How to Clear a House in Staffordshire: A Step-by-Step Guide
From the first walk round to the last sweep of the floor. What to do with each thing, where it can go locally, and when to call in help.
Carried out by Kwikshift Removals & Storage · licensed waste carrier · £10m insured
Updated 6 October 2026
Before You Start
A house clearance is usually needed for one of a few reasons: a death in the family, a move into care, the end of a tenancy, or a move to a smaller home. Whatever the reason, the steps are much the same.
Work out three things first:
- Who decides. The owner, the executor, the landlord or the family together? Agree this before anything goes.
- Your deadline. A tenancy end date, a house sale, or none at all.
- How much help you have. Be honest about time, transport and lifting.
If someone has died, read our probate house clearance guide first. There are good reasons not to clear too early.
Step 1: Walk Round and Plan
Go through every space with a notebook or your phone. Don't forget the loft, cellar, garage, shed, greenhouse and garden. These often hold more than the house.
Take photos as you go. They help with family decisions, and you can send them to a clearance company for a quote.
Measure any large pieces the family wants to keep, and the doorways and stairs in their new home. It is better to find out now that a wardrobe won't fit than on moving day. Make a list of anything that will need two people or a van to move.
Note anything that needs special care: very heavy items, fridges and freezers, a piano, paint and chemicals in the shed, or things up narrow stairs. On a narrow terraced street or a steep lane, also think about where a van can park.
Step 2: Sort Into Five Groups
Work room by room. Use labels or coloured stickers so everyone can see what is going where.
Keep
Things the family wants, plus papers, photos and keepsakes. Box them and move them out of the way, or into one room.
Check or value
Jewellery, antiques, paintings, collections, tools and anything you are unsure about. Get advice before it goes.
Sell
Good furniture, working electricals and anything collectable. Online marketplaces and local selling groups are the usual routes.
Donate
Clean clothes, books, kitchenware and furniture in good condition. See the local options below.
Recycle or dispose
Broken items, worn-out furniture, general rubbish and anything nobody wants.
Check pockets, handbags, books and drawers as you go. Cash, letters and photos often turn up in surprising places.
Step 3: Find Good Homes for Usable Things
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's reuse page lists several charities that collect furniture. These are the ones we have checked:
- Emmaus North Staffs runs a furniture charity shop on New Hall Street in Hanley. It offers free collection within 10 miles of the shop. Soft furnishings must have a fire label and items must be in saleable condition. Emmaus North Staffs donations.
- The British Heart Foundation collects furniture and electrical items for free, if they can be sold in its shops. Upholstered items need fire labels. Book a BHF collection.
- The Salvation Army also offers free collections, according to the council's page.
The council also suggests free reuse apps such as Freegle and Olio, and local neighbourhood selling groups.
Charities can only take what they can sell. Book collections early, as they may not be able to come before your deadline.
Step 4: Using the Tip and Council Collections
In most of Staffordshire, your district or borough council collects bins and bulky items, and Staffordshire County Council runs the recycling centres. In Stoke-on-Trent, the city council does both.
Recycling centres in North Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council: Hanford (Campbell Road) and Burslem (Federation Road).
- Staffordshire County Council: Newcastle (Leycett Lane), Leek (Fowlchurch Road), Biddulph (Bemersley Road), Cheadle (Tower Crane Drive), Stafford (St Albans Road) and Stone (Stone Business Park, Aston), among others.
Opening times and accepted items change, so check the council's website before you go.
Rules that catch people out
- Staffordshire County Council needs a van or trailer permit, even for a hire van. The permit holder must live at the address the waste comes from. If you are clearing a relative's home, the council asks you to contact them for advice.
- Stoke-on-Trent's tips are for city residents only. Staff may ask for ID for items like mattresses and fridge freezers, and can refuse loads they think are from a house clearance or a business.
- In Stoke-on-Trent, mattresses are only accepted at Hanford.
Bulky waste collections
For a handful of large items, a council collection may be enough. Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford Borough and Staffordshire Moorlands run paid collections. Newcastle-under-Lyme points residents to charities and reuse apps instead. Items usually have to be outside by 7am, and crews won't come into the house.
Too much for the car, or no time for tip runs?
Send the postcode, preferred date, access details and a few photos and Kwikshift will come back with a free quote.
Get a Free QuoteStep 5: Deal With the Awkward Items
- Electricals. If you are buying a replacement, the shop must offer to take back your old item of the same type. Large shops selling electricals must also take back very small electricals (under 25cm) for free, even if you buy nothing. Many tips also take electricals, so check the council's list.
- Sofas and armchairs. Upholstered seating may contain chemicals called POPs. If it is waste, it must be kept apart from other rubbish and destroyed, not landfilled. If it is in good condition with its fire label, try a charity first.
- Paint, chemicals and gas bottles. Check your council's website for what the tip accepts. Don't put them in a skip or a general load.
Our guide to what happens to waste after a clearance explains these rules in more detail.
Step 6: Book a Clearance for the Rest
Once the keep, sell and donate piles are sorted, a clearance company can take everything else. Before you book:
- check they are an upper tier waste carrier on the Environment Agency register, because you are responsible if your waste is fly-tipped;
- send photos of every room, the loft, garage and garden;
- tell them what is staying, and about stairs, parking and heavy items;
- get a written quote that says what is included.
See how to choose a licensed clearance company and what house clearance costs.
Step 7: On the Day and After
- Take the "keep" boxes out of the house first, or lock them in one room and tell the crew.
- Make sure there is somewhere for the van to park.
- Be there at the start to walk round with the crew, if you can.
- Check every room, cupboard, the loft and the garden before they leave.
- Take final meter readings and photos of the empty house.
- Return keys to the landlord or agent if it was rented.
Wondering how long the clearance itself will take? See how long a house clearance takes.
If You Have a Deadline
Council and housing association landlords often give about four weeks once a tenancy is ending after a death. If you are working to a date like that, a simple plan helps:
Week 1
Walk round, take photos and ask for clearance quotes. Book the clearance date near the end of your time.
Week 2
Family choose what they want. Gather papers. Get anything valuable looked at.
Week 3
Charity collections and sales. Move the keep boxes out.
Week 4
The clearance, a final check, meter readings and keys back.
If the time is too short, ask the landlord for more. Shelter says you can ask for more time or help if you need it. Storage is another option for things you can't decide on yet.
Stay Safe While You Clear
- Don't carry heavy furniture down stairs on your own. Wardrobes and sofas are the usual cause of injuries and damaged walls.
- Wear gloves in lofts, sheds and garages. Watch for sharp edges, glass and broken boards.
- Leave unknown liquids, chemicals and anything that might be asbestos where they are, and get advice.
- Keep stairs and doorways clear of bags and boxes.
- If the house has been empty for a while, check the heating, damp and any signs of pests before you spend long days there.
How Kwikshift Can Help
Kwikshift's crews carry out full and part house clearances across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Leek and the towns around them. They move usable furniture to new homes or charities where possible, and can store or deliver anything the family is keeping. Send a few photos for a free quote.
Trusted by Hundreds of Customers
Every job is carried out by Kwikshift Removals & Storage, an established removals, clearance and storage company with over 15 years in the trade.
What customers say about Kwikshift
- Friendly, efficient crews, often praised by name
- Belongings handled with care, from furniture to fragile items
- Clear communication from first enquiry to the finished job
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Book Your Clearance?
Tell us what needs clearing, moving or storing. Kwikshift aims to reply promptly during business hours, normally within 60 minutes.