Clearing a house after the kids have left home
When a child eventually flies the nest, it can leave a big, gaping hole in the family and the home. It’s an inevitability of parenthood, watching your children happily skip off into the sunset on a brand new adventure which (sadly) doesn’t involve you.
But this allows you to finally rejoice in either the reclaiming of your own house or downsizing to a more manageable property. That being said, parents will always be there for their offspring, but you shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying the benefits of an empty nest.
Click on the green and yellow hotspots to find out what you can and can't put in a skip.
Kitchen
- Pots and pans – these can be placed in one of our skips together with ceramics.
- Wallpaper – together with old tiles, wallpaper can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Laminate – this type of flooring can be taken up and disposed of in one of our skips.
- Gas cooker/oven – once professionally de-gassed, gas appliances can go in a skip.
- Washing machines – as soon as it’s been completely disconnected, it can go in a skip.
- Sinks – metal and ceramic sinks can go in one of our skips.
- Fittings – cupboards, drawers and shelves can be placed in a skip.
- White goods – white goods and other electrical appliances cannot go in a skip, they should be taken to WEEE recycling facilities instead.
- Fridges and freezers – being electrical goods, these should be taken to a WEEE recycling facility and not placed in a skip.
Living Room
- Sofas – these can be placed in one of our skips together with armchairs.
- Wallpaper – old wallpaper can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Carpet – along with any unwanted rugs, carpet can be thrown into one of our skips.
- Mirrors – if undamaged, these can be disposed of in a skip.
- Furniture – a variety of furniture can be placed in a skip.
- Plasterboard – this cannot be mixed with organic waste, therefore, it must go to a dedicated site with separate containment cells which holds this type of waste.
- Light bulbs – typically, these aren’t allowed to mix with general waste, instead, take them to your local waste facility for safe disposal.
- Televisions – these count as electrical items and so must be taken to a WEEE recycling facility and not placed in a skip.
- Batteries – these can’t be placed in a skip and so must be taken to your local waste facility for safe disposal. Some supermarkets also provide battery recycling facilities, so keep an eye out.
Dining Room
- Ceramics – these can be placed in one of our skips together with tiles.
- Wallpaper – old wallpaper can be put in one of our skips.
- Carpet – along with any unwanted rugs, carpet can be placed in a skip.
- Mirrors – if undamaged, these can be disposed of in a skip.
- Furniture – tables, chairs shelving units and a variety of other furniture can be placed in a skip.
- Plasterboard – this cannot be mixed with organic waste, therefore, it must go to a dedicated site with separate containment cells which holds this type of waste.
- Light bulbs – typically, these aren’t allowed to mix with general waste, instead, take them to your local waste facility for safe disposal.
- Electrical items – these should not be put in a skip, instead they must be taken to a WEEE recycling facility.
Bedroom
- Wallpaper – old wallpaper can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Carpet – carpet can be disposed of in one of our skips together with old rugs.
- Bed frames – along with a variety of different furniture, bed frames can be placed in a skip
- Mattresses – these can be disposed of in a skip for a small additional fee.
- Plasterboard – this cannot be mixed with general waste, and so must be taken to a dedicated site with separate containment cells to manage this type of waste.
- Light bulbs – these must be taken to your local waste facility for safe disposal. Typically, light bulbs aren’t allowed to mix with general waste.
- Televisions – TVs must be taken to a WEEE recycling facility and not put in a skip.
- Batteries – these must be taken to your local waste facility for safe disposal and not placed in a skip. Keep an eye out in your supermarket for a battery recycling receptacle.
Bathroom
- Wallpaper – wallpaper can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Laminate – along with carpet, laminate flooring can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Tiles – along with ceramics, tiles can be put in a skip.
- Sinks – metal and ceramic sinks are permitted for disposal in one of our skips.
- Bath tubs – metal and ceramic baths can be put in a skip
- Toilets – unless told otherwise, toilets can be disposed of in a skip.
- Mirrors – if undamaged, these can be disposed of in a skip.
- Fittings – drawers, cupboards and shelves can be thrown into one of our skips.
- Fluorescent tubes – these must be taken to your local waste facility, along with other light bulbs, for safe disposal as opposed to being placed in a skip.
- Electrical items – these should be taken to a WEEE recycling facility and not thrown in a skip.
- Medication – these should be given into your local pharmacist and never thrown away, or flushed down the toilet. This goes for both unused and expired medication.
Attic
- Wallpaper – wallpaper can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Carpet – this particular type of flooring can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Wood – along with ceramics and tiles, wood can be put in a skip.
- Cardboard boxes – preferably, these should be recycled using your at-home waste management solution, together with paper. However, they can be put in a skip.
- Suitcases – as long as they have been emptied and do not contain any hazardous or electrical items, these can be thrown into one of our skips
- Mirrors – if undamaged, these can be disposed of in a skip.
- Furniture – old pieces of furniture can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Light bulbs – along with fluorescent tubes, these must be taken to your local waste facility for safe disposal as opposed to being placed in a skip.
- Electrical items – these should be taken to a WEEE recycling facility and not thrown in a skip.
Garage
- Tiles – these can be put in a skip along with ceramics.
- Furniture – old pieces of furniture can be put into one of our skips.
- Fittings – any cupboards, drawers and old shelves can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Electrical items – instead of placing these in a skip, they should be taken to a WEEE recycling facility, this includes power tools.
- Aerosols – check with your local council as to whether they can be recycled at a local facility as these cannot be disposed of in a skip.
- Gas canisters – these must either be returned to the supplier or taken to a household waste centre for recycling. These cannot be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Paint cans – whether empty or full, we do not accept paint cans.
- Tyres – old tyres can be recycled or donated, so contact your local council to find out more. However, you cannot dispose of them in one of our skips.
- Car batteries – these must be disposed of at a hazardous waste centre and cannot be placed in one of our skips.
Garden
- Ceramics – ceramics can be put in a skip along with old tiles.
- Soil – feel free to load up one of our skips with your unwanted excess soil after a landscaping project.
- Bricks – along with rubble, bricks can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Slabs – garden slabs and hardcore material are permitted for skip disposal.
- Foliage/plant matter – branches and other plant matter can be thrown into one of our skips.
- Fertilisers – search for a local household hazardous waste facility to take leftover fertiliser to. Empty fertiliser containers must be taken there as well. Neither can be disposed of in one of our skips.
- Pesticides – pesticides, together with any empty containers, must be taken to your local hazardous waste facility and not disposed of in one of our skips.
- Electrical items – lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and garden strimmers, along with other electrical items should be taken to a WEEE waste recycling facility and disposed of responsibly.
Uses for your child’s old bedroom
Often, a house clearance is a great start to commence with a few home improvements and renovations, and your child’s old room holds a wealth of possibilities, meaning you could potentially turn it into a:
- Study
- Craft/sewing room
- TV room
- Library
- Second bathroom
- Games room
- Gym
Tips for decluttering your home
Timing is everything. Don’t get rid of your child’s things while they’re still packing up to leave. Take the time to declutter, getting your child involved in the decision making process, too. Also, it’s always best to declutter in shifts of 2-3 hours to make the mammoth task more manageable.
Organisation is key. Label boxes and bags, have a place ready to store the things you’d like to keep and look at selling, donating or simply getting rid of items you no longer want – we have a range of skips available to help you with your project.
Managing your emotions and staying focused can be tricky. Getting your child involved in the decluttering process means that you have their full approval. Make it a pleasant experience by looking back at memories whilst being excited for the future.
Don’t move unwanted items around the house to avoid getting rid of things. Creating dumping grounds throughout your house is a slippery slope when it comes to decluttering. Be ruthless and get rid of what you don’t really need.
Hinton’s Waste has over ten years of waste management and disposal experience, priding ourselves on the comprehensive service carried out by our friendly and professional team. If you have waste from a house clearance, no matter how much you have, we will be able to help. We have a variety of skips available for hire in a range of sizes, so you can choose the one which is right for you. For more information, get in touch with us today – we’re always happy to help.
Order your skip today
-
6 Yard Skip
- Small scale home renovations
- Garden improvements
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60 bags
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-
8 Yard Skip
- Small scale construction work
- Demolition projects
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80 bags
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-
10 Yard Skip
- House clearances
- Small building sites
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100 bags
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-
12 Yard Skip
- Major house renovations
- Bulky waste
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120 bags
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-
14 Yard Skip
- Building site waste
- Refurbishment projects
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140 bags
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-
16 Yard Skip
- Commercial projects
- Site clearances
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160 bags
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