How much does house clearance cost in London?
Straight answer: from £120 for a few items, and the price grows with the load. Here's how clearance pricing really works in London, what moves it up or down, and how to get a firm number from a few photos before anyone turns up.
What house clearance costs
House clearance starts from £120 for a few items: a sofa, a wardrobe, a stack of boxes, the sort of thing one trip sorts out. Beyond that, the useful way to think about the price is in loads. About a car boot full. Half a van load. A full van load. Each step up means more lifting and more load space, so the price climbs with it.
We don't publish a fixed ladder of prices above the starting figure, and there's a good reason. Two "full houses" can be completely different jobs. A lightly furnished flat clears in a morning; the same flat after twenty years of build-up can be double the load. So we price each job from photos, and for big jobs we come and look first. Our pricing page lists every from-price we publish, and the house clearance page covers what's included and what we can't take.
London adds its own wrinkles. The same load costs more to clear from a third-floor flat with no lift in a permit zone than from a house with a driveway, because it takes longer and parking has to be arranged. That's why we won't quote one flat price for the whole of London sight unseen. Your photos, your street, your price.
What moves the price
- Volume. The biggest factor by far. More stuff means more lifting, more trips and a bigger number.
- Access and stairs. A fourth-floor flat with no lift takes far longer to clear than the same rooms at street level.
- Parking and permit zones. If the team can't stop near the door, everything gets carried further. Red routes and controlled parking need planning, and sometimes a council permit.
- Heavy or awkward items. Pianos, safes, American-style fridges and wardrobes that won't come apart all take extra hands or extra time.
- Appliances. White goods take more handling than their size suggests. Tell us about them up front and the quote will allow for it.
None of these should be a surprise on the day. If your photos show the stairs and you mention the parking, the price you're given is the price you pay.
How to get a firm price from photos
This is how we price most clearances, and it takes about five minutes of your time.
Photograph each room from the doorway
One photo per room is usually enough. If the loft, garage or cupboards are full, open them up and get those too.
Tell us what stays
If some things are staying put, say so. Otherwise we'll assume the lot is going.
Send them over
WhatsApp or the form at the bottom of this page, whichever's easier. Add the postcode area and anything tricky about stairs or parking.
Get your price
We come back with a firm price, usually the same day. For a very big or complicated job we'll arrange a visit first, then send a written quote.
Either way, you know the number before anyone lifts a thing. Clearances are often booked for the same or next day.
What to check on a cheap quote
A low quote isn't automatically a bad one. But before you book on price alone, it's worth asking a few questions, whoever you're talking to:
- Is it a fixed price or an estimate? An estimate can grow on the day. A fixed price from photos can't.
- What does it include? Labour, loading and a sweep-through at the end should all be in the number, not added afterwards.
- Has anyone actually seen the job? A price given without photos or a visit is a guess, and guesses tend to get revised when the van pulls up.
- Is it in writing? A text or email with the price and what's included protects both sides.
Ask those four and the cheap quotes sort themselves into the genuine and the optimistic fairly quickly.
Landlords: clearance plus cleaning in one booking
If you're turning a rental round, this is where real money and days of waiting get saved. We arrange both sides of the job: a clearance team takes out whatever the tenant left behind, then cleaners follow with a proper end of tenancy clean, from £150 for a 1-bed. One point of contact, one booking, and an empty property can be ready to view again in a day.
Clearing a home after a bereavement
The pricing works the same way, but nothing else about the job does. We go at your pace, set aside whatever the family wants kept, and we can add a clean at the end so the property is ready to sell or let. There's a separate page on bereavement and probate clearance that covers it gently and properly.
No VAT on top
One more thing that catches people out when they're comparing quotes. We're not VAT registered, so the price we give you is the full price. When you line up quotes side by side, check whether each number includes VAT, because 20% added at the end changes the sums on a big clearance.
We clear properties all over London, Surrey and the Home Counties. See the areas we cover, or send your photos and we'll take it from there.
House clearance cost questions
How much does it cost to clear a one bedroom flat in London?
It depends how full it is. A lightly furnished 1-bed might be a van load or less; years of build-up can be double that. Send us a photo of each room and we'll give you a firm price, usually the same day.
Is a skip cheaper than a house clearance?
Sometimes, if you're happy to do all the carrying yourself. A skip on a London street usually needs a council permit, and it sits there while you fill it. A clearance includes the labour and is done in a day. Once you've paid for the skip and the permit and done the lifting, the gap is often smaller than it looks.
Do you charge VAT on house clearance?
No. We're not VAT registered, so the price we quote is the price you pay. Nothing gets added at the end.
Can you clear and clean the property in one booking?
Yes, and it's the thing we're set up for. Cleared in the morning, cleaned in the afternoon, ready to let, sell or hand back.
How quickly can you clear a property in London?
Often the same or next day for smaller clearances. A full house takes a little more arranging, but it's days, not weeks.
Do I have to be there while the house is cleared?
No. Plenty of people leave a key with a neighbour, an agent or in a key safe. We'll send you photos when we're done.