Family homes, and an honest look at what sells
Wakefield has the lowest share of pre-1900 homes of any area on our list: 8.7% of its dwellings were built before 1900, against 15.1% for England, while 39.5% date from 1945 to 1982 (England 34.6%). Valuation Office Agency Council Tax records, March 2024. And 44.6% of Wakefield households live in semi-detached houses, against 31.5% across England (Census 2021).
With more semis and fewer Victorian houses than the mill towns, many Wakefield clearances are likely to be 20th-century family homes, with decades of ordinary life in them. Not everything in a house like that will sell, and we will say so. The kinds of thing we value include furniture, glassware, jewellery, pottery and ceramics, pictures and prints, toys, silver, militaria and collectables. A free verbal valuation from Mark, who has over 45 years’ experience in the antiques trade, tells you which pieces are worth a place in a sale.
Wakefield’s landmarks are older than most of its housing. St John the Baptist’s church (1791 to 1795, Grade II*) is the centrepiece of a Georgian scheme around St John’s Square, and Wakefield Cathedral says its 247-foot spire is the tallest in Yorkshire.
Which council covers the house?
Postcodes do not follow council boundaries. WF3 is shared between Leeds, Wakefield and Kirklees, part of LS26 is in Wakefield, and most of WF12 to WF17, around Dewsbury and Batley, is Kirklees. Our page on house clearance in Huddersfield and Kirklees covers that side.
It matters because tip permits and bulky collections follow the council, and each council’s sites are for its own residents. If you are not sure which council a house is in, look at the Council Tax bill.
Wakefield’s tips and bulky collections
Wakefield’s three household waste recycling centres ask for a permit or proof of address. The permit is free, online or on 0345 8 506 506. A trailer larger than 6 by 4 feet on a domestic car needs a commercial vehicle permit, and so does a trailer of any size behind a van, pickup or SUV.
The sites are on Denby Dale Road, Wakefield (WF2 7AH); Flass Lane, Glasshoughton, Castleford (WF10 5JW); and Brigantian Way, South Kirkby (WF9 3TH).
For bulky items, the council will “take up to three bulky items for a charge of £35 at each collection”, for households. That clears the items; it does not tell you whether any of them was worth selling.
How far is it from our saleroom?
Wakefield city centre (County Hall) is about 8.5 miles from the saleroom in a straight line and 12.1 miles by road: the M621 and M62, then the M1, then the A650. The district is large, and parts of it are a good deal further than the centre. Larger items going to auction are collected free (some exceptions, depending on the item and where it is), so give us the postcode when you ring.
After a death in Wakefield
Wakefield Council has a page on what to do after a death, including registering it. If probate is part of it, read our page on probate house clearance first.
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 clearance works.
Questions about clearing a house in Wakefield
My mum’s bungalow is full of ordinary furniture. Is it worth auctioning?
Some of it may be, and some of it will not. We cannot promise what anything will make. Ring Mark on 07764 405701 for a free verbal valuation of the pieces that might sell. What does not sell is cleared or donated, and the clearance itself is chargeable.
Do I need a permit to use Wakefield’s tips?
Yes, or proof of address. The permit is free to apply for. Larger trailers, and any trailer behind a van, pickup or SUV, need a commercial vehicle permit. The sites and details are above.
Which council covers Tingley or East Ardsley?
A postcode cannot tell you. Both are in WF3, which is split between Leeds, Wakefield and Kirklees. The Council Tax bill can: the council that sends it is the one whose tips and collections apply.
