1. About these terms
Clearfields Estate Services provides probate, estate and house clearance services across Bristol and the South West. We are a Painless Group brand. Clearfields Estate Services is a trading name of Painless Removals (company reg. [company reg.]).
These terms apply to every clearance we carry out and to your use of this website. When you instruct us to undertake a clearance, you will be asked to sign a Probate Clearance Agreement together with a written Quotation. Those two documents, read with these terms, set out the full agreement between us. Where there is any conflict, the signed Agreement and Quotation take precedence over these terms.
2. Definitions
- Contractor — Clearfields Estate Services.
- Client — the person instructing us, acting in their capacity as Executor or Administrator of the Estate.
- Estate — the estate of the deceased person named in the Agreement.
- Property — the property to be cleared, as set out in the Agreement.
- Quotation — our written quotation accompanying the Agreement, including any deduction applied for the resale value of contents.
Where the Client is acting as Administrator rather than Executor, references to “Executor” are to be read accordingly.
3. Quotations & enquiries
Submitting an enquiry through this website, by phone or by email does not create a contract and does not commit you to anything. A binding contract is formed only when you sign the Probate Clearance Agreement and the accompanying Quotation.
Our Quotation is based on the information available to us at the time. If the contents, access or scope materially differ from what was described, we may need to revise the Quotation before work begins (see Changes to the scope of work).
5. Our services
We will undertake a full clearance of the Property as set out in the accompanying Quotation, including:
- removal of contents;
- sorting into agreed streams (resale, donation, recycling and disposal);
- licensed waste disposal; and
- a final broom-clean of all cleared areas.
6. Changes to the scope of work
Any material variation to the agreed scope of works must be confirmed in writing by both parties before the additional work is carried out. We will not undertake significant additional work, or charge for it, without your written agreement first.
7. Found valuables
Any item assumed to be valued at over £200, any cash, any jewellery, and any documents of legal or financial significance found during the clearance will be set aside and recorded in our Found Valuables Log. These items are presented to the Client (or their nominated representative) for valuation and disposition instructions.
We will not dispose of any item recorded in the Found Valuables Log without written authorisation from the Client.
8. Resale of contents
In line with the agreed deduction set out in the accompanying Quotation, ownership of all remaining household contents — excluding items recorded under Found Valuables and items on the KEEP list — transfers to us on completion of the clearance, in consideration for the deduction applied to the clearance fee.
We make no representations as to the resale value of any contents.
9. Items to retain (the KEEP list)
The Client may specify items that must be set aside and not removed from the Property. These are recorded as the KEEP list, either in the Agreement or in writing on the day of clearance, signed by both parties.
No item on the KEEP list may be removed by us under any circumstances. Any additions to the KEEP list on the day of clearance must be confirmed in writing and signed by the Client. The Client is responsible for ensuring the KEEP list is complete and accurate before work begins.
10. Fees & payment
The fee for the clearance is set out in the Agreement and Quotation, and is structured as follows:
- Deposit — 25% of the total fee, due on signing of the Agreement.
- Balance — the remainder, due within 14 days of the date of our invoice, which is issued on completion of the clearance.
All fees are payable by bank transfer to the account details provided on our invoice.
11. Cancellation & postponement
If the Client cancels the instruction with less than 7 days’ notice before the agreed clearance date, the deposit paid is non-refundable. Cancellations made with 7 or more days’ notice will receive a full refund of the deposit.
If we are required to postpone the clearance date due to circumstances outside our control, we will offer the earliest available alternative date, and no cancellation charge will apply in such circumstances.
12. Liability & insurance
We hold £2m Public Liability insurance and Goods in Transit insurance. Our liability under any clearance is limited to the applicable policy limits.
We are not liable for the loss, damage or misidentification of any item that was not included in the Found Valuables Log or the KEEP list at the time of clearance. The Client is responsible for ensuring the KEEP list is complete and accurate before work begins.
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes any liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.
13. Waste disposal
We are registered with the Environment Agency as an upper tier waste carrier, broker and dealer (registration number CBDU537876). Our registration can be checked for verification on the Environment Agency public register.
All waste arising from the clearance is transported to, and disposed of at, licensed waste transfer stations. A Waste Transfer Note is produced for every load, and copies are made available to the Client on request.
14. Confidentiality & data protection
We treat all information relating to the deceased, the Estate and the Client as strictly confidential. We will not share such information with any third party except as required by law.
All personal data is processed and stored in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Our full privacy notice is available on request.
15. Using this website
This website is provided for general information about our services. While we take care to keep it accurate and up to date, the content does not constitute legal, financial or probate advice, and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice. Any figures, timescales and inclusions described here are indicative; your binding terms are those in your signed Agreement and Quotation.
The Clearfields name, logo and the content of this website are owned by us or our licensors and may not be reproduced without permission.
16. Governing law
These terms, and any clearance we carry out, are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
17. How to contact us
If you have any questions about these terms, please get in touch:
- Phone: 0117 287 0082 — 7 days a week
- Email: hello@clearfields.co.uk
- Post: Clearfields Estate Services, [Registered address], Bristol [BS postcode]