Best way to clear a lot of junk

I've got to the stage in clearing my mum's garage out where there's stuff that I just can't be bothered to take to the tip a car load at a time. I thought about hiring a skip but I notice there's a few junk clearance services operating these days and they claim to be cheaper than hiring a skip although I'm not sure how that can be possible. Anyone got any experience?

Comments

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,599
    Leave it on the drive with a notice saying "Do not touch". 🤣
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
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  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 17,691

    I've got to the stage in clearing my mum's garage out where there's stuff that I just can't be bothered to take to the tip a car load at a time. I thought about hiring a skip but I notice there's a few junk clearance services operating these days and they claim to be cheaper than hiring a skip although I'm not sure how that can be possible. Anyone got any experience?


    No real idea, but I do wonder if some of those junk clearance services are disposing of the stuff in an entirely legitimate way, to keep their costs low, given that they'd pay commercial rates for disposal.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,615
    Indeed, unless they have some deal going with local tip operators, beware flytipping of the residue once the salvageable metals etc have been selected.
  • If you do use a skip, you can have it "wait and load", where they bring it, you fill it with your stuff in 30 minutes and they take it away again. That way you don't need to pay the council to put it on the road.
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 17,691
    orraloon said:

    Indeed, unless they have some deal going with local tip operators, beware flytipping of the residue once the salvageable metals etc have been selected.


    I'm assuming that there's a list of registered/certified waste disposal operators, and that the person whose waste is being disposed would be liable to fines if they were careless/negligent [sic] about who they employed to dispose of it.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,218
    We hired a house clearance company when my wife’s aunt died. Took out anything that was being sold or had been bequeathed in the Will and got a couple of quotes for emptying everything else. The one was ridiculously cheap considering they did all the work but they did have a grumble about how much it was. We just pointed out they’d come to look before giving their quote.

    My daughter hired someone when she moved into her house and they had a lot of stuff where they’d ripped out the kitchen etc. That was a couple of hundred quid I think, a skip would probably have been a bit cheaper but again the people did all the work and it’s the sort of street where it would be difficult placing a skip plus it would have been filled by neighbours.

    Make sure whoever you use has a waste licence so you don’t get a fine when they chuck all your stuff on the side of the road with something containing your address details.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,076
    Thanks all. Useful info and I'll be sure to use someone licensed. A lot of it is scrap timber that my dad had hoarded away for future projects. I'm trying to shift as much as possible on Freecycle.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    From my experience (getting quotes from waste clearance people), a skip was cheaper.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 58,172
    Some charities do house clearances and they are not likely to be fly tipping cowboys. Assuming there is some stuff in there that they could sell you could probably negotiate a price.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Thanks all. Useful info and I'll be sure to use someone licensed. A lot of it is scrap timber that my dad had hoarded away for future projects. I'm trying to shift as much as possible on Freecycle.

    relist it as firewood and you will look like Davy Crocket at the Alamo
  • parmos
    parmos Posts: 100
    i always found that every time i hired a skip it was been emptied every time it was being filled win win win you can get more in.
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,411
    Fire? Just a suggestion.


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 58,172

    Thanks all. Useful info and I'll be sure to use someone licensed. A lot of it is scrap timber that my dad had hoarded away for future projects. I'm trying to shift as much as possible on Freecycle.

    Freecycle is great for stuff that you want to get shot of but can't be bothered to go through the pain of Fleabay or isn't really saleable. Whenever I've put anything on there I've had multiple offers often within minutes of listing the stuff. Free collection is a bonus as well.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,076
    Stevo_666 said:

    Thanks all. Useful info and I'll be sure to use someone licensed. A lot of it is scrap timber that my dad had hoarded away for future projects. I'm trying to shift as much as possible on Freecycle.

    Freecycle is great for stuff that you want to get shot of but can't be bothered to go through the pain of Fleabay or isn't really saleable. Whenever I've put anything on there I've had multiple offers often within minutes of listing the stuff. Free collection is a bonus as well.
    Yep, old fishing rods went today. Paving slabs going tomorrow 👍
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,218
    FWIW I've just had a company come to clear an old shed from our garden. They took the shed down, took away all the junk that was still in it and cleaned up after themselves. Waste transfer note provided. Took them about 1.25 hours in total and cost £200. Would have been most of the day for me to do it myself with numerous trips to the tip (which I would have had to spread over several days as you can only have one slot booked at a time) so good value in my books. We only contacted them yesterday afternoon, they were around within 2 hours (on a Sunday) to give a quote and then within 24 hours it was all gone.
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 17,691
    Pross said:

    FWIW I've just had a company come to clear an old shed from our garden. They took the shed down, took away all the junk that was still in it and cleaned up after themselves. Waste transfer note provided. Took them about 1.25 hours in total and cost £200. Would have been most of the day for me to do it myself with numerous trips to the tip (which I would have had to spread over several days as you can only have one slot booked at a time) so good value in my books. We only contacted them yesterday afternoon, they were around within 2 hours (on a Sunday) to give a quote and then within 24 hours it was all gone.


    There's the added advantage that it removes the opportunity to keep bits and pieces you really don't need but might not throw away if you were doing it yourself.
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866
    Pross said:

    FWIW I've just had a company come to clear an old shed from our garden. They took the shed down, took away all the junk that was still in it and cleaned up after themselves. Waste transfer note provided. Took them about 1.25 hours in total and cost £200. Would have been most of the day for me to do it myself with numerous trips to the tip (which I would have had to spread over several days as you can only have one slot booked at a time) so good value in my books. We only contacted them yesterday afternoon, they were around within 2 hours (on a Sunday) to give a quote and then within 24 hours it was all gone.

    depending on the location of the shed a can of petrol would have been cheaper and more fun, the inferno would neatly separate all metals which could then be weighed in