As they say, “Old is Gold,” but this might not always be the case with your furniture for different reasons. First, your old furniture has become unusable due to wear and tear. Second, your old furniture really is ‘Gold’, but you don’t have space for it anymore. Third, you’re looking for a furniture upgrade and don’t have any place in your property to place the old one. In all these cases, you need to get rid of the old furniture, and we have just the right suggestions for you.
Getting Rid of the Furniture: 8 Practical Ways
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Rent a Roll-off Dumpster
Renting a dumpster is an economical and efficient way of removing your unwanted old furniture. Dumpsters come in numerous sizes and are available at competitive prices; therefore, they prove ideal for completing large-scale projects such as downscaling or cleanouts.
The process to order a dumpster is to contact the relevant company and let them know your requirements and the dumpster size. The dumpster company will then drop off the container at a suitable spot. Then, you can conveniently load every sort of furniture you meant to get rid of, for instance, chairs, sofas, couches, etc. After you’re done loading, you can let the removal company know and schedule a suitable date and time. Their workers will come at the scheduled time and will haul it away.
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Consider Recycling
If your furniture is too old and damaged to be used and there is no option other than wasting it, then responsibly dispose of it through recycling. Several cities now offer eco-friendly recycling programs for furniture to avoid landfill overcapacity.
You can find your local recycling centre where you can easily recycle your furniture, particularly those made from metal and wood. A few of these programs also provide pick-up service if you can’t take the furniture yourself. Simply put, you just need to find the nearby recycling centre, load your furniture in your car and drop it off there, or arrange to pick it up if it’s available.
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Sell Online
There are several online websites like Craigslist, eBay, or the local Meta marketplace where you can easily sell any of your furniture without putting any physical effort into it. To be honest, there is hardly anything you can’t sell on these sites, so selling furniture is not a problem.
Just put pictures of your furniture on these sites, write descriptions, and possibly answer buyer’s questions. In some instances, they can be sold the next day or even in a matter of hours. However, you need to be cautious about the fact that when you place things like your old, worn-out furniture for free, people might not return your emails or not show up as promised. Therefore, if your furniture is in good furniture, put a price on it so people take your selling item seriously. If it’s worn out and can be fixed with little repairs, then restore it and then you can put it up for sale at a suitable rate.
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Consider Selling at a Garage or Estate Sale
If you have a few furniture items to get rid of, then perhaps you can sell them at garage sales and make some money while getting rid of them. The downside is that you’ve to put time and effort into moving your furniture to the sale site and handle constant negotiations. To convene a successful garage sale, you can use your networks with your friends, family, and neighbourhood to draw a huge crowd. Also, acquire assistance from skilled individuals in your close ones to run the event.
If you have a large number of furniture items to get rid of, then contact an estate sales company. They can manage the whole event and handle payments on your behalf. Estate sales are especially helpful and popular when families dealing with the loss of a loved one need space to grieve and process rather than make changes and negotiate prices.
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Pass Your Furniture on to Loved Ones
If you’re looking to donate your furniture that is in good shape, then start by looking around your close ones who can make good use of your furniture. Even if you think that your old furniture is too old to be given away to your loved ones, it might not always be the case.
It is quite possible that your friends or family members can think of their own ways to restore your furniture or another way to use it. So, if you know any of your loved ones, particularly those renting their flat or buying their home, then consider them to give away your furniture. They could well be desperately waiting for freebies and more than pleased to make good use of your furniture.
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Sell on Consignment or at a Second-Hand Store
If your old furniture is in good condition, then selling it to a consignment or a retail store is a very good and practical option. But first, you need to distinguish between consignment and second-hand stores. The owner of a second-hand store purchases items for reselling, while consignment is a business model in which you bring your own items for sale on your behalf. While selling on consignment, you need to ask what percentage the stores take from the sales and what happens if no one buys it.
The profit-sharing method for both also greatly varies. With second-hand stores, proceeds are paid on a percentage split that is usually 60/40. In a consignment, the seller retains ownership of each item until it is sold. To find out about the best second-hand stores, you can start searching from the vintage stores in your locality that accept items as donations or on consignment. Find out about the payment terms and the kind of furniture that the store can accept. You need to conduct the store research as each store has its own policies, rate structure, and audience.
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Donate
If you want to be socially responsible for getting rid of your unwanted furniture, then what better way than donating it? This way, your furniture can be used by someone in need, and you might get a tax deduction. You can find numerous outlets and non-profit organisations that can collect old but usable furniture.
However, these organisations do not accept all kinds of furniture, such as old and lumpy mattresses, medical-type items, etc. So, you need to contact the organisation before donating your furniture. Also, ask how they will pick up the furniture. Will they pick it up or arrange delivery? Additionally, ask them about the potential tax benefits and request a receipt for your taxes.
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Repurpose Your Furniture
If your furniture is old and worn out but you still have space in your house, then consider this a chance to give your furniture a second lease on life and elevate your room’s aesthetics as well. There are numerous brilliant ideas to upscale your furniture. For instance, if it’s a cabinet, you can turn it into a bar by adding some style and layering.
If you’ve got an old dresser with a wide surface area, then instead of throwing it out, you can convert it into a beautiful sink vanity. Just some finishing and paint, a magnificent slab placement, and a few holes cutting in the top and back of the dresser for water pipes, and voila, your DIY repurposed furniture is ready to amplify your bathroom’s aesthetics.
Things to Consider Before Getting Rid of Your Old Furniture
- Examine the Old Furniture’s Condition: Before deciding to get rid of your furniture, you first need to do an honest assessment. Check for any damages, missing parts, or bad odours from old furniture. If it is lightly used or brand new, then that’s another case. The point is that your evaluation will determine the resale value of your furniture and may become a deciding factor in whether it needs to be sold or put in junk.
- Perform Market research: If you decide to sell, then first, you need to do market research about similar items being sold near you. For this, you can visit garage sales and thrift stores or search on online markets. Here’s a pro tip: Revisit the store or online site a few times over a week or two to check if the rate of the item has declined or has been sold.
- Handling Negotiations: Before selling, you need to first be clear about whether you can handle negotiation or not. Knowing this will help you clear about your own priorities, whether you want to sell or opt for other ways to get rid of your furniture.
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Take Energy & Time Assessment: Getting rid of your old furniture can consume your time and energy. Therefore, first analyse whether you have the time to repair the damage to your furniture. Also, consider the mental energy you require to deal with the negotiation process and other people’s schedules. If you don’t have much free time, then consider disposing of or donating your furniture instead of upgrading or reselling it.
Lastly!
Unwanted furniture can prove to be burdensome for your house space, but you can get rid of it by following our 8 pragmatic ways. If you’re considering replacing your old bed with a new one, then why not try Cloud Sleep? Here, you can buy premium and durable beds and mattresses at market-competitive rates and a 5-year warranty.
