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House & Property Clearance

Bereavement & Probate House Clearance

Bereavement and probate house clearance is a planned, respectful clearance of a loved one's property, arranged around the family, executors and solicitors. iTrade sorts belongings carefully, sets aside anything to be kept or valued, and removes the rest with documented, responsible disposal.

Request an initial quote Call 01692 404999

Quick answer

Who it is for: Families, next of kin, executors, administrators and solicitors responsible for clearing a property after a death.

What it covers: Room-by-room sorting, retention of named items, careful handling of documents and valuables, removal of furniture and general contents, and an agreed clean handover.

When a survey is needed: For most whole-property clearances iTrade arranges a short survey, in person or from photographs, before confirming a written quotation, especially where access, volume or valuation needs checking.

Clearing a home after a death involves practical decisions and personal belongings. You may need to find documents, reserve furniture for relatives and arrange work around a sale or tenancy deadline. Start with what must be kept; you do not need to sort the whole property before discussing the job.

Choose one authorised contact to record the instructions. If family members live elsewhere, discuss who can arrange access, hold keys and check the agreed handover. Keep a written list of belongings reserved for relatives so an item is not mistaken for something to remove.

Estate valuation and house clearance are different tasks. Set aside items awaiting valuation and obtain appropriate advice where ownership or authority is unclear. A clearance quotation does not establish legal authority or provide a probate valuation.

Scope

What is included, what needs checking, and what is not

Included as standard
  • A room-by-room clearance of furniture, white goods, soft furnishings and general household contents
  • Careful setting-aside of items the family asks to keep, ready for collection or delivery by arrangement
  • Searching agreed areas for documents, keys, jewellery and small valuables before anything is removed
  • Removal of items from lofts, cellars, garages, sheds and gardens where access allows
  • Sorting for reuse, donation and recycling, with general waste taken to permitted facilities
  • A tidy, swept finish and an agreed handover to the family, executor or agent
Conditional or quoted separately
  • Valuation or auction referral for antiques, collections or higher-value items
  • Clearances where probate is not yet granted and written authority from the executor is needed first
  • Properties with restricted access, upper-floor flats, shared parking or long carry distances
  • Deep cleaning, minor repairs or garden work after the clearance, quoted as related services
  • Large quantities of a single heavy material, such as rubble or scrap metal
Not included
  • Suspected asbestos requires a separate, competent assessment. Some asbestos work requires an HSE-licensed contractor
  • Chemicals, fuels, gas bottles, fireworks, and clinical or medical waste
  • Firearms, ammunition and other controlled items, which must go through the correct legal route
  • Anything the family has not authorised for removal

How the work runs

From first enquiry to handover

  1. Enquiry

    You share the address, the rough size and contents of the property, access details and any deadline. There is no need to have every answer ready.

  2. Assessment

    iTrade reviews photographs or arranges a short survey to confirm volume, access and any items that may need valuation, then explains what can and cannot be included.

  3. Written quotation and scope

    You receive a written quotation setting out the agreed rooms, retained items, exclusions and disposal route before any work begins.

  4. Clearance day

    The team works room by room, sets aside retained and sentimental items, and keeps you or your representative updated. Documents and valuables that turn up are reported, not discarded.

  5. Handover and records

    The completed area is checked against the agreed scope. Before booking, confirm which waste transfer record applies to the job, who will issue it and who must retain it.

Your quote

What affects the price

Factors iTrade weighs when quoting
FactorWhat it means for your quote
Volume of contentsThe total amount to be removed is the largest single factor, measured by van loads or cubic yardage rather than room count alone.
Access and parkingStairs, lifts, narrow doorways, shared access and carry distance to the vehicle all affect the labour and time involved.
Material type and weightHeavy materials, appliances needing WEEE handling and items with separate disposal streams are priced differently from light general contents.
Retained and saleable itemsPotential resale value is assessed during the quotation. Any agreed purchase, credit or offset is itemised in writing before work begins; no value adjustment is assumed.
Additional workCleaning, minor repairs or garden clearance requested alongside the clearance are quoted as clearly separated related services.

Responsible handling

What happens to your belongings and waste

The order iTrade works through, from keeping to disposal
StageWhat happens
KeepAnything the family asks to retain is set aside and never treated as waste.
Reuse and donateSuitable items are kept separate for reuse when an appropriate receiving route is available. Acceptance depends on condition, safety and the receiving organisation’s current criteria.
RecycleMetal, wood, textiles, paper and electrical items are separated for recycling at permitted facilities.
Responsible disposalOnly what cannot be reused or recycled is taken for controlled disposal at permitted sites, under waste duty-of-care rules.

Before you enquire

What to have ready for an accurate quote

  • The more of this you can share, the faster iTrade can give a realistic figure:

Reassurance and compliance

When you pay someone to remove household waste, you have a household duty of care under section 34(2A) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In plain terms, you should check that whoever takes the waste is a registered waste carrier: if items are later fly-tipped and traced back to the property, the householder can be asked to show they used an authorised carrier.

iTrade Recycling Ltd is registered with the Environment Agency as an Upper Tier carrier, broker and dealer under CBDU521652. The public record was checked on 10 August 2026 and expires on 9 February 2027; customers should follow the official register link and check it again before hiring.

For probate, a property should usually only be cleared once the person with legal authority, the executor named in the will or the administrator where there is no will, has confirmed instructions. Where a grant of probate is still pending, iTrade can plan the work but will ask for written authority before removing contents.

Read the full guide: how to check a waste carrier registration

Official guidance

Sources used for this service information

Use these official records and guidance pages to check the waste, safety or legal information referenced above.

Common questions

Frequently asked

Can you clear a property before probate is granted?

iTrade can survey and plan the clearance at any time, but contents are normally only removed once the executor or administrator with legal authority confirms instructions in writing. Where probate is still pending, the work can be scheduled to start as soon as authority is in place.

What happens if you find money, jewellery or important documents?

Agreed areas are searched before anything is removed, and any documents, keys or valuables found are set aside and reported to you or your representative, never discarded.

Can family members mark items to keep?

Yes. Before clearance day you can list or label anything to be retained, and the team sets those items aside for you to collect or for delivery by arrangement.

Do you handle sensitive or distressing clearances?

Sensitive or distressing clearances are planned around your instructions. Explain any privacy, access or handling needs and agree them in writing before the work begins.

What can't you take away?

Suspected asbestos, chemicals, fuels, gas bottles and clinical waste are outside a standard clearance. They need an appropriate specialist assessment or route; some asbestos work requires an HSE-licensed contractor.

Will I get proof that the waste was disposed of properly?

Keep the written scope, invoice and carrier details. Ask what collection or disposal information will be supplied for your job. Household and business waste have different documentation requirements; agree the applicable records before booking.

Can we arrange the clearance if we do not live in Norfolk?

Tell iTrade who can provide access, which belongings must remain and who will approve completion. Discuss key arrangements, photographs and your representative's role before booking, and include them in the agreed scope.

Practical guidance

Guides related to bereavement & probate house clearance

Talk it through

Tell iTrade about the property

Share a few details and get a clear, no-obligation quote. If it helps to talk first, call and we will guide you through what is involved.

Request an initial quote Call 01692 404999