House Clearance Service - Terms & Conditions

Definitions

• House Clearance: Removal of household items, furniture, waste, and debris as agreed with the Customer. 
• Property: The premises where the clearance takes place. 
• Quotation: A written or verbal estimate of work and cost. 

Quotations & Pricing

All quotations are provided based on the information you supply.
Quotes may change if: 

• Additional items are found on arrival 
• Access is restricted 
• Hazardous materials or specialist disposal is needed 
• Items differ significantly from the original description

Any additional charges will be communicated before work continues.
Prices include labour, transport, and standard disposal unless stated otherwise. 

Booking & Cancellations

Bookings are confirmed once you accept the quotation.
Cancellations within 24 hours of the scheduled start time may incur a cancellation fee of 10% of the quotation amount.
St Oswald’s Hospice reserves the right to cancel or reschedule due to health and safety issues, adverse weather, or unforeseen circumstances. 

Access to Property

You must provide safe and reasonable access to the Property at the agreed time.
Delays caused by lack of access may result in additional charges

Items We Do and Do Not Remove

We can remove: 

• Furniture, appliances, general household items 
• Rubbish, bagged waste, bulky waste 
• Garden items (if agreed) 
• Unless instructed otherwise, in a typical house clearance, we will leave carpets. If you require carpets to be uplifted, please agree this prior to the fee quote 

We do not remove: 

• Hazardous waste (asbestos, chemicals, biological waste) 
• Gas bottles or explosives 
• Any item prohibited by law 
• Fixtures and fittings (any item directly fitted to any wall) 
• Mains fitted items such as gas appliances unless disconnected. 
• St Oswald’s Hospice has a duty to record any waste that is found that could relate to criminal activity. 

Specialist disposal of certain items may be arranged at additional cost if required. 

Recycling, Disposal & Donation

We aim to recycle, reuse, or donate items wherever possible. 

The House Clearance may involve some items being broken up if they are too large, bulky or heavy for removal from the property in one piece, or in instances where removal in one piece may risk causing injury to staff or property.

All disposals comply with local waste regulations and UK environmental law. 

Valuables & Personal Items

The Customer is responsible for ensuring that no valuables, documents, or personal items are left within items to be removed.
St Oswald’s Hospice shall not be held responsible or liable for the removal of any items from a property where instructions were unclear, incomplete, or ambiguous. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure that instructions are clear and comprehensive. 

Damage & Liability

We take care when working on your Property; however, minor scuffs or marks can occur during removal of large items.
We are not liable for: 

• Structural weaknesses in the building 
• Pre-existing damage 
• Damage caused by items that cannot be removed without risk 

Any damage caused by our negligence must be reported within 24 hours of completion. 

Payment Terms

The fee payable is due upon the completion of the House Clearance.  

We require payment by either card or direct payment into our bank account within 30 days of you receiving the invoice

Waste Transfer & Documentation

St Oswald’s Hospice is a licensed waste carrier (Registration No: CBOL22658). 

Insurance

We hold public liability insurance covering our work at your Property.
Evidence of insurance is available upon request. 

Complaints

Complaints must be made within 48 hours of the service.
We aim to resolve complaints promptly and professionally. 

Limits of Service

House clearance does not include cleaning.
We do not dismantle structural elements of a property. 

Termination

St Oswald’s Hospice may terminate the agreement if: 

• Health and safety risks are identified 
• The Customer behaves abusively 
• Illegal activities or prohibited materials are discovered 

Retail Gift Aid Agreement (For Sale of Donated Items)

Upon booking, we will ask whether you would like to sign up for Retail Gift Aid and whether you are eligible to do so. By choosing to participate in the St Oswald’s Hospice Retail Gift Aid scheme, you confirm that you are a UK taxpayer and understand that, by completing and signing the St Oswald’s Hospice Gift Aid Declaration, St Oswald’s Hospice may reclaim Gift Aid on the net proceeds from the sale of your donated items.

By opting into Gift Aid, the Customer appoints St Oswald’s Hospice as their agent to sell donated items on their behalf. The Customer agrees that: 

• St Oswald’s Hospice will decide how, when, and where to sell items. 
• Items may be sold in retail shops, online marketplaces, auctions, or other approved channels. 
• Unsaleable items may be recycled, upcycled, or responsibly disposed of. 

The Customer will receive a standard Gift Aid letter (in accordance with HMRC rules) letting them know how much their goods have raised. 

The Customer confirms they will pay sufficient UK Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax to cover the amount reclaimed by St Oswald’s Hospice through Gift Aid in each tax year. It is the Customer’s responsibility to notify St Oswald’s Hospice if their tax circumstances change. 

St Oswald’s Hospice reserves the right to refuse Gift Aid on any items that are not eligible for sale, or where HMRC rules prohibit Gift Aid being applied. 

Participation in Gift Aid is entirely optional. If the Customer does not complete a Gift Aid Declaration, all items collected will be treated as non‑Gift‑Aid donations or waste, as applicable. 

Find out more about Retail Gift Aid here or ask our House Clearance Manager about Gift Aid when booking.