Most people must deal with the problem of what to do with unwanted furniture eventually. Whether the couch has too many stains or rips, the recliner now looks outdated, or it’s time to move or downsize, even good furniture can’t stay around forever. While unwanted furniture can take up valuable space and be cumbersome to move, the good news is that people have many options when it comes to getting rid of it.
Donate to Charity
A national charitable organization with a well-recognized name can be an ideal place to donate unwanted furniture. Some will even save donors the hassle of delivering it themselves by sending their own delivery crew. Here are three large charities to consider:
- Goodwill: This company operates resale stores across the United States with donated furniture and other merchandise. The organization exists to help people with low income and head of households with no current employment find a full-time job.
- The National Furniture Bank Association: This organization accepts chairs, couches, tables, mattresses, silverware, pots, pans, and dishes from the public and redistributes them to struggling families across the United States and Canada.
- Vietnam Veterans of America: The VA receives donated furniture and resells it to provide funding for its programs that serve veterans.
People donating furniture should ask for a receipt if the organization doesn’t offer one. They will need it if they plan to claim the fair market value of the donation as an income tax deduction.
Furniture Recycling
Many communities have recycling centers that will accept old furniture or sponsor bulk waste disposal days. To prepare old furniture for recycling, it’s important to remove personal items and determine the primary materials used to make it. This information will help the recycling center know how to break it down. For furniture made mostly from metal, donors will need to contact a scrap metal recycling center.
Sell Furniture
There’s new ways and old ways when it comes to selling unwanted furniture, both of which can be quite effective. For example, people looking to unload furniture can use a smartphone application to locate buyers, list it for sale on Craig’s List, or make use of an online auction site.
Some of the older methods of selling unwanted items include holding a garage sale, placing an ad in the local community paper, and posting signs in the neighborhood with a telephone number to call for follow-up. This helps people who can’t afford to buy new furniture while providing the seller with some extra cash at the same time.
Contact a Junk Hauler
A junk hauler is a company that picks up unwanted furniture and other items from customers and brings it to a donation or recycling center whenever possible. This frees up time from the customer having to do the job themselves and gets the furniture out of the home in a hurry. The biggest benefit with this option is there’s no waiting around for someone to buy it or having to borrow or rent a truck to deliver it in person.
With so many options available to get rid of old furniture, no one should feel like it’s crowding their space because they don’t know what else to do with it.