Collection and commercial clearance guides

Collection works best when the scope is clear before the sale. Decide what is leaving, which preparation it needs and who controls each part of the handover.

Use these guides to build the plan, handle exceptions and record completion. Technical methods, property rights and regulated waste decisions still need the appropriate evidence and responsible people.

Define the job and obtain comparable proposals

Start with the assets, access and tasks. Give each provider the same current information.

Coordinate the site and collection day

Set appointments around real resources, permissions and the operations that must continue.

Authorise and reconcile each handover

Keep collector authority separate from physical readiness, and record precisely what leaves.

Resolve specialist clearance streams

Identify information, substances and building conditions that need their own controls and evidence.

Close the work with a usable record

Compare the final condition with the agreement, preserving exceptions and next actions.

Give UK Auction Group the asset schedule, site constraints and readiness information early in the sale discussion. The collection scope can then reflect the work required.

Return to the full guide directory for seller decisions, equipment preparation and buying guides.

All 30 guides in this topic

A collection tally prevents missing and extra items
Use a dispatch tally to record lot numbers, serials, packages and accessories at collection, including partial collections and unresolved differences.
Agree loading and load security responsibilities
Agree who controls the loading area, supplies handling equipment and manages load security before sold equipment is collected from a business site.
Asbestos information before stripping out fixed equipment
Request asbestos records and check survey scope before fixed equipment removal could disturb building materials, with clear hold and escalation points.
Authorising a haulier to collect purchased equipment
Match a collecting haulier to the buyer's authority, approved lot list and release instructions before equipment leaves an auction sale site.
Bad weather during an outdoor equipment collection
Prepare an outdoor collection weather plan with named decision-makers, reassessment triggers and a communication list, without guessing safe operating limits.
Booking collection slots for a busy sale site
Organise auction collection appointments around loading space, staff, vehicle access and asset dependencies, with room to recover from delays.
Checking a movement contractor's proposal
Review a movement contractor's competence, job scope, insurance evidence and coordination arrangements, with a log for unresolved collection questions.
Checking a waste carrier before business clearance
Check a waste carrier's registration, the receiving site's authority and the description of the waste before a business clearance collection.
Chemicals and unknown containers in a site clearance
Record unknown chemicals found during clearance without opening or moving them, then obtain competent identification and an appropriate disposal plan.
Collections at a site that is still trading
Plan collections around a working site's staff, customers and retained operations, with a clear route map, permitted areas and coordinated appointments.
Dismantling equipment: write the scope before the sale
Define dismantling boundaries, retained services, loose components and final site condition before selling equipment that cannot leave as one piece.
Do not sell the last forklift before loading is finished
Keep forklifts, access systems and other supporting equipment available until dependent collections are finished, using explicit release triggers.
Electrical equipment that cannot be resold
Prepare electrical equipment assigned to a waste route with accurate classification, data controls, battery information and a documented handover.
Get a machinery movement quote that matches the job
Give movement contractors verified asset dimensions, weight evidence, access details and a clear scope so their machinery quote matches the actual job.
Keeping confidential information out of a clearance
Map confidential records, devices, labels and accounts across a business clearance, then link each information check to the relevant asset's release.
Landlord permissions and reinstatement after asset removal
Record landlord permissions, asset boundaries and agreed reinstatement work before removing fixed equipment from rented business premises.
Pallet carrier, flatbed or specialist transport?
Compare pallet carriers, flatbeds and specialist transport using the asset's load form, collection access, loading provision and receiving-site needs.
Plan collection before the equipment goes on sale
Decide collection responsibilities, access limits and release dependencies before equipment is offered for sale, using a practical seller's planning brief.
Recording site damage during asset removal
Record possible site damage during equipment removal using dated observations, before-and-after evidence and prompt notification through the agreed process.
Records to keep after the final collection
Keep a collection closeout file linking release approvals, dispatch tallies, exceptions and applicable waste records, with owners for unfinished actions.
Restricted access can change a clearance timetable
Record gate times, shared-yard permissions and vehicle restrictions before booking equipment collections, so the timetable matches the access available.
Separate reusable assets from waste in a clearance
Separate assets intended for reuse from waste using documented facts, clear physical groups and the correct regulatory route for the site.
Survey the removal route before buyers arrive
Record doors, turns, overhead limits and loading conditions along an equipment removal route, with photographs and unresolved constraints for review.
The costs to include in a collection budget
Build a collection budget covering disconnection, dismantling, packing, loading, transport and receiving-site work, with clear quotation and tax assumptions.
The final clearance walk-through
Check the final clearance against its agreed scope, reconcile remaining assets and waste records, and assign owners to incomplete work before closing it.
What does a commercial clearance quote actually include?
Compare commercial clearance quotes by the work included, exclusions and final site condition, rather than treating different headline prices as equivalent.
What to do when a collected lot is missing parts
Record missing parts at collection with the lot description, photographs and a clear exception note, then agree the next action through the sale organiser.
When a buyer misses the collection deadline
Respond to a missed auction collection deadline with a documented contact attempt, current site facts and contract-based instructions from the organiser.
When an overseas buyer arranges collection
Coordinate an overseas buyer's collection with clear authority, packaging scope and document responsibilities, while obtaining advice on the actual export route.
Who disconnects equipment before collection?
Allocate equipment disconnection work before collection, with named competent contractors, clear service boundaries and evidence that each asset is ready.