Probate House Clearance — Handled Properly for Executors and Families
When someone dies, their home usually has to be emptied before it can be sold, surrendered to a landlord or handed back to a housing association — and the person responsible is often an executor doing this for the first time, from a distance, with a solicitor asking for paperwork. CL Clearances clears probate properties across East Yorkshire the way an executor needs: documented, unhurried, with valuables and paperwork set aside, and with a Waste Transfer Note and receipt for the estate file. Charlotte attends every job personally.
- Written quote the estate can rely on before probate is granted
- Documents, valuables and keepsakes set aside, not loaded
- Waste Transfer Note and itemised receipt for the estate file
- Key-holding and photo updates for executors who live away
Based in Howden, DN14 · covering East & South Yorkshire
Get a probate clearance quote
No obligation. We can quote from photos or a visit.
What a probate clearance from CL Clearances includes
Probate clearance is the emptying of a deceased person's property under the instruction of their executor or administrator, once it is legally appropriate to do so. It differs from an ordinary house clearance in what has to be found, kept and recorded before anything leaves the building.
- A methodical search before anything is loaded — every drawer, pocket, book, tin and envelope checked for cash, jewellery, documents, photographs and anything that looks like it was kept on purpose
- Set-aside boxes — documents (wills, deeds, policies, statements, passports), keys, cash and jewellery, photographs and personal items boxed separately and handed to the executor, never disposed of
- Items of value flagged — furniture, pictures, collections, tools and vehicles that may need a valuation are pointed out, photographed and left in place until you decide
- The clearance itself — furniture, contents, carpets and curtains if wanted, garage, loft, shed and garden (garden clearance can be done the same day)
- Reuse and donation — usable furniture and goods offered to local charities and reuse outlets, with a note of what went where if the family would like it
- Documentation — Waste Transfer Note under licence CBDU291452, an itemised receipt on CL Clearances letterhead for the estate accounts, and photos of the empty property
- Meter readings and lock-up — final readings noted, windows and doors checked, keys returned or left with the agent
If the property is a tenancy or housing-association home, we work to the landlord's end-date and hand back to their standard.
What executors tell us they need
A price the estate can rely on
A fixed written quote that does not change on the day, so it can go to the solicitor and into the estate accounts without a query.
Not to have to be there
Many executors live hours away. We collect keys from an agent or neighbour, send photos as we go, and confirm when the property is empty and locked.
Nothing thrown away that should not have been
The search-first approach exists because a will, a bond certificate or a wedding ring turns up in an unexpected place more often than you would think.
Paperwork that satisfies the solicitor
A receipt and a Waste Transfer Note answer the two questions estate administrators always ask: what did it cost, and where did the contents go.
Time for the family first
The family takes what it wants before we start. If that takes several visits over a few weeks, the quote holds.
Discretion
An unmarked-enough van, no signs in the window, no discussion with neighbours about whose house it is or what was in it.
Probate house clearance costs in East Yorkshire — 2026
Priced on property size, volume of contents and access, like any clearance — but quoted in writing so the figure can be relied on by the estate. Anything with resale value that we take (with your agreement) is credited against the price. These are typical figures within 25 miles of Howden.
| Property | Typical scope | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom flat or bungalow | Full contents, one van load | £350 – £550 |
| Two-bedroom house or bungalow | Contents, garage or shed, one to two loads | £550 – £850 |
| Three-bedroom house | Contents, loft, garage, garden, two to three loads | £850 – £1,300 |
| Four-bedroom or long-occupied family home | Decades of contents, outbuildings, three or more loads | £1,300 – £2,000+ |
| Part clearance | After the family and auctioneer have taken what they want | Priced on what is left — often £250 – £500 |
Sale of contents: where there is furniture, collectables or tools worth selling, we can deliver them to an auction house in Hull, York or Doncaster or a house-clearance buyer, and the estate receives the proceeds directly. We do not buy contents ourselves — it keeps the clearance price and the valuation separate, which solicitors prefer.
How a probate clearance runs
Talk it through
A call with the executor or solicitor: where the property is, what stage probate is at, who has keys, and what the family wants kept.
Quote — from photos or a visit
A fixed written quote for the estate file. If the family has not yet been through the house, we quote after they have, or allow for it.
Search, set aside, clear
The methodical search first, then the clearance, with the set-aside boxes handed over or delivered to the executor.
Hand back with paperwork
Photos of the empty property, meter readings, keys returned, receipt and Waste Transfer Note emailed the same day.
When can a property be cleared during probate?
In general, the contents of a property should not be disposed of until the executor has the authority to deal with the estate — either because the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) has been issued, or because the estate is small enough not to need one. Before that point the executor's duty is to secure the property and preserve its contents, which usually means changing the locks, keeping the insurance valid, and making a list.
There are practical exceptions. A rented property or housing-association tenancy often has a notice period that ends before probate is granted, and the landlord will expect it empty; clearing it is reasonable provided the contents are catalogued and nothing of value is disposed of. Perishables, obvious rubbish and anything creating a hazard can also be removed. If in doubt, the solicitor dealing with the estate will say what they are comfortable with, and CL Clearances will fit around that — including a "secure and inventory" visit first, and the full clearance later.
Where a valuation of contents is needed for the estate (for inheritance tax, or where beneficiaries want to know what things are worth), that should happen before the clearance. We can wait for a valuer, and we can deliver specific items to an auction house on the estate's instruction. See also our guide to house clearance after a bereavement.
Probate house clearance FAQs
How much does a probate house clearance cost?
In East Yorkshire in 2026 a one-bedroom flat is typically £350–£550, a two-bedroom house £550–£850, and a three-bedroom family home £850–£1,300, including loft, garage and garden. CL Clearances gives a fixed written quote that can go straight to the solicitor and into the estate accounts, and the figure does not change on the day.
Can you clear the house before probate is granted?
Usually the contents should be preserved until the Grant of Probate is issued, unless the estate is small enough not to need one. Rented properties are a common exception because the tenancy ends first. We are happy to do a secure-and-inventory visit now and the clearance once the executor has authority, and to take instruction from the solicitor on timing.
What happens if you find money, jewellery or documents?
They are boxed separately and handed to the executor, with a note of where they were found. Nothing that looks personal, valuable or legal is disposed of. This search-first approach is the main difference between a probate clearance and an ordinary one.
Do you buy the contents or offset their value?
We do not buy contents ourselves. Items with real resale value can be delivered to an auction house or a specialist buyer on the estate's instruction, so the proceeds go to the estate directly and the clearance price stays separate. Solicitors and beneficiaries find that clearer.
Will you provide paperwork for the estate?
Yes: an itemised receipt on CL Clearances letterhead, a Waste Transfer Note under licence CBDU291452 showing where the contents went, and photographs of the empty property. Executors send these to the solicitor or keep them with the estate accounts.
I live at the other end of the country — can you do this without me?
Yes. Most of our probate work is for executors who are not local. We collect keys from an agent, neighbour or key safe, send photos before, during and after, ring you about anything unexpected, and confirm the property is empty, clean and locked. Set-aside boxes can be posted or delivered.
Can you clear a council or housing-association property after a death?
Yes, and quickly. Housing providers around Goole, Hull and Selby usually give a short notice period once a tenancy ends on death, and charge rent until the keys are back. We clear to their handover standard, remove carpets if required, and return the keys with photos so the family is not billed for extra weeks.
Which areas do you cover for probate clearance?
Howden, Goole, Selby, Hull, Beverley, York, Doncaster, Scunthorpe and everywhere within about 30 miles of Howden, including the villages across the East Riding, the Selby district and North Lincolnshire.
Speak to Charlotte about a probate clearance
Call 07783 430775, email hello@cl-clearances.co.uk or use the form. There is no obligation, and if the property is not ready to be cleared yet, a conversation now still helps with planning. Solicitors and estate administrators are welcome to instruct directly.
See also bereavement house clearance for families clearing a home without the formal probate process, and house clearance for everything else.
- Call or text07783 430775
- WhatsAppMessage Charlotte
- Emailhello@cl-clearances.co.uk
- Based inHowden, DN14 7DY, East Yorkshire
- HoursMon–Fri 8am–5pm · Sat 8am–12pm
- Waste carrier licenceCBDU291452