Mews garages behind Ranelagh's terraces
Behind many of Ranelagh's Victorian and Edwardian houses runs a lane, and along it sit the garages and stores that belong to the houses in front. Some are old mews buildings, some are later garages built at the end of the garden, and some are little more than a timber door into a lean-to store. A few have been converted into homes or studios. Plenty haven't, and they've been filling up for decades.
They're a different job from a garage on a driveway. The lane decides almost everything: where the van can stop, how far we carry, and how long the clear-out takes. That's why we ask for photos of the lane before we give you a price, as well as the garage itself.
Narrow lanes and how we load
Ranelagh's lanes were laid out long before vans existed. Some are wide enough for a car with room to spare. Others narrow at the entrance, have a tight turn halfway along, or have walls and gates right up to the edge.
We plan the loading around what your lane is like:
- Room for the van. We reverse in, load straight from the garage door, and drive out without turning.
- Too tight for the van. It waits on the road at the lane mouth, and we carry or use a trolley over a decent surface.
- Busy with parked cars. We work around them, load in short bursts, and move the van if a neighbour needs to get by.
- Overgrown or uneven. We clear enough to walk safely, but we don't cut back anyone else's hedges or trees.
We run more than one size of van, so the photos also help us choose which to bring. Early starts are often easiest, before the lane fills with parked cars for the day.
spotless.ieWhat a lane garage tends to hold
Because these garages sit away from the house, they collect the things that don't fit anywhere else. Over the years we see a familiar mix:
- bikes, child seats and trailers from when the children were small
- band and music gear: amplifiers, speakers, the drum kit nobody plays any more
- furniture moved out during a past renovation and never brought back in
- fireplaces, doors and fittings taken out of the main house
- garden furniture, pots, tools and a lawnmower for a very small lawn
- boxes of books, records and papers
Original fireplaces, panelled doors and old fittings can be worth something to the right person. If you think anything has value, tell us and we'll set it aside so you can decide what to do with it before the rest goes.
Garage first, house later
Lane garages often fill up during building work. Furniture comes out of the house "for a few weeks" while a kitchen or extension is done, and never goes back. Or the garage is cleared to make room for the builders' materials before a renovation starts.
Either way, it pays to clear the garage early. A clear garage can hold the things you're keeping while the house is being worked on, and saves you renting space elsewhere. If you do need somewhere off site for a while, our storage unit clear-out page covers emptying one afterwards. For emptying a whole period house before builders arrive, see our Ranelagh renovation clear-out page.
Want a price for a Ranelagh lane garage? Send a photo of the garage door, two from inside and one from each end of the lane on WhatsApp. We'll reply with a fixed price, usually the same day.
Sorting, recycling and what we can't take
Everything is sorted as it leaves the garage. Reusable furniture, tools and bikes are put to one side for reuse where we can. Metals, electricals and cardboard go for recycling, and the rest goes to licensed waste facilities. Our authorised waste carrier permit number is NWCPO-25-13287-01, and we're insured for work on your property and in the lane.
Some things need a different route. Old paint, solvents, gas bottles and chemicals can't go in with general waste. Some older garage roofs are made of cement sheets that may contain asbestos, and we don't break up or remove those. If any of these are in your garage, put them in the photos and we'll be clear about what we can and can't take.
What the lane does to the price
Your price is fixed from photos and agreed before booking. In Ranelagh, the lane is often the biggest factor after volume: a garage the van can reach is quicker than one at the far end of a narrow lane with a long carry to the road.
If the back garden has its own shed, see shed clearance in Ranelagh, which covers sheds with no side access. For the loft, see attic clearance in Ranelagh. For a whole house, see house clearance in Ranelagh; for garages in general, our garage clear-out service. The garage clearance guide has ideas if you'd like to thin things out yourself first.
