Redecorating your home or moving into a brand-new space is a great opportunity to let your creative juices flow. It’s your chance to get the color scheme just right, put up new pieces of wall art, and, of course, buy new furniture!
There’s nothing like sitting on the perfect new couch or finally getting the ideal bed set you’ve been dreaming of. Getting rid of the furniture that you used to have, though, is a different story. This is one of the more boring – and often, problematic – parts of moving or redecorating.
Thankfully, we’ve come up with the guide below to help you understand all of your furniture disposal options. Here are 5 things you can do when it’s time to make room for new furniture.
1. Sell Your Furniture for Cheap
Some people think they can make a profit on their gently-used furniture, and even certain pieces that are a little rough around the edges. This isn’t entirely true, though.
It is possible to get a good sale price for your furniture, but it can take a bit of time to find someone who’s willing to take it off your hands. Not to mention, they may want to negotiate the price even lower if you’re making them come and pick it up.
As such, it’s usually better to explore other options. Selling for cheap sounds like a good idea at first, but it ends up being more of a headache than a benefit.
2. Post a Free Ad for It
Instead of trying to sell your old furniture, consider posting a free ad for it. Go on Facebook or Craigslist and post a picture of the furniture you want to get rid of with a caption.
Be honest about the condition the furniture is in and maybe even share why you want it off your hands. This helps people trust there’s nothing wrong with what you’re trying to give away.
Most importantly, clarify that the furniture is free. You can say it’s first to come, first serve to whoever comes and picks it up first or for whoever comments on the post first. Either way, you’ll probably have your old furniture taken care of by the end of the day!
For safety purposes, if you’re giving your furniture to a stranger, try meeting them somewhere public or at least at the ground level of your apartment building.
3. Donate It
If you really want the old furniture gone ASAP, get a truck and donate it. You may need to plan ahead and have a friend come over and help you or rent a moving trailer to get this done. Still, rolling up your sleeves is sometimes faster than waiting for the situation to take care of itself.
The key is to do your research before you try to donate something, though. Not every thrift shop (or Goodwill, or Salvation Army) will take any old mattress or a couch or even a coffee table.
Most places have certain donation requirements. They want the furniture that people bring to be in good condition and they may not even accept certain pieces of furniture at all. Make sure you clear this up before you load up a truck and try to drop off your old decor somewhere. You could end up driving around town all day if you’re not careful!
4. Repurpose the Furniture
Here’s an interesting thought: maybe you don’t really need to get rid of your furniture. Maybe, the best thing for you to do is repurpose it instead.
Take a good look at your old bed frame without the mattress on it. Set your coffee table aside and think about where else it could go. These have all kinds of unique DIY decor opportunities; you just have to be willing to get your hands a little dirty and think outside the box.
An old bed frame could provide all the wood you need for new shelves. A coffee table can be placed on the back porch or turned into a bedside bench if it has the right dimensions.
Not everything that’s old is unusable. Keep this in mind the next time you want to throw furniture away.
5. Have a Professional Service Pick It Up
The final way to get rid of old furniture is to pay for a professional service to pick it up. This is usually more cost-effective (and time-saving!) than having to go rent a moving truck and donate something yourself.
Plus, some furniture removal services are conscious of the business they’re in and do their best to recycle or repurpose the items they pick up. This keeps old furniture from ending up in a landfill and it helps other people in the local community access beautiful pieces they need for their home.
You may not know what to do with your old nightstands or worn-down barstools, but when a professional service picks these things up, they’re not your problem anymore! Let the experts take care of repurposing and recycling, and take this opportunity to move on with the rest of your decorating/moving plans.
Bye Junk: Furniture Removal Made Simple
It’s one thing to realize all the furniture removal options you have, and another to go with the best choice. Choose Bye Junk the next time you have some furniture you need to get off your hands.
We can recycle everything from mattresses and standard furniture pieces to appliances and cardboard boxes. To discover everything we can do to support your moving or renovation process, click here.