also have to clear any sheds and garages and any garden furniture or ornaments and plant pots, etc.
The general rule would be to return the property as you found it for rented properties, or as you would expect to receive it if you had bought the property yourself.
Q: How long does a house clearance take?
The time it takes to clear a property will depend on the amount of contents that need to be cleared, but as an example to clear and transport for recycling the full contents of your average 3 bedroom home would normally take 3 - 4 personnel around 8 hrs work with between 4 and 6 hours on-site at the property.
Q: Do you hold Public Liability Insurance?
Yes, we have Public Liability Insurance, please be aware that although it is a legal requirement for a house clearance business to be a licensed waste carrier, it is not a legal requirement for any business in the UK to have Public Liability Insurance.
If things go wrong you could be left to pick up the pieces, we choose to have Public Liability Insurance to protect ourselves, our customers, and their property.
We have full Public Liability Insurance of £5,000,000 and Employers Liability Insurance of £10,000000 all documents will be shown during the quotation process.
Q: Are you a Natural Resources Wales Licensed Waste Carrier?
We are a Natural Resources Wales Licensed Waste Carrier registration number CBDU5887, to check we are licensed please click on the link below, this link will take you to a page where there are instructions for you to check the Natural Resources Wales Public Register to confirm we are licensed.
Q: Where are you based and what areas do you cover?
We are based in Bridgend County but we cover the whole of South Wales, anywhere from Newport, Swansea, and Cardiff to The Heads of the Valleys, The Vale of Glamorgan, Llanelli, and The Gower Peninsula, with easy access to the M4 we can get anywhere in South Wales in 40 min or less, so distance is not a problem.
My registered office is my home address, the reason my registered office is my home address is simple when you contact me to supply a quotation or ask me to clear a property for you I will ask you to supply me with your personal details, your home address and contact number, etc, so I think it's only fair that you have mine, all my business paperwork will have all my personal details clearly noted on them.
Q: What is (POP's) recycling?
POP's recycling is the process of recycling waste that contains persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs are a group of chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment. They are toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative, and mobile. This means that they break down slowly, can accumulate in living organisms, and can travel long distances through the environment.
Examples of items containing POP's: Upholstered domestic seating, such as sofas, armchairs, cushions, dining chairs, etc. Electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), such as televisions, computers, mobile phones, and printers, Paints and coatings.
Q: Do you buy second-hand furniture and antiques?
We are first and foremost a property clearance company, we are not a second-hand furniture shop or antique dealer, we do not just buy furniture or household items from a property.
We earn a living by providing the tools, skilled labor, and transportation of everything in your property for resale or donation, recycling, or disposal and not from the sale of its contents.
If there are resalable items in the property then these can be used to offset the cost of a house clearance or on very rare occasions even cover the full cost.
We feel if there is money to be made from the contents of your property then it should be you and your family who benefit, for a detailed explanation of how to make more money selling second-hand furniture yourself please click on the link below.
Q: How does your house clearance service work?
We understand that clearing a property yourself can be a very emotional, stressful, and physical task especially if you are clearing the property of a close relative or friend.
We do not require you to separate, bag, or move any items, all we need you to do is search the property for any sentimental or valuable items and important paperwork and we can do everything else for you.
Our family-run business is designed to help you if you live locally or hundreds of miles away, if you have limited time to clear a property, or you may be finding it difficult to deal with the emotional aspect of dismantling the life of a close relative or friend, we can help, let our family help your family.
For a more detailed explanation about how our service works please click on the link below.
Q: What happens to the contents of my property once you have cleared it?
We are committed to operating a zero-to-landfill policy, when we clear a property we separate all items into their different recycling categories.
Items that can be reused and items that can be recycled i.e paper, cardboard, clothing, bedding, scrap metal, wood, etc, by doing this we fulfill our duty to apply the waste hierarchy as required by the waste regulations.
All items we clear from a property are either sold on into the trade, donated to charity where suitable, recycled, or disposed of at fully licensed commercial recycling sites in compliance with and as required by regulation 12 of The Environment Agency Waste Regulations 2011 and The Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013.
For a more detailed explanation of how we deal with the contents of your property please click on the link below.
Q: How much does house clearance cost?
The average cost of a full house clearance would depend on the amount of contents that need to be cleared, but as an example to clear and transport for recycling the full contents of your average 3 bedroom home would normally take 3 personnel around 8 hrs work and cost anywhere between £500 - £1200.
For a more detailed explanation about the contents of your property and a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in clearing a property legally, efficiently, and ethically, please click on the link below.
Q: Is there anything you don't take or any properties you don't clear?
We specialise in House & Office clearance services only, the removal of all general domestic household items and office furniture and equipment for resale or donation, recycling, or disposal.
We do not undertake any demolition or building works or remove builder's waste, we do not clear any unsafe or derelict properties or properties that contain hazardous materials or hazardous waste, i.e Asbestos, Sharps, Chemicals, or Biological Waste.
Q: Do you need a deposit and what payment methods do you take?
There is no deposit or payments up front, only after the clearance is completed and you are totally satisfied with our work would the payment be requested.
Our quotations are free with absolutely no obligations attached, there is no hard sell and no hidden charges guaranteed, the price we quote is the price you pay, we prefer payment by bank transfer or cheque on completion of the work, we can also take cash payments by prior agreement.
Q: Do you provide a cleaning service after the property has been cleared?
I'm sorry but we are a clearance company, not a cleaning company, however, we do sweep up, hoover carpets, and wipe down surfaces after the clearance is completed, please be aware we may need to dismantle some larger items of furniture to remove them from the property safely.
Q: How can I reduce the cost of a house clearance?
The best way to reduce the cost of your house clearance would be for you to try and sell your items first, then if you are able, take all the smaller item's i.e. bric-a-brac, clothing, bedding, books, magazines and any other items' you could realistically fit in the boot of your car either to a local charity shop or to your local council recycling center and recycle the items for free.
For a more detailed explanation of how to reduce the cost of your house clearance, please click the link below.
Q: How hard would it be to clear the property myself?
Clearing a property yourself can be a very emotional, stressful, and physical task especially if you are clearing the property of a close relative or friend, sorting through the belongings of a loved one can be a very emotional process of which I'm sure you are aware.
This stress and emotion can be magnified especially if you only have a limited amount of time to complete the task, so I have tried to supply as much information as possible on this site.
For a complete do-it-yourself step-by-step guide of how to clear a property please click on the link below.
Q: How can I get a free house clearance quotation?
Please follow the instructions I have detailed in step 1 of D.I.Y House Clearance, then when you have searched the property and removed any sentimental or valuables items including important paperwork give me a call and we can arrange an appointment at your property that is convenient for you.
I can give you a written quotation on the day or I can send it by email, whichever method you prefer, the quotation is free with absolutely no obligations attached, there's no hard sell and no hidden charges guaranteed.
If you have a property to clear anywhere in the South Wales area and you’re not sure where to start or you just need some advice or a free house clearance quotation please feel free to give me a call I will be happy to help.
Q: How does a charity house clearance service work?
Charities that offer a full house clearance service will take the items that have a resalable value for free, although most have now started charging to collect your items.
They will then give you a quotation for the cost of clearing the remaining contents, larger charities use contractors for this, they do not use the resalable items in your property to offset the cost of a house clearance.
For a more detailed explanation about the house clearance services offered by charities please click on the link below.
Q: Can I use skips or the council bulky waste collection service?
With the average builders skip costing around £200 - £250 + VAT this may turn out to be very expensive.
Also you cannot put TVs, computer monitors, fluorescent light tubing, paint, chemicals, fridges and fridge freezers, car batteries, car or bike tires in a skip, and if you require the skip to be placed on a public road this will incur a fee for the Permit from your local authority.
The Local Authority Bulky Waste Collection Service will normally collect a limited number of items for a set price, but it needs to be booked a couple of weeks in advance and they will only collect from the curbside not from inside your property.
For a more detailed explanation about using skips or the council to clear your property please click on the link below.
Q: Is it worth sending the contents to a house clearance auction?
If your considering selling your items at a house clearance furniture auction please be aware that auctions can work out well for a few people but not all, an auction house will charge for the collection of your furniture if you can't deliver it yourself.
Make sure the items you are thinking of sending to the auction are worth taking the chance on you could end up owing an auction house considerably more than the value of your items.
For a more detailed explanation about house clearance auctions and how they work please click on the link below.
Q: How much is second-hand and antique furniture worth?
Unfortunately, most antique, second-hand furniture, and general household items have a relatively low value in the current economic climate, this is due to cheap mass production and the current availability of these items through online markets and charity shops.
Over the last few years in every town or city, there has been a surge of charity shops opening up on the high street, all selling antique, second-hand furniture, and general household items and all within a few hundred yards of each other.
This combination of the charities coupled with the online markets has resulted in an abundance of good quality antique, second-hand furniture, and general household items being available at very low prices, this creates good opportunities for buyers but not so good for sellers.
For a more detailed explanation about the value of antique and second-hand furniture and how to value it yourself please click on the link below.
Q: What regulations apply to the sale of second-hand furniture and general household items?
There are many rules and regulations regarding the sale or donation of household items, please understand these regulations are designed for the safety of the general public and are governed by law, second-hand furniture dealers, charities, and auction houses can be prosecuted if they do not comply with these regulations.
Although these regulations cover businesses that sell second-hand items they are rarely enforced when selling privately or through buy and sell or auction websites, so it is your choice whether to abide by them, it just boils down to whether you are comfortable selling these items even though there might be a risk to someone's health.
For a more detailed explanation of these rules and regulations please click on the link below.
Q: Why are there so many charity shops on the high street?
There has been a 40 percent rise in the number of high street charity shops in the last fifteen years, do you ever wonder why, could it have something to do with full business rates are liable on empty commercial properties that remain unoccupied for three months or more.
This includes lower value properties such as small shops and offices, however, charities occupying a commercial property qualify for a mandatory 80% discount on business rates.
Local authorities also have the discretion to grant the remaining 20% as a further discount, charities are being approached by retailers and landlords to enter into tenancy agreements that would relieve the landlords of their requirement to pay full business rates.
Equally, some charities are actively marketing their willingness to enter into tenancy agreements with commercial landlords, this is advantageous for charities and provides good opportunities for them to lease commercial properties for low or nominal rents.
For a more detailed explanation of why there are so many charity shops on the high street please click on the link below.