If your home or business is about to undergo a renovation or you’ve scheduled in a big spring clean this year, it’s likely that the project is going to generate a fair amount of waste. Rather than shipping your rubbish back and forth to the local recycling centre with escalating recycling fees and fuel costs, why not take the easy route and hire a skip?
Hiring a skip is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to dispose of your waste during any home or garden project. As it stands, skip hire is a brilliant low-cost solution, however, there are ways in which you can make it even more cost-effective- you just need to know how. Here at Doncaster Skip Hire, we’re specialists in the field and we’re here to share our knowledge so that you can stick to your budget and make the most of professional skip hire services. Here are six ways to reduce your skip hire cost.
Recycle and donate
Before you look into hiring a skip, you need to work out how much of your waste you can recycle yourself and donate elsewhere. This will not only save space in your skip but also enable you to hire a smaller unit for a cheaper price. If it’s a clear out or home renovation, why not take your unwanted furniture to a local charity homeware store? This way, the space in your skip will be solely reserved for items and materials that you were unable to send elsewhere- a sustainable and affordable solution!
For complex materials like e-waste or plastics, or any items that are no longer in good nick, take a trip down to your local recycling centre and dispose of the materials that your skip company prohibits. Some skip hire companies won’t accept certain items or materials, however, what they do accept will mostly be recycled rather than sent to landfill.
Compare skip prices
The next step in the skip hire process is to choose a reputable local company. Skip hire prices will vary and rental rates play a major role in choosing a company. There are three main requirements when choosing a skip hire company- a quality service, competitive rates and appropriate services for your needs. Once you’ve found a good combination of all three at a few local companies, it’s time to narrow it down. To ensure you find the ideal company, you need to do your research. It’s important to compare the prices of a few local skip hire companies- three separate quotes should give you a good idea of costs.
Now you have your quotes, you can pick the company which you think will deliver the best results based on the range of services available and whether they meet your specific requirements. For example, consider: what rental periods does the company offer? Are they willing to collect hazardous waste? Can the company help you to obtain a skip permit from your local council? Do they offer same day collection?
Choose the right skip size
After clearing out and donating all you can, you’ll hopefully have a good idea of how much waste your project is going to produce. Even with excellent spatial awareness, this estimate isn’t always going to be totally accurate, but it’s important to have an idea in your mind so that you can hire an appropriately sized skip. If it’s not the right size, your costs could escalate.
The bigger the skip, the more expensive it will be- you don’t want to pay for a half full skip, or worse, have to hire a second skip because you’ve massively underestimated the volume of waste and hired a unit that’s too small. Just be sure to take your time in estimating your waste- if you’re not sure, why not ask your chosen skip hire company for advice? Or, if it’s a renovation project, ask your construction team for their opinion.
Whilst many people believe that skip hire is just for large commercial projects, it’s possible to get smaller sized skips more suitable for domestic work. Let’s take a look at the most popular skip sizes for domestic projects:
- 3 cubic yard: 15-20 bin bags, for garden and household waste.
- 4 cubic yard: 30-40 bin bags, for small renovation projects.
- 6 cubic yard: 40-50 bin bags, for larger projects.
- 8 cubic yard: 60 bin bags, for larger home or garden renovations.
- 10 cubic yard: 60-70 bin bags, for large home projects or particularly bulky items.
- 12-16 cubic yard: extra large skips, mostly used for commercial projects and available as roll on or roll off.
Book your skip hire in advance
To get the best value out of your skip hire service, you should book it at least a week in advance. Whilst you can’t always predict when you’re going to get a free weekend to finally start on your garden project, if you book a skip last minute you might wind up paying over the odds for the only skip service available at the time. Equally, if you don’t take time to think about what type of skip you need, you could choose the wrong type or incorrect size for your needs. It’s essential that you give yourself time to discuss your requirements with your skip company so they can offer you a top service.
Another reason to book in advance is so that you can organise a skip permit. If you don’t have a private off road area like a driveway or large garden to place your skip, you’ll need to obtain a skip permit from your local council. If you fail to get a permit, you could face hefty fines. Permits are generally free but can cost up to £100 in some areas. To avoid this cost altogether, try to minimise your waste so that you’re able to hire a smaller skip and fit it on the private land that you do have.
To really save on costs, it could be time for a neighbourly collaboration- have you heard on the grapevine that your neighbour is planning some renovation work? Or have you heard them complaining about their cluttered attic? Well, if so, you should consider hiring a skip with a neighbour. It’s a cost-effective way to kill two birds with one stone, and it’s better for the environment too!
Be aware of weight restrictions and restricted items
In order to keep your costs in check, you need to make sure you’re aware of the weight restrictions and prohibited items that your chosen skip hire company have in place.
Firstly, when it comes to weight, it’s important to have an idea of how much your skip is going to weigh as some skip lorries have weight restrictions. Certain types of waste are regarded as either ‘light’ or ‘heavy’- most household and garden waste is light, however, it’s always worth double checking with your skip hire service. If your waste is too heavy for your skip, you might have to hire a second skip to collect the excess materials- an unnecessary cost that could be avoided with a little forward planning.
Secondly, some waste removal companies have specific rules about what can and can’t be disposed of in their skips. If your skip hire company discovers a prohibited item in your skip, you could face fines. So it quite literally pays to double check exactly what your company is willing to take. The below items require specialist disposal and aren’t often accepted by skip hire companies:
- Asbestos
- Car tyres
- Gas bottles
- Oils, solvents and liquids
- Fridges and freezers
- Car batteries
- Clinical and medical waste
- Food waste
Meanwhile, the below items may also be entirely disallowed, or come with additional charges, depending on your chosen skip hire company:
- Plasterboard
- Paint tins
- Monitors
- Mattresses
- Tree stumps and roots
Whether or not to invest in an enclosed skip is also another important consideration. If you live in a busy area where fly-tipping could be an issue, it’s always worth finding out whether your skip company can provide you with an enclosed skip. This will eliminate the problem of a restricted material going into your skip without you knowing. Meanwhile, if the rubbish you generate is going to be solely one type of waste, for example, green waste, scrap metal or clean concrete, your company may offer a reduced rate.
Optimise space in your skip
In order to reduce your skip hire costs, you simply need to use common sense. It’s all about loading your skip efficiently and making the most of the space. So, along with being aware of weight restrictions, think carefully about how best to pack your unit. Although it might be satisfying and cathartic to lob old furniture into your skip, this isn’t going to optimise the space that you paid for. Break up bulky items like wardrobes and chairs so that they can lie flat, placing larger waste at the bottom and smaller items on top.
Whilst you should try to stack your waste items well, it’s also important not to overload your skip either. The contents of your skip must not be higher than the sides of the skip; if this is the case, your skip hire company will potentially charge you extra for overloads. Aside from this, an overfilled skip can pose a risk to passers-by and will also look rather unsightly in the street.
On a budget? Skip hire you can depend on with Doncaster Skip Hire
For quality domestic skip hire, look no further than Doncaster Skip Hire. Whether you’re working on a DIY renovation project that is making far more mess than you predicted or you’re planning to re-landscape your garden in time for summer, hiring a skip is the most cost-effective way to manage your waste. Our expert team of skip hire specialists have extensive experience in advising customers on a whole range of waste disposal solutions to ensure that they get the most suitable unit for their needs.
Our skips range from 3 cubic yards up to 16 cubic yards so are ideal for a residential property or on the roadside. We can assist in obtaining a skip permit where necessary and we also offer same day skip hire for customers who are in a hurry.
At Doncaster Skip Hire, we do our best to uphold a stringent recycling policy, taking as much waste as possible to our recycling centres to be handled sustainably. So, for cost-effective and eco-friendly waste disposal in Doncaster, simply give us a call on 01302 246 410 where you can place your order or request further information.