Rise of House Clearance Businesses
With so much job uncertainty around, longer working hours and few pay rises, sometimes it can seem that the grass might indeed be greener on the other side of the fence. For many people, this can mean giving serious consideration to the idea of quitting their job and going into business for themselves.
In an ideal world turning a hobby or something that you love doing into a job is the perfect scenario but unless you can find a gap in the market or you are good at what you do then it can be difficult to succeed. Whatever decision you make to go into business, it is important to remember that the best chance you have of succeeding is to follow your head and not your heart; it takes determination and plenty of perseverance to make a new business a successful one.
Why House Clearance?
It is highly likely that there will always be a need for people to do house clearances. As people seem to be spending more time working they are more inclined to get people in to do some of the jobs they might previously have done themselves, and clearing their house in order to get it ready for sale is one of those jobs.
Of course, the majority of the time house clearance is needed when an elderly relative goes into a nursing home or passes away and the relatives simply don’t have the time to clear the house out themselves. In the case of a death it can be too much of an emotional task for a close family member and getting rid of all those items that have personal and sentimental value can be difficult, so getting a company in to do the job is preferable.
Whilst it can be true that people who do house clearances can be asked to get rid of items that could be quite valuable, it is worth remembering that a lot of what needs clearing will be worthless and will need to be disposed of.
What Do You need?
To set up a house clearance business there are a couple of things that you will need to consider.
- If you are emptying a whole house then you might prefer to hire a skip rather than make lots of journeys to and from the municipal waste site. Remember when arranging skip hire that skip sizes can vary so make sure you have enough room for everything you need to get rid of.
- Vehicle – In order to effectively complete house clearances you really will need a van, however if you are just starting out in business you may prefer to hire one until you have established your new business.
- Liability insurance – It is important to have the appropriate insurance in order to be covered when moving large items in someone’s property, if you should accidentally damage something then your insurance will cover you.
- Waste carrier’s license – These can be obtained from the Environment Agency and will last you for 3 years. If you are removing items from houses that need to be taken to municipal waste sites then you will need this.
- Advertising – You could advertise in the local press or online, you could also leave business cards with local estate agencies who may be happy to suggest you to their clients.
Starting your own business can take serious motivation, determination, and hard work if you want to succeed, so before you start a house clearance business do your research and make sure it is for you.