Most people find moving to be very stressful, and for good reason. Even under the best of circumstances, the act of uprooting yourself, your family, and all of your belongings is mentally, physically, and even emotionally demanding.
Plus, there’s the simple but undeniable fact that come moving day, odds are excellent it will be more stressful than you anticipate. But a little organizing and figuring out things like how to dispose of furniture before moving day can go a long way.
5 Ways to Dispose of Used Furniture Before Moving
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Why Do People Dispose of Furniture When Moving?
There is just no way around it. Moving means a lot of lifting, packing, and hauling and we all like to simplify life when we can, so moving can also mean it’s time to find ways to dispose of a lot of stuff including furniture or appliances in order to declutter while lightening the load.
Preparing for Your Move
Furniture is big and bulky and sometimes it doesn’t make sense to move it. Chances are your new residence has a different layout, size, and general vibe. That means some of your current furniture will inevitably have to go – one way or another.
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Remembering Those Stored and Forgotten Belongings
Plus, many people have old furniture like broken treadmills hiding in their basements or attics. Moving means finding a practical way to get rid of these items. From furniture that is falling apart to out-of-style furniture to downsizing, it doesn’t make sense to take all of your furniture.
Don’t Be a Moving “Weekend Warrior”
That said, getting rid of furniture, especially bulky items, can be a real hassle. Furniture can be extremely heavy and awkward to carry, and most people don’t have a truck that is the right fit for moving furniture.
Plus, the heavier the furniture, the more likely you are to get injured. Moving is tiring and challenging enough, you don’t need to move into your new house just to go straight into nursing aches and pains.
5 Ways to Get Rid of Furniture
Now that you’ve identified the furniture items you don’t need, it’s time to figure out which of the following five furniture disposal methods would be best for each piece.
1. Sell Your Furniture
If you’ve ever looked through Craigslist or different local groups on Facebook, then you know sometimes people practically give furniture away. Often, the reason for the very low prices is people are moving and don’t want the burden of moving their heavy furniture long distances.
Score Some Cash
This is an opportunity for you as well. If you can find someone to buy your used furniture, you get rid of it while simultaneously making a little money in the process. If you can pull off something like a garage sale, selling your furniture is definitely a solid option.
Spread the Word
There are other options for selling your furniture as well. One good option is to simply talk to your friends and relatives. Even if your friends and relatives don’t have any interest in buying your furniture, they may know someone who does. Plus, if your furniture is in good shape, you’ll feel good knowing someone else can enjoy it.
2. Donate Your Furniture
Many charities like Habitat for Humanity, are willing to take used furniture. In many cases, charities will even go so far as to pick up your furniture, gently used clothes, old musical instruments, and more. This is a great way to dispose of furniture you no longer need.
And best of all, you’ll know when you donate items like cleaned old baby items from long ago, you are helping a charity in the process. Helping a charity means you may receive a tax deduction, which is definitely icing on the cake.
Just keep in mind that many charities will require you to deliver the furniture to the thrift store. This usually means renting a truck and sometimes even hiring help to move the furniture.
Finally, charities will only want furniture in good shape. If your furniture has major damage, the odds are good your furniture will not be accepted.
3. Gift Or Repurpose your Furniture
In the end, if selling your furniture online or to friends and family doesn’t work, then you can always opt to give it away as a repurposed gifts. Repurposing furniture is easy with a few DIY tricks you can find online.
While most people choose to sell old or repurposed furniture, you can also offer them as great gifts to your loved ones.
Odds are good if you do find friends or family who want your old or repurposed furniture items, they may be willing to get a truck and help you move it to their house.
While this might not put money in your pocket, at least you won’t have to worry about moving your furniture and save time and energy if you can convince others to take your furniture.
4. Throw It in the Trash for Curbside Pickup
It’s difficult to know in advance what your trash collectors will and will not take. For this reason, you should call in advance and find out before putting furniture out at the curb. The last thing you want to do is carry everything back into the house or have it sit out front for weeks.
Curbside Pickups
It is also possible people will see your furniture sitting outside and pick it up before the trash collectors even come. Leaving your unwanted furniture in front of your house is another, and often overlooked, way to make your furniture disappear!
Psst! We set the record straight for what can and what can’t be put in your curbside recycling bin!
Going to the Dump Has Serious Costs
If curbside trash pickup won’t work, you could also take your old furniture to the dump. Of course, just tossing waste in a landfill is harmful to the environment. Landfills decrease the air quality throughout the city and can pollute streams that may contribute to drinking water.
The Dump is Terrible for Our Planet
Not to mention, if you’re in the middle of packing and figuring out other moving logistics, a trip to the dump may seem rather daunting. In fact, your trip to the dump might be even less fun than moving itself!
Yes, the dump is an option for getting rid of furniture. But it’s terrible for the environment and, let’s face it, the earth could use fewer landfill problems. Avoid choosing this last-ditch option.
Learn how to dispose of your unwanted items with our helpful disposal guides.
5. Choose LoadUp
While this article has covered a lot of options for disposing of your furniture, there is a final option that deserves your consideration. A junk removal company like LoadUp can take your old furniture and other items to dispose of them in a responsible and eco-friendly manner, such as donating furniture pickups in Atlanta to the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta.
Once you’ve scheduled a pick up with LoadUp, your furniture problems are finally over. Professionals will come haul away and dispose of your furniture quickly. There is no need to spend time figuring out rules and policies or trying to sell or give things away.
If you’re moving, you already have a great number of things to consider and your to-do list is long. Simply book online to make unwanted furniture no longer a problem before your move.
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Make Things Easy on Yourself
Moving is stressful. Any steps you can take to make the process easier is a step in the right direction. Unwanted furniture no longer needs to be your problem. It can easily find a second life in a new home, or it can be recycled in a responsible fashion through LoadUp.
The great news is once all the moving logistics are over, you’ll have decluttered your home and gotten rid of things you don’t need, including the old furniture you should replace when you move so you can relax and enjoy your new home.
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