Terms & Conditions

Please ensure that you read these terms and conditions as they contain important information regarding the decluttering and organising service. Upon payment of the 50% deposit required to secure a booking, you agree to the following terms and conditions.

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1. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY
 

1.1 The Home De-stresser provides a professional, discrete and confidential service and always respects the privacy and dignity of each client. No information which we may come across during the course of the session/s will ever be divulged to third parties without the client's written agreement.

1.2 We will ask for the client’s permission to take before and after photographs and/or videos of the work we do and we will always ask permission to use these for publication on social media and our website. Photographs are always anonymised; the client cannot be identified through them, except if we have received permission to do so.

1.3 We may ask the client to provide a written testimonial/review to be used as part of our marketing. The client has the right to refuse to provide this. Any written testimonials provided will be de-personalised prior to external use.

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2. DISCLAIMER AND THE DISPOSAL OF ITEMS

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2.1 The client accepts responsibility for all or any items disposed of in the decluttering process.

Items that are disposed of are done so with the client’s authorisation. Responsibility is not accepted by The Home De-stresser for any item which the client later decide was valuable, not to be disposed of, or which the client is unable to find later.

2.2 The Home De-stresser will provide the client with advice about the different options for the appropriate donation, disposal or sale of items. All advice is provided in good faith, and it is at the client's sole discretion to accept our guidance or not, particularly (but not exclusively) with reference to keeping or discarding possessions. 

2.3 Obvious items of value will be treated with due care and attention, but we do not have the expertise to identify unusual or rare items, or to value them. The client is advised to seek their own valuations of such items. We will use our best endeavours to identify such items whilst decluttering, but ultimately it is the client’s responsibility to consider the value of such items prior to discarding them.  

2.4 The Home De-stresser will and can remove one carload of items destined for the charity shop per decluttering session at the cost of £20 unless it falls within the quoted hourly time booked. These removed items are non-returnable. Items which cannot be taken to charity will need to be disposed of by the client, either using a licensed waste carrier, skip or taken to the nearest recycling centre.

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3. SERVICES PROVIDED

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3.1 Whilst providing comprehensive advice concerning the client’s decluttering needs, some work may be beyond our scope. In these instances, we may be able to recommend appropriate professionals. Examples of this could include deep cleaning, carpentry, rubbish disposal or other relevant services. The client is under no obligation to use any additional services recommended by The Home De-stresser and may arrange their own services if preferred. In any instance, The Home De-stresser will not be held liable if any third party’s performance falls below an acceptable standard nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by the aforementioned third party.

3.2 The Home De-stresser is not a cleaning service and we are therefore unable to provide any cleaning services. The Home De-stresser will however dry dust any surfaces being decluttered if required. Any other necessary cleaning must be done by the client where necessary.

3.3

The Home De-stresser will attempt to fulfil all the client’s decluttering and organising needs but for health and safety (or other) reasons may not be able to do everything. The client is responsible for ensuring that the premises being decluttered is safe.

3.4

We maintain the right to refuse to handle or move heavy or unsanitary items. Any large or heavy items that need removing or relocating may require a third party to help. Any large or heavy items to be removed from the client’s premises either for disposal or to other locations must be done at the client’s own discretion.

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4. INSURANCE

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4.1 The Home De-stresser has public liability insurance unto £2,000,000 and professional indemnity insurance up to £250,000.

4.2 The Home De-stresser will always take great care when on the client’s property and when handling their possessions. In the unlikely event that an accident does happen resulting in damage or breakage of a possession, The Home De-stresser will not be held liable for any losses or damages incurred. The client agrees to cover any breakages through their home buildings or contents insurance.

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5. DUTY OF CARE

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5.1 The client has a duty of care to ensure that their premises are safe to work in, and agrees to disclose as soon as possible any circumstances which might put the The Home De-stresser at risk. For example, but not limited to, infectious medical conditions or structural weaknesses in their property. For the purpose of personal safety, another person will always know The Home De-stresser’s location and session timings.

5.2 Should the working area be considered unsafe, The Home De-Stresser reserves the right to cancel the session without a refund.

5.3 The Home De-stresser is unable to work with clients who are smoking/using an electronic cigarette. To ensure that discussions about keeping or passing on belongings are made with a clear mind during our session, a client must not be under the influence of alcohol or non-prescription drugs. In this instance, we shall have to re-schedule at the client’s cost. 

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6. HOURS OF WORK

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6.1 There is a minimum of 3 hours of work to be booked in one session and a maximum of 8 hours a day (including breaks).

Core hours of work are:

• Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm

• Saturday to Sunday 10 am – 4 pm, which will be charged at a higher rate

6.2 Should the session duration take place over 4 hours, The Home De-Stresser may need to take a break (no more than half an hour) and the client will not be charged for this time. This will be arranged prior to the session starting so the client is aware of timings.

6.3 Decluttering and organising sessions are possible outside of these hours but will be subject

to an additional fee.

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7. FEES

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7.1 The Home De-stresser will provide the client with an estimate following an initial consultation. The nature of this work is such that it is not always possible to predict exactly how long a given job will take so it can be agreed that we work to a set amount of time and declutter as much as we can in that session.

7.2. The Home De-stresser charges £40 an hour. A 50% deposit is required to secure a booking, with the remaining amount due 7 days after each decluttering session. 

7.3 Decluttering can be physically and emotionally demanding with some people finding the process easier than others, so not everybody can manage without a break. Short breaks can be taken as the client wishes (excluding lunch breaks), however, please be aware that these breaks will count towards the duration of the booked session.

7.4 If it becomes clear that the initial time estimate is going to be exceeded, we will discuss options with the client prior to continuing past the initially stated and agreed time. Any additional time agreed between The Home De-stresser and the client will be agreed prior to the additional work commencing. It is often possible to roll on after a session with extra time if desired. In this case, a top-up payment must be made on the same day.

7.5 The client will be charged for hours worked in 15-minute increments, which will start from when we arrive at their premises, even if we are unable to start the work for any reason, such as if access is denied.

7.6 Upon the client receiving a works/time estimate a 50% deposit is payable within 48 hours to secure the date/s for the decluttering session/s, with the amount paid being deducted from the final invoice.

7.7  All payments are to be made via bank transfer. Extra charges will incur if the remaining balance is not paid on time.

7.8 The Home De-stresser reserves the right to increase its rates at any time. Any sessions booked prior to a rate increase will be unaffected by the increase.

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8. TRAVEL COSTS & OTHER EXPENSES

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8.1 No travel expenses will be charged for work completed at properties within a 30-mile drive of CT11 8QF. For work undertaken further than a 30-mile drive of CT11 8QF, travel expenses will be agreed in advance.

8.2 Any sessions carried out beyond The Home De-stresser’s working area will be charged at a rate of 45p per mile and agreed upon before partaking of any work. Congestion & ULEZ charges in and around London will also apply.

8.3 Should free parking not be available, any parking expenses incurred will be submitted with the final 50% invoice for reimbursement. Any additional expenses will be invoiced within 48 hours of them being incurred.

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9. PAYMENT TERMS 

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9.1 A 50% deposit is payable within 48 hours upon the client receiving a works/time estimate to secure the date/s for the decluttering session/s. 

9.2. Following each decluttering/organising session, invoices for the remaining 50% and any agreed expenses will be sent within 48 hours.  Full payment is required within 7 days of the date of the invoice by bank transfer. A receipt will be provided for all payments received.

9.2 Should the invoice be unpaid after its due date, the outstanding balance owed to The Home De-stresser will incur a £1.50 per day late fee charge plus an administration fee of £30, unless agreed otherwise, and will be charged on any outstanding balances until the balance is £0. 

9.3 If the client disagrees with an invoice they have received from The Home De-stresser please email within 7 calendar days and we will reply within 2 business days. Any invoice which has not been disputed within 7 days will be regarded as valid and undisputed.

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10. CANCELLATIONS

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10.1 Any cancellations must be made at least 4 days (96 hours) prior to the commencement of the decluttering and organising session. Any cancellations made less than 4 days (96 hours) before the commencement of the decluttering session will be subject to a cancellation fee of 50% of the agreed estimated costs which will be in the form of forfeiture of the deposit.

10.2 The client may reschedule their session up to 3 days (72 hours) prior to the start time of the booked session without a cancellation fee.

10.3 In any cancellation occurrence, any non-refundable travel expenses and/or any other expenses incurred in advance by The Home De-stresser will be payable by the client in full, regardless of cancellation circumstances.

10.4 The Home De-stresser upholds the right to reschedule or withdraw services at any point. In this instance, we will always let the client know as soon as possible and refund the deposit where relevant.