Probate & bereavement
house clearance in Bristol
When a parent’s or relative’s home has to be emptied, we plan the clearance around you: what must stay, who holds the keys, and the date you are working towards. A whole house, a flat or a few rooms.
You can get in touch before you have everything worked out.
- Registered waste carrier
Environment Agency, CBDU669840 - Based in Bristol
290-294 Southmead Road, BS10 - Monday to Saturday
9:00 to 17:00 - Whole property or part
From one sofa to a full house
Which of these is closest to your situation?
Each part of this page sets out what to decide before booking, so you can come to us with the questions already in order.
Bereavement house clearance
Clearing a home after someone has died can mean sorting through a lifetime of belongings while dealing with paperwork, family decisions and a deadline you did not choose. We start with what the family wants kept, then clear the rest.
Start with what to keep
Probate clearance for executors
The house may need emptying before it can be sold or handed back. We work to your instructions and keep the clearance separate from the estate valuation.
What executors should settle first
Full house clearance
Every room, plus the loft, garage and shed, cleared so the property can be sold, let or handed over in the condition you need.
Plan a full house clearance
Start with the things you want to keep
A photograph or a handwritten note can matter far more than any piece of furniture. Set these aside before clearance day, or tell us where they are likely to be.
- Photographs, letters, jewellery and keepsakes
- Wills, certificates, bank and property papers
- Keys, bank cards, post and anything the estate still needs
Not sure yet? Leave undecided belongings out of the agreed work until the family has made up its mind.
Arranging a clearance as an executor, or from outside Bristol
Who holds the keys
Tell us who can let us in, and who can give instructions about the contents.
What finished looks like
Agree before booking how the completed job will be checked, especially if you cannot be there.
Valuation stays separate
Household contents can form part of the estate. A clearance quote is not a probate valuation. GOV.UK explains how to value an estate.
Your date
A sale completing, a tenancy ending, keys due back to the council. Tell us the date and what it is tied to.
How a clearance comes together
Tell us about the property
The postcode, the rooms, roughly how full they are and any date you are working to. Photos help if you have them.
We look at the contents and the access
Stairs, parking, the loft and outbuildings, and anything that needs specialist handling.
You agree the scope and the price
What goes, what stays, whether cleaning is included and the total you will pay.
Clearance day
The agreed rooms are emptied and the property is left in the condition we agreed with you.
A whole house, cleared and ready for what comes next
Furniture, beds and wardrobes, white goods, kitchen contents, clothes and books, and the loft, garage and shed. Carpets, curtains and fitted items are agreed separately, so nothing is assumed.
If the house is going on the market or back to a landlord, tell us the condition it needs to be left in.
Across Bristol and the villages around it
We are based on Southmead Road in North Bristol. Each of these areas has its own page with the streets, access and parking we plan around.
Somewhere else nearby? Send the postcode and we will confirm whether we can take it on.
Questions to settle before a clearance
The things families and executors most often need to decide first.
Do I need to sort and box everything up first?
No — talk to us before you take on a full sort. Tell us what has already been done and what remains, and we will agree what help with sorting is part of the job. Where you can, keep essential paperwork and personal belongings separate from everything else.
Will you take things a charity has refused?
Charity collection and house clearance are different services. A charity may accept selected reusable items; a clearance also deals with furniture and household waste nobody can donate. Describe what is left and we will confirm what is included before you book.
What happens to anything valuable?
Identify anything you know or suspect is valuable before the clearance, and consider an independent valuation. Agree who keeps or sells it and whether any value is credited against the bill. Do not assume a clearance price includes valuation, auction or a share of resale proceeds — ours does not, unless it is written into the job.
Can the house be cleared before probate is granted?
There is no single answer that fits every estate; it depends on who has authority over the contents. Check the position before anything is removed, sold or donated, and do not assume that being a relative is enough. The GOV.UK guide to applying for probate sets out the framework for England and Wales.
Does a clearance include cleaning?
Removing contents and cleaning are separate tasks. Tell us what condition the property has to be left in — an estate agent, a buyer or a landlord may all want something different — and we will confirm exactly what is included rather than leave you assuming.
Tell us about the property
You may have a full list of contents, or you may only know that there is too much to manage alone. Either is a starting point.
- 0117 287 2726
- enquiries@painlessclearances.co.uk
- Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 17:00
