Leeds houses, and what clearing them involves
Armley, where the saleroom is, grew fast. Leeds City Council’s Armley Conservation Area Appraisal records the population rising from 6,735 in 1861 to 28,645 in 1911, and says “approximately 4,700 back-to-back houses and 1,800 through-terrace houses were constructed between 1861 and 1932”. It describes the typical walls and roofs as “Late Victorian and Edwardian machine-made red brick with blue slate to the roofs”.
A back-to-back shares its rear wall with the house behind, so it has one outside door, at the front. Everything has to leave that way, and often down a steep, narrow staircase first. If the house you are clearing is like that, tell us about the stairs and the front door when you ring or fill in the quote form.
Not every Leeds home is a terrace. Across the city, 25.0% of households live in terraced houses and 17.5% in purpose-built flats, and in Armley ward the terraced share is 36.9% (Census 2021, via Nomis).
Armley Mills, in Armley, “had the reputation of being the largest fulling mills in the world”, according to the same appraisal. It is now Leeds Industrial Museum.
How far is it from our saleroom?
Leeds city centre is about 2 miles from us as the crow flies and 3.1 miles by road, most of it on the B6154. The saleroom is at Unit 1, Old Corporation Yard, 281 Tong Road, LS12 4NQ, on the edge between Armley and Wortley.
The City of Leeds is bigger than the LS postcodes. Drighlington (BD11) and parts of WF3 are in the Leeds council area, and so is Wetherby, which shares a page with Harrogate: house clearance in Harrogate and Wetherby.
Can’t I just take things to the tip?
For a few bags or a boxed-up kitchen, yes. Leeds runs household waste sites for Leeds residents, large vehicles, vans and trailers need a commercial vehicle permit, and the council says that its staff “cannot help you dispose of your waste”. So it is a job you do yourself, with your own vehicle.
The site nearest the saleroom is Kirkstall, on Evanston Avenue (LS4 2HR). The others are at Pudsey (Richardshaw Road), Middleton (Holme Well Road), Meanwood (Meanwood Road), Seacroft (Limewood Road), Yeadon (Milner’s Road), Otley (Ellar Ghyll, Bradford Road) and Wetherby (Thorp Arch).
Leeds also offers one free bulky collection per household per financial year, with further collections at a charge. A collection takes things away; it does not sell them. If there is furniture, glass, jewellery or pictures among them, have them looked at first. To ask for a free verbal valuation, ring Mark on 07764 405701.
How to get rid of furniture in Leeds
You have four sensible options, and which one fits depends on the condition of the furniture and how much there is.
- Council bulky waste collection. Leeds offers one free bulky collection per household per financial year, with further collections at a charge. A collection takes things away; it does not sell them.
- Charity collection or donation. Leeds City Council lists local charities that collect reusable furniture from your home, and many do so for free. They only take items in reusable condition, and sofas, chairs and beds must carry fire safety labels. Ask each one what it will accept.
- Selling at auction. Furniture that will sell can go into our fortnightly sale. Larger items are collected free, with some exceptions depending on the item and where it is. Upholstered furniture can only be sold with its fire-safety label still attached (the rule comes from the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988). See selling at auction for the fees.
- A clearance. This makes sense when there is a lot to move, when the furniture is mixed in with other contents, or when you want the saleable pieces valued and sold and the rest removed in one visit. Anything that won’t sell is removed by a licensed waste carrier we work with. See how our clearance works.
Not sure which? Ring Mark on 07764 405701 for a free verbal valuation of the furniture before you decide.
After a death: probate and the Leeds registry
If you are clearing a home after a death, value the contents before anything is cleared. GOV.UK says you “should not make any financial plans or put property on the market until you’ve got probate”, and the household contents count towards the value of the estate. Sell or give away nothing of value until the person dealing with the estate agrees, and ask the solicitor if you are unsure. Our probate and estate clearance page goes through it in more detail. This is not legal advice, and a complicated or disputed estate is a job for a solicitor.
Most people now apply for probate online through GOV.UK. For anything in person, the nearest registry is the Leeds District Probate Registry at York House, 31 York Place, Leeds LS1 2ED.
How the clearance works
Anything that will sell goes into our fortnightly Saturday auction in Armley, and the proceeds come back to you after fees; what won’t sell is cleared responsibly or donated. A clearance is chargeable, but what sells may cover or reduce the cost. Read how our auction-backed clearance works.
Questions about clearing a house in Leeds
Can I bring things to your saleroom instead of having them collected?
Yes. Smaller items can be brought to the saleroom by appointment, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Ring the office on 0113 250 2626 to book a time.
Can I take clearance rubbish to a Leeds tip myself?
Yes, in small amounts, if you live in Leeds. The council’s sites take household waste from Leeds residents only, and a van or trailer needs a commercial vehicle permit. Have anything saleable valued before it goes. The sites are listed above.
Where do I register a death in Leeds?
On Leeds City Council’s register-a-death page. GOV.UK says to register within 5 days of the medical examiner’s office confirming you can, and weekends and bank holidays count. Tell Us Once then reports the death to most government organisations in one go.
