Start before you register
Your first £500 before you fill in a single form.
The honest cost here is the van. A used Luton or large transit runs £3,000–£15,000, plus £500–£1,500 of trolleys, straps, blankets, tools, PPE and a tip account — call it £3,500–£16,000 to start, or far less if you already have a van. But the resale strand pays you back fast: the good furniture, white goods and scrap you remove on early jobs can be sold to fund the next ones. One 3-bed clearance at £600–£1,500, with resaleable goods on top, can cover your kit and the £47 manual many times over.