The Difference Between Commercial & Residential Furniture Removal

The differences between commercial and residential furniture removal services may be small and seem insignificant to some. Whilst the process is somewhat similar, the two services often require different skills, equipment, and manpower to complete. Here are a few of the main distinctions between the two. 

One of the first differences between these two types of services is the furniture itself. Some of the categories overlap, but commercial buildings usually have very specific kinds of furniture and a large number of each item, whereas domestic premises tend to require the disposal of a few items.

Residential furniture tends to include the following items: 

• Family tables
• Mattresses
• Sofas and upholstered chairs
• Garden furniture 

These types of furniture can easily be broken down and recycled without having to consult any specific guidelines. This means they can be taken to a local household disposal site and thrown away without the removal team needing specialised permits or licenses.

The trouble comes when getting rid of white goods such as fridges, freezers, free-standing lights, or WEEE waste such as televisions, computers, and printers to name a few. These items have strict regulations surrounding the disposal due to the potentially harmful nature of some of the materials used inside them. 

Commercial furniture differs from residential due to its intended purpose. Offices usually have different types of furniture, or the same but on a larger scale, such as:  

• Desks
• Conference tables
• Lobby furniture
• Filing cabinets
• Computers, laptops, and monitors 
• Printers, scanners, and fax machines
• Desk chairs

Similar to households, commercial furniture removal often includes dealing with many WEEE products. Because of this, when choosing a removal company it is best to go with one that is experienced in this area of waste.

Perhaps the biggest difference between commercial and residential furniture removal is the amount of planning needed. A waste collection from a household is fairly straightforward, the homeowner will usually point the removal team towards a specific room or item and they will do the rest. They don’t have to worry about making multiple trips either. 

However, commercial furniture removal requires a lot of planning. The business owner will be looking for this process to be quick and efficient to keep disruption to a minimum. Because of this, removal companies should expect to work outside of normal business hours when carrying out a commercial removal so the business can keep running as smoothly as possible. 

The removal team will often be presented with a floorplan before the job so they know the exact areas they will need to take furniture from and the best route to take to their vehicle. Corporate buildings that span over several floors may include lifts and steep staircases that will need to be navigated or specific equipment used to get furniture from the upper floors. The planning aspect of this process needs to be extensive to avoid any damages to the property or injuries.

Just like the planning stage of the furniture removal, the size of the job varies between residential and commercial. The scale removal teams work when it comes to clearing out an office, retail store, industrial building, or even public sector properties is much larger than that of residential collections. 

As well as this, the site of commercial properties can come with a lot of rules. For example, if the office or corporate building is situated in an industrial estate then there may be regulations on the size or type of vehicle the removal team is allowed to park, alongside time restrictions and tools they can use. 

So, if you’re looking to hire a waste removal company, make sure they are experienced in both areas to avoid any problems arising later on down the line.  

If you’d prefer to hire a skip to help with furniture removal, then there are still quite a few distinctions between using one for domestic furniture or corporate. 

The size of the skip depends entirely on the amount of waste you need to get rid of. Usually, skips intended for commercial use are far bigger than residential ones. When choosing a skip volume, you need to take note of the things you want to put in there, taking into account the bulky nature of most furniture. Due to this, businesses will usually opt for the largest size skip available or even have multiple ones dotted around their premises. 

When you hire the skip for your residential furniture and are planning to keep it on your property, you usually don’t need to worry about obtaining specific licensing or permission from the government to place it there as the skip company will usually sort these out for you.

However, when you are looking to place a skip around your commercial building (which is often on public property or road) then you need to acquire a permit and apply for a skip license. Make sure you have received the appropriate permission and licenses before placing your skip otherwise your business will face hefty fines. 

The type of waste and furniture that goes into a commercial skip compared to a domestic skip is vastly different. Alongside the office or household furniture you’ll be filling it with, you may decide to get rid of some other types of waste while it’s there. In residential properties, this may include DIY rubbish, paper, cardboard, food packaging, or other basic items whereas corporate waste can be hazardous materials. 

So, when you plan to hire a commercial or domestic skip, make sure you have a clear idea of what you’re going to put into it.

Knowing the difference between commercial and residential furniture disposal services will allow you to choose the best one for your waste and property. As the leading waste removal company in London we are on-hand to help you, so get in touch if you want more information.

To book our office furniture removal service or receive a free, no-obligation quote, give us a call on 020 8504 2380.