The Hidden costs of house clearance

Do you know what happens to you cleared items ? Beware of companies that charge minimal amounts.

 

The biggest cost of house clearance is the recycling of waste legally and wages for the staff doing it
If a company is quoting you a low price then be careful and ask questions, as they may be disposing illegally which you could get fined for..

Be careful of any company quoting a too low a price as they may be fly tipping which has a fine of up-to £5000 for you as the customer if they are caught.

Wages	Minimum Cost
we normally send three men to your house. Based on just there wage of £10 per hour before other expenses a small clearance can take 3 hours with loading, driving to the disposal depot and unloading/sorting into the different types of waste.	£90
Recycling Cost
Business's cannot use Council tips and we have to travel to a commercial waste depot to get recycle your waste legally. Only private cars can enter council waste depots.
Disposal Costs	Minimum Cost
recycle costs are charged to us by weight and normally a minimum charge of 1 tonne at £162 per tonne, we use luton box vans which can carry up-to 2 tonnes when crammed full. This excludes mattresses and a few other items which are charged per item. Mattress's for instance are charged at £12 for single and £24 for a double by the recycling depot. The depot we use currently does not allow disposal of fridges or freezer due to CFC gas rules.	£162
Other Costs	Minimum Cost
Theres lots of other things to consider which have to be built into the cost we charge, just a few examples are the fuel we use, the cost of insurance, wear and tear on vehicles, extra money paid to staff for laundry after a house clearance, waste disposal license fees.	£50
	Total cost 1 Tonne
This gives a grand total before the removal company makes any money to cover its own operating costs and hopefully a small profit, yes we're sorry but we do need to make a little profit	£302

so if as a company we only add on £50 profit, a small disposal soon adds up and will cost you over £350 for up-to 1 tonne. And 1 tonne is not even a full van load. Think of how much that reclining 3 piece suite weighs or the big cupboard your getting rid of. Generally a 2 or 3 bedroom house costs from £350 to £500 to clear if personal belongings have already been removed.
If you only have a few items to dispose of it can be cheaper to call the local council who charge £25 regardless of weight for 3 items but you do have to get them to the kerb of the road by yourselves for them to collect.

If waste tipped illegally can be tracked back to you, you can be fined up to £5000.00