Moving and clearance: removals, office moves and house clearance
A move is mostly logistics and timing: a completion date that can change until contracts are exchanged, a van that needs somewhere to park, and belongings that have to be insured while they are on the road. A clearance adds a legal duty about where your waste ends up. This section collects our guides for both, for households and businesses.
Articles
- Transfer of Residence relief when moving to the UKBringing household goods to the UK without customs charges: who qualifies for Transfer of Residence relief, the 12- and 6-month rules and form ToR1.Read more
- Change of address after a moveThe official changes after moving home in the UK: DVLA, vehicle log book, HMRC, council tax, the electoral register and your old council.Read more
- Clearing a home after a deathWhat to settle before clearing a relative's home: registering the death, Tell Us Once, probate and belongings, and what a clearance firm should do.Read more
- The household waste duty of careWhy householders can be fined if their waste is fly-tipped, how to check a waste carrier in each UK nation, and what a clearance company should give you.Read more
Removals: what decides the price and the day
Removal companies price on volume, access and distance: how much there is to move, how far the van can get to each door, stairs and lifts, and whether you want packing, dismantling or storage. A survey, in person or by video, is how they measure that. A quote based on 'a three-bed house' without a survey often grows on the day.
In England and Wales, the completion date is usually only fixed at exchange of contracts. Tell the removal company how certain your date is, and ask how it handles a delayed completion or a move where the keys arrive late in the afternoon.
Parking and access
Where there is no driveway, the van may need a parking bay suspension or a permit from the council, particularly in cities with controlled parking zones. Councils set their own notice periods and charges, and the application usually has to be made well before the move. Many removal companies handle this for you; ask whether it is included.
Clearance and your duty of care for waste
If you pay someone to take away household waste, you are expected to check that they are registered to carry it. In England, carriers appear on the Environment Agency's public register; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own registers. If your waste is fly-tipped by an unregistered carrier, you can be held responsible.
A good clearance company tells you what it will sell, donate, recycle or send to landfill, and gives you a waste transfer note. Electrical items, mattresses and some furniture have their own disposal rules, which affect the price.
Topics this section covers
- Home removals, long-distance and international moves
- Packing services, piano moves and furniture assembly
- Office relocation, IT moves and storage
- House clearance, probate clearance, loft and garage clearance
- Bulky waste and commercial clearance
Asking for a quote through Offrano
Each trade page has a request form. The request goes to exactly one removal or clearance company in your area that chooses to buy it, at no cost to you. Before it sees your details, we email you its name and phone number. No company is obliged to take a request, so leave yourself time before a fixed moving date.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I book a removal company?
As soon as you have a realistic date. Month ends, Fridays and school holidays are the busiest times. If your completion date is not yet fixed, say so in your request; the company can tell you how it handles provisional bookings.
Are my belongings insured during the move?
Ask the removal company what its goods in transit cover includes, whether it limits the value per item, and whether items you pack yourself are covered. Also check whether your home contents insurance covers belongings in transit.
How do I check a clearance company's waste carrier registration?
Ask for its registration number and look it up on the public register of the Environment Agency in England, SEPA in Scotland, Natural Resources Wales or NIEA in Northern Ireland.
Can one company do both the move and the clearance?
Some do. If you need both, mention it in your request so the business can quote for the whole job, including what should be cleared before or after the move.