Guide
House clearance when you live outside Cornwall
A practical sequence for inherited houses, second homes and vacant properties when you cannot easily be on site.
Information checked:
Why this is a common Cornwall problem
Cornwall has a high share of houses whose owners or executors live somewhere else: inherited cottages, second homes, and properties left vacant after a move. Travel from another county, or from overseas, makes it impractical to stand in every room while boxes are opened.
The service page remote house clearance in Cornwall is the short version. This guide is the working sequence.
Nothing here promises a key-safe service, an agent collection, or a particular timetable. Those are only true if the business has confirmed them and you have agreed them.
1. Initial enquiry
Who you are (owner, executor, attorney), the postcode, and why the house needs clearing. If the estate is in probate, say so and read probate house clearance. If it is a holiday let, read property clearance.
2. Photographs and property details
Ask someone who can enter lawfully — or use pictures you already have — to photograph:
- each room that is in scope
- loft hatch and, if safe, the loft
- garage, shed and other structures
- the approach: street, lane, stairs, parking
A written list of large or heavy objects prevents a quote that collapses on the day.
3. Access arrangements
Someone with authority has to allow entry. That might be you on a planned visit, a relative, a neighbour, or another key holder. Write down who holds the keys. Do not assume we can collect them from an office or a safe unless that is actually in place.
4. Identify retained belongings
Before a date is set, decide what must not leave. Use what to keep before a house clearance. Send a written list and photographs of those pieces. If several beneficiaries are involved, one person should own the list.
5. Quotation
We quote from what you have sent. If the job cannot be judged remotely, we will say a visit is needed. How pricing works is the same as for a local enquiry: volume, labour, access, disposal — not bedroom count.
6. Clearance
The agreed contents are removed. If you want photographs of empty rooms afterwards, ask for that when you book. It is a simple confirmation for someone who is not in the county.
7. Completion
You should receive confirmation that the work is finished. Waste still goes through authorised routes; living elsewhere does not change how items are handled.
What you should not expect from a website
We will not promise same-day attendance at a house on the Lizard because you emailed from abroad. We will not treat an inherited house as a skip job. We will not give legal advice about probate or about goods left in a rental.
When you are ready, send the details.