How To Get Rid Of Unwanted Furniture

Large pieces of unwanted furniture can be hard to dispose of if you don't know where to look. Below we'll outline the most affordable ways to get rid of your furniture, without losing money.

Have you ever heard the saying ‘one man’s rubbish may be another man’s treasure’? – it’s really relevant here. While getting rid of your unwanted furniture can be a pain - especially with something bulky that won’t fit into your wheelie bin - there are a few avenues you can explore before lugging the item out of the house. With the added bonus of being environmentally friendly too! From donating, recycling, upcycling or selling online, read on for our top tips on how to dispose of your unwanted furniture and make room for the new!

Donate unwanted furniture to charity

There are many charities offering free collections of unwanted furniture to sell on in their shops so this is a good place to start. The British Heart Foundation, Sue Ryder, The Red Cross to name a few. Some even offer an online booking service for the collection. This option, therefore, is not only eco-friendly but will be helping those in need. In other words, your unwanted furniture may be another person's treasure – win, win!

Online Advertisements

You may think that your sofa or dining table have seen better days, or perhaps you fancy a change, but if there’s not much wrong with the furniture you want to dispose of how about listing it on Ebay, Preloved or Gumtree? You can make a bit of cash to put towards a new sofa or dining set? It’s also worth having a look on Facebook to see if there are any local selling groups in your area.

Our top tips for listing on selling sites are:

Include lots of photos even if your item is a bit worn or has any damage it’s important for potential buyers to see that before they make the decision to bid for it. Be honest in your description. Think about how upset you might be if you think you’re buying a sofa in ‘excellent condition’ only to find it’s threadbare in some areas when you go to collect it? Talking of descriptions, use as many keywords you can think of for that item – what would people search for? Add those words into your description. Be aware that some people will waste your time. It’s not uncommon for people to message you directly and make an offer, only to disappear when you’ve agreed!

Council Recycling Centres

Maybe your unwanted furniture needs to go because it really isn’t suitable for use anymore. Perhaps the springs have gone in the sofa you want to dispose of? Or the glass has broken on that dining table you bought (after that party the teenager had)? Or your mattress has been handed down a few too many times? Then you might want to consider taking it to your local Council Waste Disposal Centre – known to many as ‘The Tip’.

Many larger items of unwanted furniture can be disposed of or recycled here. It’s worth noting that many council run centres ask to see ID to ensure you live in their catchment area. Commercial vehicles often need a permit to dispose of goods there. There is a central website you can visit to find your nearest recycling centre. Recycle Now is the national recycling campaign for England, supported and funded by Government, managed by WRAP and used locally by over 90% of English authorities.

Car Boot Sale

If you’re a fan of a car boot sale and have saved up a bag or two of items to sell, why not take your larger unwanted furniture items too! If you have a table to sell you can use it to display the smaller items! Talk about killing two birds with one stone