Most house clearance stress comes from decisions made too quickly, or not made at all before the day. This checklist walks through what to decide, room by room, what is worth photographing or recording before it goes, and the questions worth answering before you book a clearance company at all.
Before you book
- Decide what you are keeping before the clearance day, not during it.
- Photograph or list anything you might want a record of, even if it is being removed.
- Search for documents, keys and small valuables room by room, not just "as you go".
- Agree the scope and any exclusions with the clearance company in writing.
The three piles that make any clearance easier
Before anyone arrives, it helps to have already sorted (even loosely) into three groups:
- Keep — going with you, or to a specific person.
- Sell or value — items you suspect are worth something and want checked before they are cleared.
- Clear — everything else, which the clearance company sorts into reuse, recycling and disposal.
You do not need to physically move anything. A sticky note, a list on your phone, or simply telling the team on the day is enough — the point is deciding in advance, so the day itself is about action, not decisions.
A room-by-room checklist
| Room | Worth checking first |
|---|---|
| Bedrooms | Drawers, under the bed, bedside tables, coat and jacket pockets, jewellery boxes |
| Living areas | Behind and under cushions, drawers in sideboards, the backs of picture frames |
| Kitchen | Tins and jars used for storage, the backs of drawers, any "important papers" pile |
| Study or office | Filing, box files, the desk drawers, anything in a safe or lockbox |
| Loft, garage, shed | Boxes marked vaguely or not at all — these often hold more than expected |
| Garden | Sheds, greenhouses, and anything stored under tarpaulin or in a lean-to |
What is worth recording before it goes
You do not need to record everything, but a few photographs make a real difference later, particularly for probate, insurance or simply peace of mind.
Worth photographing before clearance:
Documents and valuables: a quick search list
These are the items most commonly found — and most regretted if missed — during a clearance:
- Passports, birth, marriage and death certificates
- Property deeds, mortgage or tenancy paperwork
- Bank books, share certificates, premium bonds
- Wills, insurance policies, pension paperwork
- Jewellery, watches, coins and small collectables
- House keys, safe keys and keys to other properties
- Photographs and letters with no obvious monetary value but real personal value
A reputable clearance company should search agreed areas for these before removing anything and set them aside rather than treating them as general contents.
Questions to agree with the clearance company
Worth asking before you book
- What exactly is included in the quote, and what counts as an exclusion?
- How are items you want to keep identified and protected on the day?
- What happens to anything of possible value that is found?
- Is the company a registered waste carrier, and can you check it yourself?
- Will you get any record of what was removed and how it was disposed of?
Common regrets and how to avoid them
The same few regrets come up again and again after a clearance, and all are avoidable with a little planning:
- “We meant to check that box.” Anything unlabelled or vague gets checked before removal, not after.
- “We didn’t get a photo of the room.” Takes thirty seconds, costs nothing, and cannot be redone later.
- “We didn’t know it might be worth something.” If in doubt, set it aside for a quick valuation opinion before it is cleared with everything else.
- “We didn’t check who was allowed to authorise it.” For a probate clearance in particular, confirm who has the legal authority to instruct the work — see the related guide on authorising a clearance during probate.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I make these decisions?
Even a day or two of thinking about the three piles — keep, sell or value, clear — makes the clearance day far smoother. For a larger property, a week is more comfortable if your timescale allows it.
What if I can't get to the property before the clearance?
A reputable clearance company can search agreed areas for documents and valuables on your behalf and set them aside, but a photograph or a call with the team as they go is the next best thing to being there.
Should I get anything valued before the clearance?
If you suspect any item has real value — antiques, jewellery, collections — it is worth a quick opinion before it is included in a general clearance quote.
What if family members disagree about what to keep?
Deciding this before the clearance day avoids disagreements happening under time pressure. See the related guide on planning a sensitive clearance with family members.
Key takeaways
- Decide what to keep, sell or clear before the day, not during it.
- Photograph rooms and anything of possible value before it is removed.
- Search unlabelled boxes rather than assuming they hold nothing important.
- Agree scope, exclusions and what happens to found valuables in writing.
If you are planning a clearance, see full house clearance or partial house clearance, or request a quote with your rough checklist to hand.