Probate & Bereavement Clearance
A discreet, itemised clearance service built around executors, solicitors and grieving families - working to your grant of probate and completion timescales, not the other way round.
Trusted by executors and probate solicitors · References on request · Fixed-fee, written quote.
EA Registered
Upper Tier Waste Carrier
Fully Insured
Public liability cover
Itemised Inventory
For estate accounts
Secure Handling
Documents shredded on request
Certified & Trained
HSE Compliant
Licensed chemical use
IPAF Trained
Powered access operators
Overview
Probate clearance is the careful emptying of a deceased person's home so it can be valued, sold or handed back to a landlord - sorted into keepsakes for the family, items for valuation, items suitable for charity donation, and material for licensed disposal, with an itemised record kept throughout for the executor's file. Unlike a routine house clearance, everything is done at estate pace: nothing leaves the property until someone with the authority to decide has had the chance to look.
We work for executors managing an estate for the first time, probate and private client solicitors instructing on behalf of clients, families dealing with a parent's or relative's home, and personal representatives who live too far away to sort the property themselves. Many instructions come directly from solicitors' offices in Liverpool, Chester and across the Wirral who need a documented, insured contractor they can name in estate correspondence.
Clearance can usually begin as soon as keys are available, but full removal of the estate's contents should not happen before the grant of probate is issued unless the executor has confirmed it is safe to proceed - selling or disposing of estate assets without authority can create personal liability for an executor. We are used to working in two stages: an early visit to secure the property, remove perishables and flag anything of obvious value, followed by the full clearance once probate is granted and a completion date is set.
An unmanaged house clearance during probate risks losing items that need to be declared for Inheritance Tax purposes, discarding paperwork the solicitor needs for the estate account, and missing the narrow window between grant of probate and a fixed completion date. A structured, documented approach protects the executor, speeds up the sale, and spares the family from having to sort through a lifetime of belongings under pressure.
Guide Pricing
Guide prices only. Final cost depends on access, volume, hazard level and site survey. Contact us for a free written quote.
| Job Type | Typical Scope | Price From |
|---|---|---|
| Part clearance | Single room or partial contents | From£200 |
| 1-bed property | Light contents, single-floor access | From£425 |
| 2-bed property | Standard contents, full clearance | From£550 |
| 3-bed+ property | Loft, garage and outbuildings included | From£750+ |
| Sofa surcharge (POPs) | Per seat - covers separated POPs disposal route | From£40 / seat |
Prices exclude VAT. Quoted in writing after a free, confidential on-site assessment. Staged visits (securing the property, then full clearance once probate is granted) can be arranged at no extra call-out cost.
What Happens If It's Left
Bereavement clearances go wrong in quiet, easily-missed ways - not with a dramatic mistake, but with a shoebox that gets thrown out before anyone looks inside.
Jewellery, coins, war medals, share certificates and premium bonds are frequently found in drawers, wardrobes and biscuit tins. If these are cleared before a formal valuation, the estate's declared value to HMRC can be understated - a problem for the executor, not just the family.
Wills, deeds, pension documents, insurance policies and bank statements are often stored in a single box or filing cabinet. Losing them can hold up probate by weeks or months, and some documents cannot be easily replaced.
An executor who disposes of estate property before probate is granted, or without proper authority, can be held personally liable to beneficiaries if the estate later disputes what happened to its contents. A documented, itemised clearance is the executor's protection.
Probate property sales often run to a fixed completion date agreed with a buyer. A clearance that isn't booked and confirmed in good time - or that uncovers more contents than expected - can push completion back, risking the sale falling through.
Clearing a parent's or partner's home is one of the hardest jobs a family faces. Sorting through decades of belongings without support often takes far longer than expected, and important items get missed simply through fatigue and grief.
If an unregistered clearance firm dumps the contents illegally, the Environment Agency can pursue whoever commissioned the work - in probate cases, that can mean the executor personally, under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Our Process
Speak directly to Shaun or submit the form. We take the address, the stage of probate, any timescales from the solicitor or buyer, and anything the family already knows needs preserving.
A crew lead visits within 24 hours, walks the property, and agrees what is being kept, valued, donated or removed - nothing is assumed.
You receive a written quote covering the full clearance, any keepsake storage or delivery, and the proposed date, timed to fit around probate and completion.
The crew works room by room, setting aside anything of financial or sentimental value - cash, jewellery, documents, photographs, artwork - for the executor or family to review before anything else moves.
A written inventory of what has been removed is kept for the estate file. Usable furniture, clothing and household goods are offered to local charities such as Age UK, British Heart Foundation and Emmaus, with receipts where available.
Personal papers are handed back or securely shredded on request. The property is swept and photographed empty, and you receive a completion pack with Waste Transfer Notes ready for the solicitor's file.
Why It's Worth Doing Properly
Every benefit below is something you can measure, document or hand to an insurer - not a slogan.
A dated, itemised record of what was removed, donated or disposed of - useful for estate accounts and to answer any beneficiary query.
Items of possible value or significance are set aside for a decision before removal, never disposed of on the crew's own judgement.
We can attend in stages - an early visit to secure the property, then full clearance once probate is granted - or complete it in one visit if the estate is ready to move.
Personal and financial paperwork is kept separate throughout and either returned intact or securely shredded, never left loose in general waste.
Reusable furniture and household items are diverted to local charities rather than landfill, reducing the estate's disposal costs and giving beneficiaries a paper trail for donated items.
Plain vehicles and plain workwear - neighbours and buyers viewing the property don't need to know the circumstances.
In Detail
Probate clearances vary enormously depending on the estate, the family and the solicitor involved. These are the situations we handle most often across Wirral, Liverpool and Cheshire.
We regularly take instruction from probate and private client solicitors, invoice the estate directly, and provide inventories formatted for inclusion in estate accounts. We're happy to correspond by email so the file has a clear paper trail from instruction to completion.
Where probate has not yet been granted, we can secure the property, deal with perishables and post, and hold off full clearance until the executor confirms authority to proceed - protecting the executor from any question over early disposal of estate assets.
Before any general clearance begins, we set aside cash, jewellery, watches, coins, medals, original artwork and anything that looks collectable, so the family or a valuer can assess it. We don't make judgement calls on value - we simply preserve and flag.
A written list of what was removed, donated or disposed of is provided with the completion pack, alongside dated photographs. This supports the executor's record-keeping obligations and can be shared with beneficiaries if requested.
Wills, deeds, bank statements, pension paperwork and personal correspondence are kept together and handed back to the executor. Where documents are no longer needed, we can arrange secure shredding rather than placing them in general waste.
Furniture, clothing, kitchenware and household goods in reusable condition are offered to local charities including Age UK, British Heart Foundation and Emmaus wherever practical, reducing landfill and the overall cost to the estate.
Yes, in stages. We can secure the property, remove perishable items and flag anything of obvious value straight away, then hold full clearance until the executor confirms they have authority to proceed. This protects the executor from any question over early disposal of estate assets.
Pricing follows the same structure as our house clearance service: from £200 for a part clearance, £425 for a 1-bed property, £550 for a 2-bed and £750+ for a 3-bed or larger, depending on volume and access. You always receive a written fixed-fee quote before booking.
Always. Cash, jewellery, documents, coins, medals and anything that looks collectable or sentimental is set aside and handed to the executor or family before any general clearance continues - we never make disposal decisions on items like this ourselves.
Yes. We keep a written, dated record of what was removed, donated or disposed of, which can be formatted for inclusion in estate accounts and shared directly with the solicitor if instructed to do so.
Wills, deeds, financial records and correspondence are kept separate throughout the clearance and returned to the executor. Where documents are no longer needed, we can arrange secure shredding rather than placing them with general waste.
Yes. We regularly clear properties to a fixed completion date agreed with a buyer, working backwards from that date to confirm booking, crew size and any staged visits needed.
Yes. We work with probate and private client solicitors across Liverpool, Chester and the Wirral, and can invoice the estate directly, correspond by email for the file, and confirm scope in writing before work begins.
Usable furniture and household goods are offered to local charities such as Age UK, British Heart Foundation and Emmaus. The remainder is removed under our Environment Agency waste carrier licence and disposed of at a licensed facility, with Waste Transfer Notes provided for the estate file.
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