Collection services

What is the difference between a house clearance and furniture collection?

A house clearance involves removing unwanted items from a property, typically when preparing for a sale, rental, or after a bereavement. This service can include the disposal of furniture, personal belongings, appliances, and general clutter.

Furniture collections are smaller and generally involve us collecting a few donations of large items, such as sofas and bedframes, that you may not be able to transport to us yourself. Items in a usable condition will be refurbished if necessary and sold in our stores, promoting reuse and sustainability.

How do collection services work?

1. Call us on 01462 678076 (option 1) to discuss your requirements. We'll find out the initial information we need about the property and your items to provide you with a no-obligation quote. If your initial estimate comes up at more than £1,000, we will need to arrange a preliminary home visit.
2. Taking into consideration the condition of your items and how long the collection will take, we'll discuss any additional charges with you (for example the costs we incur to recycle any items that cannot be resold).
3. Once you have agreed the quote, we will agree a suitable date and time for the clearance or collection to take place. Our professional team will arrive on the day, collect the specified items efficiently, and ensure the property is left clean and tidy.
4. Items suitable for reuse are refurbished where necessary and sold in our stores, supporting our commitment to sustainability. We will handle the sorting, recycling, and disposal of items that cannot be resold, adhering to all environmental regulations.

Do you charge for collection services?

The amount charged depends on how much needs collecting or clearing. Our current prices (last updated June 2025) are:

• Up to five items: Free
• Up to 10 items: £50 (including VAT)
• 11 or more items: This will be treated as a house clearance and your cost will be calculated on a per item basis.
  

Please note that clearances or removals generating an estimated quote of more than £1,000 will require a preliminary home visit to assess the time needed and the condition of the items being collected.

What area do you cover?

We collect donated furniture from the Garden House Hospice Care catchment area, which includes Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth, Baldock, Royston, Biggleswade and all the villages in between. If you live outside this area, additional charges may incur.

If you're unsure whether we cover your location, please call us on 01462 678076 (option 1) and we'll be happy to assist.

Is there a minimum or maximum size of collection or clearance?

No, there is no minimum or maximum size. You can donate a single item of furniture or we can clear an entire property. The only difference is that the amount that needs clearing/collecting will determine whether the service is classified as a furniture collection (a fixed price for up to 10 items) or house clearance (charged on a per item basis for more than 10 items).

What items do you accept?

We can also collect boxes/bags of smaller donations with your furniture, such as large and small electrical appliances, clothing, shoes, accessories and jewellery, CDs, books and homeware.

Are there any items you can't/won't accept?

We are incredibly grateful for the donations we receive through our collection services, however there are some things that we cannot sell for safety or legal reasons:

• Oil / chemicals / medical waste / paint
• Explosives / ammunition / weapons
• Petrol / fuel / petrol machinery
• Asbestos
• Drugs of any kind (medication etc.)
• Building materials
• Gas / compressed bottles
• Any unknown substances
  

If you are in any doubt, please call us on 01462 678076 (option 1) or request a call back.

What are additional waste and labour charges?

These will be calculated once we have reviewed your initial estimate, depending on the condition of your items. For example, mattresses and sofas without a fire safety label, unusable dishwashers or kitchen cabinets that are full of crockery will incur an additional charge. This is to cover the extra time taken to empty them, and/or the costs incurred by us to recycling any items that can't be resold.