“I have been with the House Clearance Service for about eight months as a logistics driver. Before I joined, I’d had various jobs, from being a supervisor in retail to driving all over the country, collecting and delivering vehicles.
I enjoy working for Farleigh Hospice as no two days are the same and I meet some really interesting people.
I’m part of the retail logistics team of six people based at the Maldon warehouse. I work full-time, driving one of our three vans for our House Clearance service and to support the network of Farleigh Hospice stores. My wife works at the Maldon warehouse and my daughter volunteers with the eBay team who are also based there, so it’s a real family affair for me!
The logistics team starts work at 8am, when we have a team meeting to plan the work for the day and who will be doing what.
As part of the Farleigh Hospice House Clearance Service team, I help to make the process of clearing a house or office as easy as possible for our customers. Sometimes I just have to pick up furniture and take it to our Farleigh home stores.
Other times, I help to pack up and remove all of the unwanted, saleable items from a property, so I could be clearing kitchen cabinets, wardrobes or rooms. We also sometimes empty attics, garages and garden sheds, so every clearance is different. We can clean the property from top to bottom too, if required.
We try to save everything but, if large furniture has been built in the rooms, I may have to dismantle it there to get it through the door. Anything that can’t be sold is recycled, if possible, or Farleigh Hospice has a license to dispose of it safely. Everyone in our team is professional and efficient but we also have to be thoughtful and sympathetic.
Often, we do a clearance when someone is downsizing or has passed away, so we find ourselves helping family members to sort through a childhood home full of memories which can be very emotional.
It’s always interesting hearing their stories of where their furniture has come from or who has made it, as it can be unique.
We have three home stores in Braintree, Witham and the big warehouse in Maldon which sell furniture and homewares. We collect items from customers who would like to donate their furniture to Farleigh Hospice, so it can be sold to raise money for the charity.
We also offer deliveries for a small fee when people buy furniture from our stores. We even deliver it right to its new spot in their home for them!
When I’m not moving large furniture items, I move stock between each of our other 15 stores. This can be new goods – like our card selection or wool – or donations of clothes, books, toys, bric-a-brac, etc. This makes sure that all our stores have new and exciting things in every week.
My favourite part of my job is when I have picked up furniture from a house clearance or a collection and later deliver it to its new home, knowing that it has been sold to raise money for Farleigh Hospice.”
To find out more about the Farleigh Hospice House Clearance Service and get a quote, visit www.farleighhouseclearance.co.uk or call 07714 560807.
This article is taken from The Lantern 115