How to prepare a loft or garage for a clear-out

Why these spaces are different

A spare room is easy to see into. A loft is dark, cramped and often reached by a narrow ladder. A garage might have a car-sized gap in the middle and twenty years of tins, tools and boxes stacked around the edges. Both need a bit of thought before anyone starts carrying things out.

The good news is that most of the preparation is simple and can be done in an afternoon.

Preparing a loft

Make access safe

Check the loft ladder is secure and the hatch opens fully. If there is no fixed ladder, do not balance on a chair. Tell your clearance team so they can bring their own.

Look for boards. In many older Teesside houses only part of the loft is boarded, and the rest is bare joists with insulation between them. Stepping between joists can mean a foot through the ceiling below. If you go up, stay on boards and take a good torch or a battery lamp.

Have a first look

You do not have to sort the whole loft yourself. A quick look helps you spot:

• boxes of photos, letters or children's school work you might want to keep
• Christmas decorations and suitcases you still use
• old electricals, rolls of carpet or spare tiles that will need to come down
• signs of damp, wasps' nests or droppings, which you should mention when booking

Clear a path below

Move anything fragile away from the landing and the stairs. Items coming down from a loft are often dusty, so laying an old sheet on the landing carpet saves cleaning later.

Preparing a garage

Check what is really in there

Garages collect half-used paint, garden chemicals, old car batteries, gas bottles and fuel cans. Some of these need special handling and cannot simply go in with general waste. Gather them in one spot, keep lids on, and tell your clearance team what you have. Do not mix chemicals or pour anything away.

If the garage is older, it may have a corrugated roof or panels. Some older garage roofs contain asbestos cement. Do not break, drill or remove these yourself. Mention them when you ask for a quote so the right advice can be given.

Free up the door and the drive

Make sure the garage door opens fully and is not jammed. On clearance day, keep the driveway or the space outside the door free so a van can get close. On terraced streets with back lanes, let us know whether the garage is reached from the lane, as that affects where we park and how we carry.

Take out what you are keeping

Tools, bikes, the lawnmower and anything else you want to keep are best moved out before the team arrives, or clearly labelled. A strip of coloured tape works well. It saves anyone having to ask about every item.

Things to keep back from both

• paperwork, deeds and anything with bank or personal details
• keys, especially spares for the house or car
• family photos, films and slides
• anything you are planning to sell
• items that belong to someone else, such as a neighbour's ladder

Doing it yourself or getting help

If there is only a car load, Middlesbrough residents can use the council's Household Waste Recycling Centre on Haverton Hill Road in Billingham. Check the council website for how to book and what it accepts before you go, as the rules can change.

If you hire anyone to take it away, check they are a registered waste carrier first. GOV.UK has a page on checking waste carriers that links to the Environment Agency's public register.

For bigger jobs, we can do the lifting and the trips. Our loft clearance service covers bringing everything down safely, and our garage clear-outs include sorting tools, furniture and general clutter. You can get a rough idea of costs on our guide to clearance prices, then call or email us for a quote, which is free and comes with no obligation.

On the day

Have a final walk round with whoever is doing the clearance. Point out anything staying, anything that needs care, and anywhere awkward. Then let them get on with it. Most people are surprised how much lighter the house feels once that loft or garage is finally clear.