DIY Tips For Getting Rid Of Old Furniture

[This post was previously published in July 2016 and has been updated]

When you've finished that major spring cleaning project and are ready to do a makeover or upgrade your furniture, you still have to get rid of your old furniture. While it is tempting for homeowners to simply dump their unwanted household goods somewhere, it's not always a good choice.

And, if you're selling your house, leaving these items in your home isn't really an option. Ultimately, you still have the problem of figuring out how and where to dispose of it all.

Although some folks opt for taking them to the curb and placing a "Free" sign on them, more often than not, most homeowners usually end up taking their old things to the city or county landfill. 

But there are other ways of getting of them.

Options for Getting Rid of Your Old Furniture

Americans have fully embraced online shopping and, as a result of this, online selling. For example, according to a post from MarketingLand,

"According to a recent report from the US Department of Commerce, e-commerce sales brought in $394.9 billion in 2016. The Commerce Department reports online sales grew 15.1 percent in 2016 and accounted for 8.1 percent of total retail sales for the year."

The great thing about this technology is its ability to allow individuals to not only buy goods - just about anything you can think of - but to sell them, too!

Most people know of eBay even if they've never used it. Another popular site for buying and selling is Craigslist. If you're a homeowner looking to get rid of old furniture or appliances, both platforms offer a great opportunity to do this and make some money as a result.

While the process is fairly simple and these online tools are easy to use, there are still some "best practices" that have evolved over the years that can help you make the best of this option.

A Few Tips for Using eBay or Craigslist

According to a number of professional online sellers, here are a few key points to keep in mind when using either eBay and Craigslist, and other online selling sites:

1. Avoid Shipping 

Try selling locally and having your items picked up by the buyers themselves. This is especially important with furniture.

2. Focus on Popular Items 

This will help you attract multiple bids from potential buyers much more quickly.

3. Make the Items Presentable

Be sure your items are clean and take time to make them look nice.

4. Take Great Photos

eBay is a marketplace that uses many photos and good images sell better.

5. Describe Items Honestly

People want details and want to know if an item may tears or stains, etc.

6. Price Your Items Fairly

Don't try to get rich with your old stuff. Simply price them to sell!

7. It's OK to Negotiate

You're trying to get your stuff out the door, so don’t hesitate to negotiate with the buyer.  

8. Choose the Right Online Site

For example, Craigslist is a great place to sell furniture.

9. Sell Highly Valuable Items in Person

Craigslist is mostly used by people looking for a deal. But, you can try eBay for valuable items.

Consider Online Selling Before Having Another Yard Sale

Although Craigslist offers a wide variety of various classified categories, the market has shifted to favor specific items. For instance, its a great place buying or selling furniture, materials, and technology, but not so much for decorative items.

And Craigslist is even less popular for items like books and clothing. If you’re looking to sell these types of goods, consider eBay or other online selling options such as Etsy that represent great online selling and shopping sites.

The biggest key is to be strategic with what items you choose to sell online versus items that are better off with donating them being given to family or friends. Remember, the goal is to move these items out of your house, not to make a lot of money.

Your Professional Junk Removal Option

Whether you are selling your home, or just needed to get things cleaned up and cleared out, many homeowners often find they still need someone for junk removal. And if you actually are preparing your home to sell, you may have more than just old furniture to get rid of.

In fact, typically prior to the sale of a home, some large trash pick-up and junk hauling often needs be done. 

According to a number of studies, the average homeowner sells their home after about six years of living there. In that time there are typically large quantities of accumulated items left in the garage, on the side of the house or in a basement.

Once the previous homeowners have moved out, whatever items they have left behind need to be cleaned up and hauled away. While it may seem harsh to refer to these items as “junk” the fact is that in order for your real estate agent to show the home,or have it prepared for the new owners, your junk needs to be removed.

The Best Household Junk Removal Team

Once you decide to outsource the house cleanup part of your move, you need to determine which firm is the right one for the job. And while you can certainly find plenty of guys with trucks willing to do the job, choosing that alternative may end up costing you more than you hoped to save.

This is why Junk King really is the firm of choice. Junk King provides an efficient, safe and eco-friendly residential junk removal service so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of household items and debris after the move is complete.

Our team specializes in large waste removal and furniture hauling. We can be on location in mere minutes, so call us today! Our crew is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.

One of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle a much of the material we pick-up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do or what we believe, give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK (5865).