Terms & Conditions
The following parties are referred to in these terms and conditions:
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Chaos to Calm Decluttering (Sophie Dean): ‘her’, ‘I’, ‘me’ or ‘my’.
Client/company: ‘you’, ‘your’ or ‘the client’/'clients'.
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Consultations
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I will arrange a free 15-minute discovery call over the phone/Zoom with new clients. This is a chance for me to get to know you, find out about your space and your wishes.
In-person Assessment
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If I feel it is necessary, I will arrange a time to come to your home to do an in-person assessment. This will be charged at £25, will last around an hour and may include me taking photos and measurements.
If after seeing the space I think it won’t be possible to complete the job, I will return this fee to you in full. If you choose to go ahead with a booking after the assessment visit, the £25 will deducted from the total fee.
Timings
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All timings agreed upon for the length of a job are approximate. Any number of things can increase the time it takes to complete a project, including finding items that take longer to sort through than anticipated, the time it takes you to make decisions and the time it takes to organise different amounts of clothes.
I will make an estimate of the time it might take to complete the work; however, this may change. I will inform you as we are going along if I think the task at hand will be completed within the planned session, or if further sessions might be required.
Scope
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We will discuss the area/s to be worked on during the consultation/assessment and these will be agreed to in advance. If you would like me to work on other areas of your home after the first session, these will need to be booked as separate sessions, and a new fee agreed.
Parking Fees
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I kindly ask that you cover the cost of my parking for the duration of time I am at your home/office (if free parking is not available).
Travel
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I will travel to all sessions outside of London by car, this will be free for distances of up to 10 miles from my home in Leighton Buzzard, LU7. Travel beyond 10 miles will be charged at 0.45p per mile.
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Rates
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My rates are listed here or sent to you by email communication. I reserve the right to change these at any time.
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A minimum booking of four hours will be required for all sessions.​
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Packages
If you purchase a package of 24/48/72 hours the fee will be due upfront before the first session. These sessions can be spread out over a number of weeks/months and can be used in 4/8-hour blocks. Please note, during an 8-hour session I will take a 30-minute lunch break and during a 4-hour session I will take a 15-minute break. My four-hour minimum applies to any sessions booked in as part of a package.
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Deposit
​Once a date has been agreed upon for the session/s, 50% of the fee will be due as a deposit to lock in the date/s (if you are booking a one-off session and not a package). Details will be sent to you via invoice, and the fee must be paid before the start of the first session.
Payment Terms
The remaining balance will be due within three days following the session/s and details will be sent to you via invoice. I kindly ask that you pay as promptly as possible.
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Cancellations
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Cancellations will be accepted up to 48 hours before the start of the session with a refund of the initial 50%. If a cancellation is received within 48 hours of the session, the fee will not be eligible for a refund, but the session will be transferable to another date. Please let me know with as much advance notice as possible if you need to cancel/reschedule a session.
There may be a discretionary charge of 10% of the remaining balance for short notice cancellations, as this may mean that I am unable to schedule another appointment.
If you cancel a session when I am already on my way to you, a fee for the miles driven, there and back, at 0.45p per mile will be due.
Not Calling to Confirm Policy
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Once we have an appointment in the calendar, I won’t call you to confirm closer to the time. Please let me know if you need to cancel/reschedule with as much notice as possible. I will let you know with as much notice as possible if I need to reschedule.
Storage
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I can advise you on what storage you may need in your space after seeing photos and getting measurements/seeing the space in person. I will endeavour to use any storage you already have first, if this is something you would like.
We may need to add to the storage already purchased as the job goes along, I will advise on this. Any unused storage ordered by you will be your responsibility to return, please keep all your receipts.
Paperwork
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Paperwork is usually a large category and can take a while to sort through. I may leave paperwork for you to sort, either in between sessions or after the sessions.
If you would specifically like large amounts of paperwork sorted through, we may need to arrange this as a separate session, as doing it within a session will take up a significant amount of time.
Paperwork may also be a category I leave until the end of a session and may be addressed if there is time.
Weather
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If I am working on spaces that require me to be outside for all or part of the session, I cannot be held responsible for changes in the weather or for any damage to your items. This may delay or add time to our planned session/s.
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Pets
If you have pets, their whereabouts during the sessions will be your responsibility. I will endeavour to put potentially harmful items/food out of their reach. I cannot be held responsible for any harm caused to your pet if they are present during the sessions.
Photos
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You agree to provide me with adequate photos of your space before the session/s (if I don't see the space in person), so that I can assess it properly and see what is needed. These will not be shared publicly.
Media Release
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I would love to use photos/videos of your home/office in my marketing/website/social media/apps for promoting my services/printed media and/or google business profile in reels/collages etc. If you agree I will bring a media release form for you to sign at the beginning of the first session.
If you would prefer, I will not attach your name to the photos and will not include anything that links the photos to you.
Testimonials/Reviews
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I would love to use any testimonials/reviews you provide on my website/social media and/or printed media. I will include a clause for your consent in the media release form if this is something you agree to.
Permission to Enter Your Home
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You give me permission to enter your home/office for the length of time agreed upon to carry out the work. If any keys are left in a safe place for me to enter your home/office when you aren’t there, these remain your responsibility until they are in my possession.
If there are any barriers to entering your home, such as stiff doors, I will not be responsible for any damage caused by going in and out.
Cleaning
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The service I provide will include a light clean of your space with your own cleaning products. If you require a deep clean or significant mould removal is needed, it will be your responsibility to arrange a relevant service provider.
Data Protection Act
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In accordance with The Data Protection Act 2018, any of your details held on file by Chaos to Calm Decluttering will not be shared with any third parties.
If you agree to sign up to my mailing list, I will add your details to any newsletter programme I use.
Insurance
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I hold full Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance and am also DBS checked. Copies of these certificates are available on request.
Safety
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I reserve the right to not enter a space if I feel it is unsafe. This includes but is not limited to: lofts without proper boarding, spaces with animal/insect infestations and areas with asbestos or excessive mould.
Facilities
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I will require the use of a clean toilet with a lockable door for the duration I am at your home/office.
Safeguarding
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If I believe that there is cause for concern in your home regarding domestic violence or a child in danger, I reserve the right to report this to the relevant authorities.
VAT & Tax
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Chaos to Calm Decluttering is exempt from VAT. I am a sole trader and fill out my own tax return, therefore the fee for work carried out will be due in full without any deductions.
Important Items
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Before I arrive, please make sure that any important items (i.e. documents, passports, sentimental/expensive jewellery etc.) are kept aside.
During this process things may get misplaced, I am not responsible for anything that goes missing before, during or after the process. If you are struggling to locate an item before the process begins, please highlight this.
Donations
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If you have items you would like to donate at the end of the decluttering process, I am unable to take your donations myself, however, I can help you set up a collection with Anglo Doorstep collections. This is a free service which picks up small items such as clothes and bric-a-brac, but not furniture.
I would advise that collections are booked for the end of the planned session or a day or two afterwards if possible. There are also other companies that collect items.
If you would like to donate useable furniture or bulkier items, I can help you set up a collection with the British Heart Foundation/Cancer Research UK.
Once any items, identified for disposal, have been removed from the property, they cannot be returned and Chaos to Calm Decluttering cannot be held responsible for any decisions made during the session/s. All decisions to dispose of items remain with, and are the responsibly of the client at all times.
Recycling of Items
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Where possible I will direct you to places to recycle different types of items you are getting rid of. I am not able to take these items myself, you may have to distribute these items at different collection points/post to different organisations after our session/s.
Unfortunately, some items will not be recyclable and will need to go in the bin/ to your nearest household waste/recycling facility.
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Selling Items
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There may be items you wish to sell after we have decluttered. Unfortunately, this service is not included in the scope of any project we undertake. However, I can direct you to places where you may be able to find someone to do this for you.
Amazon Associates
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I have an Amazon associates account. Some storage I recommend to you may earn me a commission, but I will not unnecessarily recommend products.
Termination of Services
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I reserve the right to terminate working on a project if I feel unsafe or if I have been treated poorly.