Lettings agents do not judge a property by feel. They work from a checklist, and every item on it has a price attached. Clear the list yourself and the deductions disappear; leave it and you pay per item, which is always more than it would have cost to remove.

We clear properties across London every week, so this is the list in the order we see it cause problems:

The small pile in every bedroom. A couple of bin bags, a chair, a mirror. Agents price this per item, not per load.
White goods still full. A fridge left plugged in with food inside is a GBP 200 charge if the agent has to empty and defrost it.
Shed contents. Tenants remember the shed at 6pm the night before check-out.
The cupboard over the stairs. If it is not on the inventory, it leaves with you.
Under the kitchen units. Old mop heads, food debris, expired cleaning products.
Carpet underlay. If the carpet goes, the underlay and gripper rods go with it.
Anything broken. Fridge, washer, dryer - if it does not work, it must leave.
Mattresses with stains or rips. Inspectors photograph them.
Bikes on the railings. If they are yours, they go.
Rubble bags behind the bins. Councils will not take them and agents charge per bag.
Flat-pack furniture still assembled on the day.
The single-trip items: mirrors, art, odd lamps, the rug the landlord never inventoried.

If more than a couple of these apply, book a clearance at least 48 hours before the check-out. One van, one team, one invoice is consistently cheaper than the agent's per-item deductions - see house clearance in Fulham or end of tenancy clearance in Islington.

Damaged furniture is the most common charge we see quoted back at tenants, so if something is beyond repair we can take it as furniture disposal in Kensington on the same visit.