Moving house, whether you’re going around the corner or across the country, always manages to produce a slew of items we don’t want – or know what to do with.
Amidst all the stress of moving, it can feel like the only solution is to just dispose of the things you no longer want or need. Whether you just leave them behind, or literally throw the unwanted items out with the rubbish (horror!) disposing of your possessions in these ways is not only environmentally wasteful, it’s a waste of money, too.
If you think ahead and stop to pause, there are a few other options when it comes to getting rid of unwanted furniture. Here we explain the best ways to handle unwanted items when you move.
3 ways to deal with unwanted possessions
#1 – Sell them
The most obvious way to dispose of anything you no longer want is to sell it, and selling furniture makes a lot of sense given how costly it can be to buy in the first place!
Ideally, your furniture should be in good or decent condition if you want to make any money out of it on the secondhand market. To maximise your sale price for furniture, a few tips are worth keeping in mind:
- Firstly, you need to clean the item/s thoroughly. You’d be surprised how easily dust and superficial markings will devalue the appearance of an otherwise perfectly good piece of furniture.
- Do some quick research to see what prices are being asked for secondhand furniture in your local area. Use Gumtree and eBay to give you an idea of where to price your pieces at.
- If you have multiple pieces to sell then a garage sale or an advertised ‘home contents sale’ can be a great way to move many items within a day.
- If you’re not comfortable selling your furniture in your home, you can of course try to sell it online. Utilise the online marketplaces mentioned earlier to list your items for sale in a few clicks of a button. With the help of moving and storage in Ipswich QLD services, you can assist your buyers take delivery of their purchases, or store them until they need it.
- While it might feel silly to be selling your furniture at throwaway prices, this is still a lot better than simply letting it slide into landfill, and any amounts that you receive will help with your relocation costs – so don’t be put off!
#2 – Donate
If you’ve run out of time, or you feel that selling your furniture is just not worth the effort, you can always give what you don’t need to family, friends, or the local community. While you may miss out on a few extra coins in your pocket, donating your unused and unwanted things to those in need pays back in other ways.
Contact local shelters, churches, youth groups, community centres and charity shops to see if they can make use of your possessions. Always enquire with these places BEFORE you drop off any donations to see whether they have a need for your particular items.
While your donation has been made with the best intentions, many charity shops tend to get swamped with unsaleable items. This shuffles the burden of disposal from the original owner to the charity shop, which defeats the purpose of being charitable in the first place.
#3 – Dispose in an eco-friendly way
If all else fails and you really do need to just throw your unwanted furniture away, then at least do so in an eco-friendly way.
We’re all familiar with the piles of white goods and furniture which accumulate outside apartment buildings on the street. That’s because one of the most common mistakes people make when moving is they don’t consider how to dispose of their possessions in advance. Be aware that improper disposal can lead to heavy fines if you get caught!
The best way method is to contact the council or any local companies that handle waste management. Alternatively you can transport your unwanted things to the nearest landfill station.
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