It’s funny how even when you think you’ve done a good job of decluttering your home, there are always areas that are magnets for rubbish. While we’d done a very good job of getting rid of lots of extraneous things in the preparation work for putting our house on the market, our house held a deep dark secret: there were areas in our home that were absolutely cluttered with crap.

The areas that needed sorting before we actually started to pack? The loft space, the shed and the small area in our cellar that we use to store DIY paraphernalia. Now you know I always try to be real around here and while this post may not have too many any pretty pictures, it does paint a picture of real life. After 7 1/2 years, this house was filled with extraneous crap we just never threw away. The job became so big that we just stuck our head in the sand and pretended it wasn’t there.

Should You Hire a Rubbish Removal Service Clearabee Review

For years, I didn’t even bother going in the loft because it would just give me heart palpitations even thinking about organising all that. Having to go through everything and decide whether to donate the things that were still in decent condition but we just didn’t fancy anymore, the true rubbish, the items that could be recycled and just the general mountain was more than we could handle. But we knew that we had to face our fears soon because there was just no way we were ever going to move all that stuff into the next house.

So it was like fate when I heard from Clearabee, a nation-wide rubbish removal service, who approached me about trying out their services for review here on the blog. I had heard of rubbish removal services before but this one seemed too good to be true. Not only do they come and take all that stuff away, they go through everything you’ve got and recycle or donate it, often saving around 90% of their collections from landfill. Hallelujah. And let me tell you (and you know I wouldn’t just say this), it was genuinely THE MOST SATISFYING THING EVER.

Forget spa days, forget taking a walk on the beach. Do you want real honest-to-goodness contentment and satisfaction? Watch 2 burly guys come in and take all your crap away with no fuss at all. That’s genuine contentment, I promise.

But before we talk about Clearabee, I just wanted to show you what we’d started with.

The Loft

Loft before clearout - Clearabee review

We tackled this area first, “eating the biggest frog” as it were. Over the course of a Saturday, we went through (almost) all the boxes and just made a pile of things we wanted to get rid of. We didn’t worry about whether it’d be good to sell or whether or not could be recycled or if it really just needed to be in a skip somewhere. If we didn’t want it, it went into the pile. This lack of decision-making made the whole job a lot faster and we saw our pile grow as the loft slowly emptied.

Loft after clearout - Clearabee review

We were left with sentimental items, Christmas decorations, some homeware I wasn’t ready to part with, a few valuable items (Wayne has a small collection of limited-edition Lego sets) and a few other bits and pieces. So it’s not exactly pretty but it’s definitely an improvement. Plus, it was incredibly cathartic, let me tell you.

The Shed

Shed before clearout - Clarabee review

The shed was tackled the following weekend. This one was a little easier as I’d done my best to clear out as much as I could earlier in the year but there were still loads of old planters I didn’t want, some more DIY stuff like leftover tiles and broken garden equipment and extraneous items that we just hadn’t bothered throwing away. It all got added to the pile.

Shed after clearout - Clearabee review

We ended up removing everything we were keeping out of the shed first and then once the whole shed was empty, I gave it a good sweep and we piled everything back in nice and neatly. More clear boxes were used here to corral all the small items and garden tools. The pile, of course, had grown.

The Cellar Storage Area

The following day it was the turn of the storage area in our cellar. Now I realised after the fact that I’d failed to take before pictures – I was so pumped up getting all these things done that I totally forgot. Yes, a huge #bloggerfail there so let me just assure you that all those shelves were pretty much just packed to the rafters with every kind of DIY gubbins you could find. There were paint tins and tubes of adhesive, various electrical parts, things for plastering, a whole host of items for painting and wallpapering, sandpaper, tools, about 1 million screws and nails and all the other things you might expect for keen DIYers like ourselves. But wow, was it a mess. We knew we wouldn’t need those tins of extra paint, boxes of tiles and everything else that wouldn’t necessarily be used in our next home but it really needed to be organised.

Cellar storage after clearout - Clearabee review

So we got to work, removing all the things we knew we didn’t want to move with us and using clear plastic storage for those things we did. We organised things by the types of DIYs they were – we had separate boxes for electrical items, for painting & decorating, for plumbing, for screws and nails, etc. After ridding ourselves of the things we didn’t need, we ended up with a nicely organised storage area that will be so much easier to move with us.

The Pile We Were Left With

Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services - rubbish pile in back garden to be removed

You have no idea how embarrassing it is for me to show pictures like this on my blog but my goodness, LOOK AT THAT PILE. How we were holding on to so much stuff over the years is actually mind-boggling but clearly, we were closet hoarders of the highest order.

Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services - rubbish pile in side return to be removed

We’d contained it to our decking area and the side return on the house (and of course, the rains really came in the day that Clearabee were due to come as is the nature of living in Manchester) and everything got a bit wet! But well, it was out of the house and that was the important thing. You’ll notice as well there were a lot of old building materials that we’d hung on to because you just never know when you’ll need it for a project but seeing as we were moving, we decided that for the most part – it could go!

Clearabee Rubbish Removal

Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review

Clearabee operates nation-wide 7 days a week and they have various services depending upon your needs. You can even book same day removals with them. I decided, given how big this job would be, to book their Man & Van service for a Saturday afternoon. Two friendly lads parked up and then, all I did was watch from the kitchen windows with a nice cuppa as they cheerfully proceeded to carry every bag, every box, every piece that we’d set out into their van in the rain. Within around an hour, the entire space was clear.

Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review 2

They also have a ‘bee bags’ service in which a huge bag (they have all kinds of sizes available) is posted to you to fill as you go and then simply call someone to remove it. The best part? Clearabee diverts over 90% of the rubbish they remove from landfill and offset all of the CO2 from their vehicles.

I genuinely could not have been more impressed with the service. I know that clearing rubbish isn’t exactly the sexiest topic for a blog post but I can’t even imagine how much time they saved us and how many individual trips to the skip we would have had to make to clear so much. It means we are moving house taking only those things we really want to keep and there’s a real sense of calm and achievement that’s made when you know that even those areas of your home that are clutter-magnets have been turned into organised spaces.

Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review 3

I am absolutely happy to recommend the service. It’s perfect if you are considering some home renovations or you just want to start the year off with a huge de-clutter. The service and the amount of rubbish we had to remove would have cost around £175 but prices start at just £75 for a small load. It really is an amazing service and I wish we hadn’t waited so long to use it!

Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review 4

I’d love to know if you’ve ever called in a professional rubbish removal team to help you out with a massive de-clutter? Do you have areas of your home that are also magnets for random rubbish? (Please tell me I’m not alone here!) Is Clearabee a service you’d consider?

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review but did receive the Man & Van service in exchange for sharing my honest opinion here on the blog. I only team up with those companies I really like and think you’ll like too and of course, as always, all images, words and opinions are strictly my own. Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Swoon Worthy!


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Swoon Worthy
Should You Hire a Rubbish Removal Service Clearabee Review
Loft before clearout - Clearabee review
Loft after clearout - Clearabee review
Shed before clearout - Clarabee review
Shed after clearout - Clearabee review
Cellar storage after clearout - Clearabee review
Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services - rubbish pile in back garden to be removed
Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services - rubbish pile in side return to be removed
Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review
Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review 2
Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review 3
Clearabee Rubbish Removal Services Review 4
Meet Kimberly
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Amara IBA19 Winner Home Styling
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Ad (Press Sample) There are few kitchen products that are considered absolute classics but there is one that I have lusted after for YEARS and that is the utterly iconic @lecreusetuk large casserole pot. 🤩

For nearly a century, Le Creuset has been trusted for its superior performance, lasting quality and iconic design and the enamelled cast iron allows incredible versatility - not only can you use it with just about any heat source (from induction, glass, electric etc), you can also do everything from stir-fry to slow cooking to baking a cake in it and more. 

So, imagine my delight when Le Creuset got in touch to ask if I'd like to shoot their brand new colourway 🍑 Pêche 🍑 in my kitchen. I mean, there couldn't be a more perfect colour match with that juicy coral shade which if you've followed my account for any length of time, you'll know is one of my all-time favourites (not to mention that beautiful soft gold knob! 😍). The matching petite casserole dish and mugs are the perfect companions but you could easily mix and match this colourway with Le Creuset's other designs (Might I suggest the Sea Salt, a soft blue-green which would be gorgeous with Pêche). This new juicy summer shade is currently available exclusively at Le Creuset Official. I'd love to know which colourway is your favourite in the range?

#lecreuset #kitchendesign #kitchenstyling #kitchinspo #victorianhome #englishhome
My little neglected makeup/dressing room has had a glow up 🥰

#swoonworthy #beforeandafter #dressingroom #makeupvanity #closetgoals
My new rug can't compete with that belly.

Rug is from @laredoute_uk (not an ad) not that anyone cares 😅

#kitchendesign
I've really loved making these pretty reusable Christmas crackers! I'm still in the process of finding cute bits for filling them but they'll definitely be a centrepiece for my table this year!🎄💕

Suggestions for what to fill them with coming soon!

(By the way, I'm not a skilled seamstress so I'm sure my techniques can be improved but just sharing what worked for me 🤗😅)

Let me know if this is something you'd try? ❤️

#swoonworthy #christmasdecor #christmascraft #diychristmas #diycrafts #easysewingproject
On 22 October 2022, I married my best friend! I can't believe it's been a whole year (and one day) I've been calling @2nilup my husband 🥰 We've been together for 15 years now and I simply can't and wouldn't want to imagine my life without him ❤️ 

#youandmeagainsttheworld #2222 

Photography: @violajayphotography 
Flowers: @primroseavenuefloral 
Dress: @camillawithlove
DIY REFILLABLE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS 🎄🎉

I've been thinking about making refillable crackers for so many years now - I just hate the waste the disposal ones create! So I'm so excited I've finally gotten around to starting this project!

I will be sharing more details on how to make them as well as ideas for what to fill them with too so stay tuned for more but in the meantime, what do you think? 

#swoonworthy #diychristmas #christmasdecor #christmascraft #easysewingproject #sustainableliving #ecofriendlyliving
Just wanted to introduce my latest plant baby in my dining room 🪴

It's from @botanique_shrewsbury and it's a Peparomia (I am probably pronouncing it wrong, I keep wanting to say
GUEST BEDROOM REVEAL 🌟

I decided on a whim, 2 weeks before we were expecting visiting family, that our guest bedroom was in desperate need of a refresh.

Well there's nothing like an impending deadline to light a 🔥 under my 🍑 and I managed to clear out the clutter, repaint the woodwork, ceilings and walls and hang wallpaper as well as restyle the room in one week 😅 (Meisha was zero help 😼)

I'm calling it Boho Vintage Victorian Grandma 😆

This wasn't sponsored in any way but the wallpaper and bedding is from @lauraashleyuk and the paint is @earthbornpaints Peach Baby - everything else I already had!

What do you think of the new look? ❤️

#bedroombeforeandafter #guestroom
#bedroommakeover
#beforeandafter
#bedroomdecor #cottagecore #vintagestyle #victorianhouse #ihavethisthingwithpink #bengalsofinstagram
🔥JOIN US ROUND THE FIRE PIT! 🔥

ad | One of my favorite things to do in summer is sit around the fire pit in the evenings with a cold beer 🍻 There's just something incredibly relaxing watching those flames and embers crackle, warming yourself up and taking the edge off falling temperatures as the sun sets!

Thanks to @homefireuk they've made the whole process incredibly easy and enjoyable with their Handy Firepit Bundle which include 2 bags of kindling, 2 bags of natural firestarters and 3 large bags of kiln-dried logs 🪵 for a really great price! 

No more standing around waiting for things to light properly or billowing smoke from wet wood, everything burns beautifully! ☺️ We literally sat around this for hours as the logs last so long, long after the sun set, just chatting and enjoying ourselves! 🥰🍻🔥

Do you love a good firepit in the summer?

#homefire #readytoburn #smokelessbyhomefire #heartofyourhome #logsbyhomefire #summerideas #firepit #gardenideas
San Sebastian photo dump - just a tiny selection 😄

We have had such a fabulous holiday to Basque Country - our first 4 days spent in the beautiful city of San Sebastian, land of pintxos, stunning architecture and some damn good wine.

#sansebastian #travelgram #photodump
A little kitchen reshuffle today so I thought I'd share 🥰

It's been 4 years since we created this space and it's still one of my favourites ♥️

#kitchendesign #kitchendecor #kitcheninspiration #kitchenideas #openshelvingkitchen #kitchenstyling
Ad 🩷 Before and after Deck makeover! 🩷

This little decked patio was looking worse for wear after a wet winter but @frenchicpaint came to the rescue with their beautiful Dusty Blush Alfresco Paint, perfect for all your outdoor projects!

The deck has been a few colours over the past few years but this is definitely the most fun and gives the whole space such a tropical vibe - even in Shrewsbury! 🏝️ 🦩🍹😄

The paint has incredible coverage and was so nice to use - I loved the tools they provided too, especially the oval brush which got into all the nooks and crannies easily!

Let me know what you think of the new colour! 

#frenchicpaint #beforeandafter #deckmakeover #gardeninspiration #gardeninspo #outdoorproject
So on a whim I decided to paint the bedroom pink yesterday 😅🩷

This room has been neglected for so long as I've wanted to fully redecorate for about 3 years now but there are always other bigger priorities or a lack of time/energy/money so I keep putting it off 🙃🙃🙃 (tell me I'm not the only one) but happily this didn't cost a penny as I used what I already had although it did take me the best part of a day!

I went through my paint stash and found that I had extra @coatpaints Percy from when I did the living room early last year -- well I'm not one to let something this good go to waste (honestly this paint is absolutely wonderful to work with and has amazing coverage) and my goodness it's just so pretty in here 🥰 I also moved my pink curtains from my office into here and the whole room just glows!

I might actually be able to live with the mural a little longer until the room gets the attention it deserves! Let me know if you like the change ♥️

*For those who are wondering, it used to be white walls and I had grey curtains! 😅

#swoonworthy #bedroomdecor #bedroommakeover #bedroomdesign #pinkpinkpink #pinkinteriors
A little photo dump from my recent living room shoot because I still love to dig into the details of a still photo 😄💕

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #photodump
ad How to De-stress at Home in 6 Simple Steps 😊

April has been #stressawarenessmonth and so I've teamed up with the wonderful @frenchbedroom to share a few simple tips in creating a cosy sanctuary at home!

One of my favourite ways to add a feeling of comfort and relaxation is with glorious touchable textures and the stunning Mulberry Silk ruffled cushion from French Bedroom not only looks spectacular but feels incredible too! Pairing this with other feel-good fabrics will add depth to your design and will beg you to sink in and unwind 😍

French Bedroom are also now stocking my own home fragrance brand @swoonworthyscents candles, adding another element of calm with scent to your home. I chose No 02 Sunday Morning for my living room with rejuvenating Jasmine and refreshing pine and lemon notes 🥰

Check out my latest blog post for more tips on creating a relaxing sanctuary in your home via the link in my bio!

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #frenchbedroom #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #calming #aesthetic #cottagecoreaesthetic
Who needs pancakes when you can have Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemoncello glaze?! 😉🍋

I've had such a craving for this cake for a while so figured I'd make it today! This is a recipe from @bbcgoodfood and it's rather gorgeous 🥰

#baking #lemondrizzle #lemoncake #bakewithlove #shrovetuesday
Are you lucky enough to be owned by a cat? 🐈🐾

#bengallove #bengalsofinstagram #bengalcat #bengal #catsofinstagram #catlife
Finally managed to get the gallery wall completed in our hallway!

I couldn't have been happier with @violajayphotography capturing our little intimate wedding in October and knew as soon as I saw the photos I had to print them for our home! I admit, I've never been one to hang photos but it's probably because all we ever had after 14 years together was selfies 😂🤷🏽‍♀️ I'm so pleased we finally have some lovely shots of us together 🥰

Do you have photos of you/your partner/your family up around your home?? 🤔

#gallerywall #autumnwedding #hallwaydesign #hallwayinspo
✨These little vintage copper pans needed some TLC! ✨

After searching for a while for vintage copper pans, I found these on eBay - they looked quite grim on the ad but I knew they could be shined up nicely! A little @barkeepersfriend later (not an ad!) and I'm loving how they look in my kitchen 🥰

Let me know if you like the new addition ❤️

#kitcheninspo #kitchendesign #vintagestyle #kitchenstyling
Oh hey living room, nice to have you back ☺️

I always feel very ready to remove the excess of Christmas decor pretty much as soon as the 26th arrives but I've been later than usual this Twixmas as we've both been unwell the last couple weeks 🤦🏽‍♀️ Nevertheless, I've managed to get things packed away and I styled this little faux arrangement today for my coffee table so ya know, small victories 😄🙌🏽

#livingroom #livingroominspo #fauxflowers #coffeetabledecor