Written by Chris Smith · Illustrative case study
The situation
Two flatmates at a property in Highland Park had both landed jobs interstate and were leaving the same fortnight. Neither wanted to deal with old TVs, stereos and computers, broken chairs, lamps and homewares and boxed paperwork and books, and the council kerbside collection wasn't due for another four months.
Why the customer needed help
A skip bin was the first thing they looked at, but there was nowhere to put one without a permit, and nobody to fill it. What they needed was household Junk Removal where someone else does the lifting.
What was at the property
By my count there were old TVs, stereos and computers, broken chairs, lamps and homewares and boxed paperwork and books, along with the usual loose odds and ends that build up around a job like this. It's typical of what we see from anyone downsizing to a smaller home.
Working in Highland Park
Highland Park is a hilly residential pocket with large blocks and views. Highland Park mixes established homes, units and local businesses, so jobs range from single items to full house and office cleanouts. We plan around driveways, unit car parks and loading zones so the truck is close to the load.
The initial assessment
When I got there I didn't start with the rubbish, I started with the customer. I asked them to walk me through what was staying and what was going. Twice they pointed at things I'd assumed were rubbish and said "not that". It's why I never quote from photos alone on a job like this.
How the job was planned
We agreed on an order of work. Heavy items first, while we were fresh and the truck was empty, then the loose material packed around them. Anything worth donating would go in last so it wouldn't get crushed.
Preparation
I parked the truck so the tailgate lined up with the shortest path, laid ply over the garden edge so the trolley wouldn't chew it up, and set out a tarp for the donation pile.
Step 1
Step one was triage. We pulled everything into three groups: donate, recycle and dispose. It takes longer at the start, but it means the truck gets loaded in the right order and nothing good goes to landfill.
Step 2
Step two was the loose material. Bags, boxes and odds and ends went into the truck in layers, packed tight into the gaps around the furniture so we weren't carting air to the tip.
Step 3
Step three was the clean-up. Once the last item was out, we swept the floor, raked the ground where needed and walked the customer through the space to make sure nothing they wanted had gone.
Removal, sorting and loading
We loaded by destination rather than by size. Metal on one side for the scrap yard, green waste kept clean, cardboard flattened and bundled, and general rubbish packed into whatever space was left.
From the truck it went to a licensed transfer station, where recyclables were dropped off separately, and anything usable went to a local op shop before the tip run.
Challenges we ran into
Some of the items had real sentimental value, and the customer needed time to decide on a few of them while we worked.
How we handled them
We kept a "maybe" corner and worked around it. By the end of the job she'd made her mind up on all but two pieces, which we left for her.
Completion and final result
When the last load was strapped down, the space was empty and swept. The customer walked through with me, signed off, and paid the price we'd agreed at the start, not a dollar more.
What I learned
The lesson I keep re-learning: always walk the access before you look at the load. The rubbish rarely causes the trouble. The doorway, the step or the gate does.