Guide
Skip hire for house clearance
Clearing a house produces a lot of bulky, mostly light waste. The two decisions that matter are the size, and whether you load it yourself or have it taken away.
The short answer
For a full house clearance, an 8 or 12 yard skip is usually the right size, because clearance waste is bulky but light. If you cannot load a skip yourself, or there is nowhere to put one, man and van rubbish removal is the alternative. A few items, such as fridges and mattresses, are handled separately.
What a clearance produces
Bulky, but lighter than it looks
A house clearance is mostly furniture, soft furnishings, packaging, general household items and the odd appliance. It fills a lot of space but weighs far less than building waste, so the limit you hit is volume, not weight. That is why the larger skips suit a clearance: you can size up for the space without worrying about a weight limit.
The exceptions are the items that need a separate route. Fridges and freezers contain regulated refrigerants, mattresses are handled separately at most sites, and anything electrical falls under WEEE rules. None of these stop you using a skip for the rest, they just need flagging when you book.
Before you start
Sort before you skip
A clearance goes faster and cheaper if you sort before you fill the skip. Anything with resale or reuse value, furniture in good order, working white goods, tools, is worth setting aside for a charity collection, a house-clearance buyer or an online sale. It keeps volume out of the skip and often raises a little towards the cost.
Set aside anything personal too. Documents, photographs and small valuables have a way of surfacing at the back of drawers and wardrobes during a clearance, so a quick sort before the bulk goes saves a later regret. Once the keepers, sellers and donations are out, what is left is the skip load, and that is the volume to size the skip against.
Choosing a size
The right skip for a clearance
Clearance waste is light, so lean towards the larger sizes for the volume.
A flat or a partial house clearance.
A full house of furniture and household waste in one go.
To weigh up the options.
Skip or man and van
Do you want to load it yourself?
This is the real decision. A skip is cheaper for the volume, but you load it. Man and van rubbish removal costs more per cubic yard but a crew does the lifting and takes it away in one visit, which suits an upstairs flat, a probate clearance, or anyone who would rather not carry it. If in doubt, tell us the job and we will be straight about which is better value.
Related
Useful next steps
If you would rather it was loaded and taken for you.
For the items that need a separate route.
To see prices for your area.
Common questions
Frequently asked
What size skip do I need for a house clearance?
For a full house, an 8 or 12 yard skip usually, because clearance waste is bulky but light so you fill the volume before the weight. For a flat or a partial clearance, a 6 or 8 yard is often enough. Compare on our skip sizes hub.
Is a skip or man and van better for a clearance?
A skip is cheaper for the volume if you can load it yourself. Man and van costs more but the crew does the loading and removal in one visit, which suits upstairs flats, probate clearances or anyone who cannot lift it. See man and van rubbish removal.
Can I put a mattress or a fridge in a house clearance skip?
They are handled separately. Fridges and freezers contain regulated refrigerants and mattresses are processed on a different route at most sites, so flag them when you book and we will arrange the right disposal alongside the skip.
How long can I keep the skip for a clearance?
Standard hire is 14 days, which covers most clearances. If you need longer we can extend it. See how long you can keep a skip.
Do I need a permit for a house clearance skip?
Only if it goes on a public road. On the driveway there is no permit needed. Where one is required we arrange it. See our skip permit guide.
How quickly can a house be cleared?
A single skip clearance is usually a day or two of loading, plus the delivery and collection. A larger clearance, or one using man and van, can often be done in a single visit. Tell us the size of the property and how much is in it and we will give you a realistic idea.
Can you help with a probate or bereavement clearance?
Yes. These are common, and they are exactly where sorting first, for keepers, donations and resale, matters most. A skip suits the bulk once the personal items are out, and man and van removal suits it if the loading is more than you want to take on.
Get in touch
Get a quote
Tell us your postcode, the size you need and your preferred date. We confirm your price before you book.
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0333 880 0095
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