Thinking of hiring a skip but no idea where to start? Here are 5 things you must know before hiring a skip when moving house.
Having a big declutter before moving is a must. If you're likely to end up with a ton of rubbish, you might then be wondering is it worth getting a skip?
If you don't know anything about hiring a skip, don't worry, we've got you covered ! We'll cover 5 key areas along with a summary of key takeaways:
1.) DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED A SKIP?
2.) WHAT SIZE SKIP SHOULD YOU GET?
3.) HOW LONG SHOULD YOU GET A SKIP FOR?
4.) WHERE TO PUT THE SKIP AND WHAT PERMISSION TO GET?
5.) HOW MUCH DOES A SKIP COST?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
This post is all about hiring a skip when moving house.
1.) Do You Actually Need A Skip?
How much rubbish is manageable for you to handle?
You need to ask yourself whether the amount of rubbish you're likely to produce whilst moving will be manageable for you to dispose of without a skip.
If you don't get a skip, are you going to manage making several trips to the dump to dispose of all the rubbish? Are you happy leaving a ton of rubbish in the house for several days? Will it leave an absolute mess in your car? Will it be too much to carry?
If you can handle all of this, you can skip right past this post! 😉 If not, hiring a skip can seriously help. It's also a great feeling walking back inside to a rubbish-free house after throwing a gigantic pile of bin bags away.
Know what you CANNOT put into a skip
Thinking of getting a skip to dump all of your old electrical appliances in there? Think again! There will be several items you are not allowed to put in a skip.
These include items that are hazardous (i.e. asbestos), flammable items, chemicals, paints, electrical items, and tyres. The skip hire company you choose should have a full list of exactly what you cannot put in.
It is extremely important that you read this carefully, as putting the wrong items in a skip can count as a criminal offence, which can result in you facing a financial penalty. The skip company may also refuse to take your rubbish away if it contains prohibited items.
2.) What Size Skip Do You Need?
You will need to judge the amount of rubbish you're likely to have and the size of skip required. There are a range of sizes (all the way from 2 yards-12 yards+).
Small skips: 2 yard skip
The smallest size is a 2 yard skip, which holds around 20 bin bags. If you don't have that much stuff, this might be the option for you.
If you're not too sure how much rubbish you'll have, it's best to opt for a slightly bigger size. The reason for this is you do not want to overload your skip.
If the rubbish is over-flowing, you may have to remove the excess rubbish in order for the skip company to safely take it away. You'll then be left with a whole bunch of extra rubbish, which defeats the point of having the skip in the first place.
6 yard skip (most common)
The usual household skip that you see outside people’s houses and on their drives is a standard 6 yard skip. This can hold around 50-60 bin bags.
Large skips
Be careful if you're wanting to get a much larger skip (i.e anything bigger than 8 yards). In some areas there will be restrictions on how big the skip can be if it's going on a public road. You can check with your local council if you're unsure of the skip size they allow.
3.) How Long Should You Book A Skip For?
Less than 1 day
You can choose to hire a skip for a very short period of time, so it can be loaded within 20 minutes or so and then immediately taken away. If you'd like to keep the skip for just a few minutes or hours, make sure to let the skip company know in advance when you book.
A few days-2 weeks+
Most skip hire companies will usually allow you to keep the skip for 1-2 weeks. You may want to do this if you're having a big sort out over a couple weeks and would like to fill the skip up as you go.
You will just need to check when you contact the skip hire company how long you can keep it for and specify the amount of time you would like.
If you extend the duration of your skip last minute, you may face additional charges, so try and have a good idea from the start and check what the skip hire company's policy is.
Things to watch out for !
If you have a skip outside your house for a certain period of time, especially overnight, you might find that the skip has been filled with other people’s rubbish (i.e fly-tipping)! That is why some people choose to have a skip for just a few hours or 1 day at most and fill it straight away.
Fly-tipping is illegal, so other people should NOT be using your skip. Some people may choose to set up cameras to monitor their skip, as once you have a skip, you will become responsible for it. This includes making sure there are no prohibited items in your skip.
On the flip side, you may also find that people start taking things from the skip too. This is technically theft and also illegal. However, we'll leave it up to you whether you want to chase someone down for stealing your rubbish !
4.) Where To Put The Skip & What Permission To Get?
There are a couple options of where the skip can go:
OPTION 1: On the road outside your house
Skips are not allowed to go on pavements, so they would have to go on a public road if there is no space on your land.
Skip licence/permit
A skip licence is required when a skip is placed on a public road, in addition to certain safety features (i.e. lights/markings).
You must check with your skip hire company:
1.) if they will be obtaining the skip licence or if you need to do this, and
2.) if they will be providing all the safety features for the skip
It is super important you get the correct permission and meet the safety standards, otherwise you could be charged £1000.
The safety requirements may vary depending on where you are, but you can check on the Government's website and with your local council to make sure nothing is being missed:
Parking suspension fee
If you're putting your skip on the road where there is restricted parking (i.e. a parking bay or a yellow line etc), you will have to pay a parking suspension fee. This area of the road is then available just for you to place your skip.
The skip hire company may also take care of this for you, so you'll need to check with them when booking if they're arranging the parking suspension.
OPTION 2: On your private land
If you're putting the skip in your drive or garden (i.e. on private property), the goods news is you don't need to worry about getting a licence.
However, skips and skip trucks are heavy! You want to make sure that they are not going to cause any damage to your driveway, especially if you have nice paving stones.
The skip truck has a long crane to place the skip on your drive without having to actually come into the drive. However, the distance will be limited. Some protection, such as a thick plywood boards, can be put over the drive to prevent any damage.
You should always discuss with the skip hire company:
1.) How your drive will be protected
2.) Whether there will be enough space for the skip truck to fit in your driveway if they need to come into the drive
5.) How Much Does Hiring A Skip Cost?
In addition to paying for the cost of the skip, you may also have to pay for a skip licence (if skip going on public road) and parking suspension fee (if skip going in a restricted parking area).
Cost of a skip
The cost of a skip will vary depending on the size you get, duration of time, and location. Hiring a skip in the city centre will usually be more expensive than out in the countryside.
Usually, people pay on average around £300 for a skip.
Skip license/permit
The cost of the permit will vary by area and how long you need the skip for, so you should check on your local council's website. However, it could be anywhere from around £20/30 per week, all the way up to £140!
The UK Government's website for Scotland mentions a skip permit costs £22 per week, but this can vary by different councils.
Parking suspension fee
The cost of this will vary depending on your area, so you should check with your local council. It can be expensive though ! You would need to pay:
- Fee for each parking space per day. Looking at one of the most expensive areas in Kensington and Chelsea as an example, it cost £66 per space per day. That means if you want to block 2 parking spaces for just 3 days, you're spending £396 ! However, in comparison, Sutton council only charges £30 per space per day.
- Administration fees when applying for a parking suspension. This could be around £100 or more in some areas.
- Short notice bookings. You may be charged an additional fee if you give short notice (i.e. less than 1 week's notice). This could be over £300 in some areas ! It's usually best to give at least 2 weeks notice, but make sure you check on your local council's website how much notice they require.
Pay on the day
Be extremely cautious if a skip hire company asks you for a large sum of money upfront. You may have to pay a small 10% deposit but don't go spending all your cash before the skip has even showed up.
Once you know you need a skip, start looking nice and early, so you have time to pick the best company that suits you.
Key Takeaways Of Hiring A Skip:
1.) Ask yourself if you actually need a skip
- Could you take the rubbish to the dump yourself with multiple trips instead?
- Be aware of the prohibited items you cannot put into a skip (i.e. hazardous items, flammable items, chemicals, paints, electrical items, and tyres). You could get fined !
2.) Know your skip size
- Skip sizes vary, so you will need to have a rough estimate of how much rubbish you'll have. A 6-yard skip is the most common (around 50-60 bin bags)
- Do not overload your skip, as the skip hire company may refuse to take it away until you've removed the excess rubbish
- Be careful if you want to get a much larger skip. If you're putting the skip on the road, the local council may restrict the size of your skip. Check with them/skip hire firm
3.) How long do you want to keep the skip for?
- You can get a skip for less than an hour or 2 weeks+. If you get a skip for a long period, you risk other people fly-tipping! Watch out for this
4.) Know where you're putting the skip and get the correct permission
- If you put the skip on a public road, you will need a skip licence from the local council and will need to ensure the skip meets the safety regulations (i.e. lights/markings)
- If the skip is going in a restricted parking area, you will need a parking suspension from the local council
- The skip hire company may sort out the skip licence, safety requirements, and parking suspension for you (if you need it). Check with them first
- If you're putting the skip on your private property (i.e in the drive/garden), you do not need a skip licence. Check with the skip hire company how they will protect your driveway/if there is enough space for their truck
5.) Know how much a skip will cost you
- A skip usually costs around £300. However, prices vary depending on the size you get, how long you have the skip for, and location
- A skip licence (if needed) could cost anywhere from around £20/30 per week to £140!
- Parking suspension fees (if needed) also vary by area. You will need to pay a fee for each parking space per day, administration fees for the application, and potentially short notice booking fees (if you apply last minute). Get in early!
- Do not pay a large sum of money to a skip hire company in advance
This post was all about hiring a skip when moving house.
If you found this helpful, you can view our upcoming content on our coming soon page to see what's next !
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