House clearer is not a protected profession. There is a private quality mark, but no statutory recognition and no diploma. Anyone with a van and a registration at the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) may call themselves a house clearance company. Most companies do their work well. The difference lies in what is on paper before the first box goes out of the door.
A good house clearance company comes to look, then names one fixed amount and states what will be done for it. If one of those three is missing, you only find out on the invoice what it costs.
Eight points for judging a house clearance company
1. Does someone come to look?
A price over the telephone is a guess. Two homes of the same size can be far apart in the amount of work, depending on what is in the loft and in the shed. A company that names an amount without a site visit keeps room to adjust it later. The site visit should be free, and if you live far away it can also be done on a video call.
2. Is the price fixed?
Ask whether the amount in the quote is the final amount. Look out for words such as guide price, from, subject to charges added afterwards and excluding disposal fees. A fixed price means that the risk of a full cellar lies with the company and not with you. Check as well whether the amount includes VAT.
3. What is covered by the price?
A quote should state which rooms and spaces will be emptied, including the loft, cellar, storeroom, shed and garden. Then: are the disposal fees included, will the property be left broom clean, and will the floor covering, curtain rails and light fittings be removed if the landlord asks for that? Whatever is not in the quote is extra work.
4. Where do the contents go?
Disposal costs money, and that is where savings are made first. Ask which waste processor the waste goes to, whether it is sorted and what happens to usable items. A company that cannot tell you leaves you with a risk: if your contents are dumped somewhere, the post with your address on it is in there too.
5. Is the company insured?
During a clearance heavy furniture goes through narrow stairwells, often in a property that then has to be handed over to a landlord or buyer. Ask whether the company has liability insurance and what happens if the stairs, a door frame or the lift is damaged.
6. Who comes into the home?
Does the company work with its own people, or does it hire a crew for each job? That matters for what happens to the papers, jewellery and photographs that turn up during the work. Ask how they deal with those and who your point of contact is on the day itself.
7. Can the company be found?
A business address, a KvK number and a landline number are the minimum. Read the reviews on Google, and pay less attention to the score than to what people describe: did the crew arrive on time, was the price right, was the property really empty afterwards?
8. How is the property handed over?
With a rented home or a sale you have to be able to show in what condition you left the property. Ask whether you will receive photographs of the empty rooms afterwards and a handover report for the landlord, estate agent or notary.
Be careful with free
Having a house cleared for free in exchange for the contents sounds reasonable. Sometimes it is possible: a second-hand shop will in some cases do it for free if there are enough saleable items, and otherwise gives a price in advance.
For most homes it does not work out. Tidy contents from the 1980s or 1990s fetch little second-hand, while disposing of the rest simply costs money. A commercial company that promises free all the same earns it back somewhere else. That can be through additional costs on the final invoice, by taking only what is valuable and leaving the rest behind, or by saving on disposal.
We do not buy contents and we do not offset anything against the price. You pay a fixed amount for the work. If there is something of value, sell it yourself and leave it out of the job at the site visit. You can read how our price is made up in what does a house clearance cost.
Paying in advance?
For services the law sets no maximum for a deposit. With a purchase of goods a seller may not oblige you to pay more than half in advance, but that limit does not apply here. Transferring the whole amount in advance is therefore allowed, and for that very reason a risk. Agree when you will pay and make sure it is stated in the quote.
How to compare two quotes
Put the quotes side by side and go through these lines. The lowest amount is only the cheapest if the rest is the same.
| Item | What you want to see |
|---|---|
| Price | One fixed amount, including VAT, with no charges added afterwards |
| Rooms | All rooms and spaces named, including the loft, shed and garden |
| Disposal | Disposal fees included, waste sorted |
| Extra work | Floors, curtain rails and light fittings listed separately |
| Handover | Broom clean, with photographs and a report |
| Planning | A date, and what happens if it is not met |
| Payment | The moment of payment is stated |
Six questions for the site visit
- What is the final amount, and what could still change it?The answer should be: nothing, unless you add something yourself.
- What do you do with items I am unsure about?Setting them aside and checking with you is the right answer.
- Who has the key, and when do I get it back?Certainly if you will not be there yourself.
- How many people are coming, and how long will it take?An average home is empty in one day with one crew.
- Do you know my landlord’s requirements?A company from the region knows what the housing associations here check.
- What do I receive afterwards?Photographs, a handover report and an invoice that matches the quote.
How we work
Nova Woningontruiming is based on the Raadhuisplein in Bodegraven and works with a permanent team of its own. The site visit is free and is usually possible within 1 to 3 working days. Within 24 hours after that you receive one fixed price, including VAT for private individuals, with no charges added afterwards and no call-out charge in our working area. Usable items go to a second-hand shop or charity, and we sort the rest into wood, metal, plastic and electronics. You receive photographs of the empty property and a handover report.
Exactly what we do is set out on the house clearance page. For the bereaved there is a separate page about house clearance after a death. You can read who we are under about us. You can request a site visit through the contact page or on 085 7444 039. Feel free to put our quote next to another one.
