Clearance cost estimator

What this tool does

This estimator gives an indicative price range for clearing a probate property in London. You answer a short series of questions about the property and the contents, and it returns a range together with an explanation of which answers moved the figure. It takes a couple of minutes, needs no sign-up, and captures no contact details.

It is aimed at executors, administrators and family members who need a working number before a solicitor's call, a family discussion or a first draft of the estate accounts. Knowing whether a clearance is likely to be a few hundred pounds or a few thousand changes how you plan everything else.

What actually drives the price

Volume comes first. Clearance is priced on how much material leaves the property and how many vehicle loads that represents, not on how many rooms the property technically has. A three-bedroom house lived in for forty years can hold three times the contents of the same house sold five years ago.

Access comes second. Stairs without a lift, long carries from door to vehicle, controlled parking zones, permit requirements, red routes and restricted loading hours all add labour time. A flat on the fourth floor of a block with no lift can cost noticeably more than a larger house with a driveway.

Disposal route comes third. Materials that need separating — electrical items, mattresses, paint, garden chemicals, fridges and freezers — carry specific handling and disposal costs. Items with resale or donation value can offset part of the total, which is why anything potentially saleable is identified and reported to the executor rather than quietly removed.

What the estimate is not

The range shown is indicative only. It is not a quotation, not an offer, and not binding on either side. No estimator can judge from a description how densely a loft is packed or how a narrow rear access will affect a day's work, and honest pricing depends on someone seeing the property.

A fixed written price follows a free assessment at the property. Someone walks the whole place including loft, garage, shed and cellar, and the price is confirmed in writing before any work is booked. If the estimator's range and the written price differ, the written price is the one that counts.

How this fits a probate clearance

Timing matters as much as cost. Contents should be valued for the estate before they are cleared, particularly where inheritance tax may be due, and family members usually need a chance to take keepsakes first. Once a clearance goes ahead, the property is searched for documents, jewellery, cash and paperwork before anything is loaded, potentially valuable items are itemised for the executor, and nothing goes to disposal without approval. Waste leaves under a licensed waste carrier registration with transfer documentation supplied for the estate file.