Whether you’re moving to a new house or if you’re just in the process of decluttering your space, you’ll need to figure out what to do with unwanted furniture. Moving furniture to a new place or having large furniture take up too much space in your current home can be a nuisance. They can be expensive to transport, and a hassle to keep around. If you need some ideas for what you can do about it, here are just a few things you can do with furniture you don’t want.
Rent out a roll-off bin
Roll-off bins are dumpster trucks that come in different sizes. The companies will send a truck to your desired location, then you’ll need to load it up with all the items you no longer need or want, and the company will then haul it away, usually to a landfill or local dumpsite. This is an ideal choice if you have to get rid of furniture quickly and don’t have time to sell or donate it.
Bring them to a scrapyard
Scrap dealers are always on the lookout for materials that they can reuse and re-purpose, particularly metal bed frames, tables, hardware, or chairs. If you live near a scrap yard and have access to a large truck, then you a good option to consider is taking your furniture to a local scrap dealer to sell.
List it on a furniture selling app
There are tons of apps available that make selling furniture easy, including Chairish, OfferUp, Letgo, and Everything But The House. Some of them may take a small cut of every sale you make, but others are completely free to use. All you have to do is take a photo of your item, write a short description, and list it within a few seconds.
Drive it to landfill
If you want to save on labor costs, you should rent out a truck, load it up with all the items you no longer need or want, then drive it out to a landfill or a dumpsite where you can dispose of everything yourself. Don’t forget to give the landfill or dumpsite a call first to see if they allow public dumping. Another option is to call and book a “bulk pick-up” from your local landfill. However, you’ll have to pay for them to pick it up from you, and it usually costs a hefty $45 to $80, depending on where you live.
Offer it to someone else
Ask your friends and family if they want any of the furniture that you no longer have use for, then give them any of the pieces they express interest in. If none of them bite, then you can always gift it to strangers or offer it for free to people online. Craigslist has a feature specifically for this called a “free stuff” or “curb alert” section. This feature allows you to place an item on the sidewalk outside your home, which you will then list on the website as a free pick-up for anyone to claim as their own.
Donate it to a charity or nonprofit organization
Places like the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, and AmVets are just a few of the many charities and nonprofit organizations that provide home pick-up services for donations. Besides being able to help out worthy causes, the second-best part of this option is that they do it all for free, so you won’t need to pay a service fee to have them haul your stuff away.
Offer your items to Freecycle
Freecycle is a nonprofit organization that urges people to donate items for recycling rather than simply discarding them. The Freecycle movement has several chapters in major cities, so if you live in one, join your local chapter so you can meet members who are looking for furniture to repurpose. You might even find pieces of furniture that you can take home for yourself.
Get it hauled away by a delivery truck
If you’ve acquired new appliances and furniture, and are having it delivered to your location of choice, then you can make use of the delivery truck to haul your old stuff away. Most delivery drivers will do this for people at no extra cost. Just make sure that you ask them about their policy regarding this, and that you call in advance on the day itself to let them know so that they can make space for your stuff in their van.
One of the most challenging things about moving to a new home or decluttering your space is figuring out what to do with pieces of large furniture. These are some practical suggestions for what you can do with furniture you don’t want or need anymore.
