There are a number of reasons that you might need to get rid of your old furniture. Maybe you’re moving to a new place, or perhaps you’re in the middle of a renovation, or you just need to declutter. No matter your reason, it’s common to be unsure how to dispose of large items. Your too-loud refrigerator, your twenty-year-old couch, your mattress that’s so worn you can see the springs through it — all of these bulky items are difficult to transport.
Many people go with the tried-and-true curb approach. If you put them at the end of your driveway with a sign that says “FREE,” surely someone will take them off your hands. Alternatively, offering them for free on sites like Craigslist is another favourite option. But what happens when the thing is truly so unsalvageable that no one would want it? How are you supposed to get these items to your local dump? Does your dump even take items of this size? Are you going to be looking at extra fees?
Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of furniture removal and waste disposal tips should help get you started. At least one of these methods is bound to work for you. These tips mitigate a huge lot of the hassle, but you should be aware that the furniture removal process will still involve some hassle.
Contact local waste disposal companies
Before you haul your broken furniture all the way to the dump, you should call them. This will save you a lot of headache down the road, especially if it turns out they don’t take large items. You don’t want to load and drive all of your furniture down there, only to be turned away at the door.
In a lot of cases, the local trash removal company won’t accept oversized items, especially if you just put them out on the curb with the rest of your bins. That said, you can occasionally get lucky. The information about large items will usually be available on the company’s website but sometimes you may need to make a phone call.
The amount of large furniture that waste management will or will not accept will vary widely depending on your location. Sometimes, you’ll have the opportunity to call the company and schedule a “bulk pickup,” but this comes with a fee. Said fee is usually somewhere between $50 and $75. If the furniture is medium-sized, your trash company might accept it, but you’re taking a chance. In other cases, trash companies will be perfectly willing to accept large furniture, but they won’t take anything that has any kind of electrical component.
Some waste management companies will allow you to purchase a tag, attach it to a bulky item, and have said item removed on collection day. This method tends to be cheaper, usually costing around $10 per item for furniture that’s easy to dispose of. You might also want to invest in a private company that specializes in junk removal.
If you have anything made of metal, a scrap yard is a good bet. That said, it’s likely that you’ll need to give a small fee to the company in order to have your items picked up. If you’re able to deliver them to the scrapyard yourself, you might get paid for your time.
Ask about furniture removal on delivery
Sometimes, getting new appliances or furniture delivered will come with an added bonus. The installation crew can often haul away your old furniture without any extra charge. In many cases, especially with objects like refrigerators, the cost of hauling the appliance away is built into the installation cost. The movers already expect to need to remove the old appliance.
You should make sure you read the fine print of any contract you sign with these companies. You might also want to give the company a call to find out whether they ever offer special provisions. This type of arrangement is more likely to work with appliances than with furniture, but it’s worth asking about the furniture just in case.
Sell them online
If you don’t want to pay a fee to have your junk removed, you can list it on Craigslist for free. Let the world know that you have a ton of stuff that you want to get rid of. Make sure any interested parties are aware that they’ll be responsible for hauling it away.
Stick it on the curb
Maybe you don’t want to hire a private company, and your local junkyard won’t take large objects. You might as well do what people have been doing since the dawn of time, and set the old items on the curb with a sign. Hopefully, people driving by will have an interest and take the furniture off your hands. It has to disappear eventually; you just need to be patient.
Donate it to charity
Thrift shops are always looking for furniture to repurpose and resell. As long as your items are in decent condition, you should be able to donate them to a charity or thrift store. Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore program is also willing to pick up appliances, toilets, and other non-furniture items.
Make sure you make good judgment calls here, though; this option should only be used if your furniture is in decent shape and might make a good home with another person.
For more information, call Red Bins at 416-733-2467 or contact us here.
