Organising a house clearance can be challenging at the best of times but in an old city like Bristol, the basic facts of access, transport and disposal can become complicated. However, there are options you can consider.
There are a few questions to consider when planning your house clearance, such as:
- How much do you want to do yourself?
- What type of rubbish are you clearing out?
- How much are removal and disposal going to cost?
In the Bristol area, there are a few disposal options, including:
- Local charities (although this is currently not an option due to Covid -19)
- Council-provided recycling centres and special collection
- Professional man with van rubbish removal and house clearance companies
- Skip hire services
Depending on your requirements, it is easy to create a plan for your house clearance that fits your budget and supports local businesses and the community.
OPTION: Charity furniture collection services in Bristol?
BENEFITS:
This is a great, easy way to take care of the larger unwanted house clearance items while helping those in need. There are some charities local to Bristol, which offer collection.
DOWNSIDE:
Their ability to take furniture varies so it is best if you contact your chosen charity and enquire directly.
OPTION: Bristol recycling centres
If you are taking on some or all of the job yourself, you could utilise Bristol’s council-run recycling centres for your house clearance.
Bristol has two main recycling centres:
- St Phillips Household Waste Recycling Centre BS2 0QS
- Avonmouth Household Waste Recycling Centre BS11 0YS
BENEFITS:
This will help cut down your costs by reducing the volume of waste you would otherwise pay for if using a skip or professional rubbish removal service.
DOWNSIDE:
However, what you can save financially will cost you in time so bear this in mind when planning your house clearance. And there are restrictions on the types of vehicles and trailers you can use (see below).
Both centres place restrictions on the types of vehicles and trailers used to bring in household waste. If you plan on using a van or trailer, make sure you apply to the household waste recycling centres permit scheme. The permit covers you for 12 visits and is renewable. You can apply online or by post, and you will need your vehicle log book, driving licence and proof of address from the last three months.
OPTION: Bristol Council bulk rubbish removal
BENEFITS:
If you only have a few large items, Bristol Council offers large item collection for a fee by special arrangement (with very reasonable pricing). This service collects fridges/freezers, washing machines, furniture, mattresses and electrical items.
DOWNSIDE:
Be aware they will not carry items up or down more than 2 steps, and will only take what can be safely carried by two people.
They may not be able to fit into short-notice plans or specific timelines. Be sure to follow their guidance on where and how to put out your items for collection.
OPTION: Skip Hire in Bristol
For any service you use, check if they have appropriate liability insurance and are an Environment Agency licensed waste carrier or broker. Discuss your circumstances with the skip company such as access to the property and the type of waste you have. Find out about conditions or limitations and when additional charges may be applied. Some things to discuss include:
- What happens if you overfill it?
- Are there limits on the types or weights of rubbish that can be put in the skip?
- Is a skip permit required for where you want it dropped?
You don’t want to get billed with additional charges or experience a delay, so make sure to do some research and ask the right questions – this will help your house clearance go smoothly and quickly.
BENEFITS:
Even after donating items and making a few trips to the tip, there may be more rubbish before your house clearance is complete. This is where a bulk waste removal option, such as a local Bristol skip company, could be beneficial. You will need to load it yourself, but they will save you time by delivering and removing the skip when full and sorting the rubbish for you.
DOWNSIDE:
They can cost £240-278 for a 6-yard skip and £288-336 (incl VAT) for an 8-yard skip (costs correct at time of publication). A skip permit (discussed below) will incur additional charges.
When looking at your house clearance options, consider the fact that you are being charged for the skip, not the specific volume of your waste. This means that even if you don’t fill the skip you will still pay the full rate.
A skip permit is mandatory when you want to place a skip on a public road or highway. They cost £64 for 28 days – another application can be made if the skip is needed for longer. In Bristol, your skip company will apply for this for you.
OPTION: Professional house clearance services in Bristol
While hiring a skip can be convenient, it still requires you to move everything outside, load the skip and tidy up afterwards. If this doesn’t sound right for you, another bulk waste removal option to consider is hiring a professional man with van rubbish removal company.
To avoid hiring a company with poor practices, here are some tips on how to find a responsible waste removal company:
- How do they intend to manage your waste? Their response will help you determine the legitimacy of their practices. Are they vague or specific?
- Are they willing to issue you with a waste transfer note? Commercial businesses are required by law to evidence proper waste disposal, but residential customers are also able to ask for one. A reputable company will happily give you one for your waste.
- Are they licensed and insured? A good rubbish removal company will be able to readily supply evidence of their waste carriers license (which you can also check yourself) and liability insurance.
BENEFITS:
These services don’t require permits so they can respond quickly, subject to availability. They do all the carrying, loading and tidying up afterwards, saving you time and effort. Show them what needs to go, and they will make sure it gets to the van and is disposed of at an appropriate site. At Bulman’s Removals and Clearance, we charge a van fee once per job and £25 per cubic yard of mixed waste. You can view our full pricing guide here to get an idea of how much your house clearance will cost.
Whoever you choose, asking the questions above will help protect you and prevent waste being disposed of improperly. Here at Bulman’s Removals and Clearance, we are focussed on your peace of mind. Because of that, we automatically issue digital waste transfer notes to every customer and are always happy to discuss our processes for house clearances and rubbish disposal. We make every effort to give back to the community and minimise your impact on landfill by donating and recycling where we can.
DOWNSIDE:
Anytime you hire someone to take away your rubbish, be mindful that you can be fined up to £5,000 if your waste is fly-tipped and tracked back to you.
Ready for your house clearance?
We hope you have found some useful ideas here to make your house clearance go smoothly. We are proud to serve the Bristol area alongside other local businesses that will help you maximise your time and budget when it comes to tackling those big jobs.
If you have any questions about house clearance, we are more than happy to chat to you on the phone on 01934 744 700. Or, go ahead and tell us about what you’re getting rid of in our handy online enquiry & booking form.
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