Most of us know what it's like to hold unto furniture we no longer use. We end up with furniture items that don't go together, they are outdated, broken and our garage beings to resemble the furniture section in a second-hand store. If you're constantly looking at unwanted furniture in your home, and sigh in disappointment, there is hope.
Before you call us to haul away those old pieces of furniture, here's some ideas for what you can do with that old couch, table, dresser, and any other furniture items that need to be renewed or eliminated.
Whether it's that old fake leather couch from your college days or that Lay-Z-Boy recliner that looks just like the one from the old TV show Frasier', it just has to go.
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Most people don’t realize that old furniture accounts for 5% of the solid waste that goes into our public landfills. There is something to be said about upcycling that never loses its appeal. Instead of tossing out that old couch, you can renew it, donate it, or possibly get paid to have someone come by and pick it up.
Below are six things you can do with your old furniture including selling, donating and trashing it - but those aren't the only options at your disposal.
1
Upgrading Your Old Furniture
It’s the love of labor that makes refurbishing a rewarding craft within itself. If you have basic tools such as sanders and saws, here is another option that puts old furniture items to good use.
The advantage is giving something old a completely new look that still embodies a vintage charm with a new twist. And unlike the stuff you tend to see in most stores these days, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind piece that reduces waste and can be sold for a decent price.
Upgrading an item could mean a whole new life for it. It may be something as simple as a new coat of paint. If you are working with solid wood pieces, maybe a new stain will help it blend in with the rest of the furniture. The internet provides an endless sea of instruction on how to strip stain from wood, replace drawers, create a vintage finish and anything else you might need. If you can’t or don’t want to do it yourself, look into furniture repair shops. You can easily have a couch reupholstered to bring its style up to date, or have the wobbly legs on the dining room chairs reinforced.
The advantage is that you will spend less on raw materials and provides hours of DIY entertainment in the process. As long as you have a good eye for scratch-building, you can’t go wrong with refurbishing.
Couch Restoration
See Pinterst couch repair and restoration ideas to get that old couch looking new.
Dresser Restoration
See Pinterest to get ideas on what to do with that old dresser and create a dresser to match your bedroom style just right.
Table Restoration
See Pinterest to get ideas on restoring the dining room table.
Fontana Dresser Before Vintage Makeover
After - See White Vintage Dresser from North Country Nest DIY walkthrough
2
Recycling or Repurposing Old Furniture
Recycling or repurposing old furniture has developed a cult following, leaving us with millions of ideas for creating new, unique, pieces out of old furniture. If you can’t see how that old piece of furniture might be upgraded to fit into your home decor, then consider how it might be turned into something that will. You can make a new bookshelf out of that dilapidated table, or a beautiful hall tree out of an outdated dresser. Use your imagination here; figure out what you could use, then decide on colors, patterns and get clever. If you're looking for inspiration try some of these ideas.
Repurpose Doors
See Pinterest to get ideas on creating something new out of an old door; from tables, shelves, racks and much more.
Repurpose Bookshelf
See Pinterest to get ideas on doing something new with that old bookshelf. From simple upgrades to creating something entirely new. Don't break it down and have it hauled away to the landfill; invent something new!
Repurpose A Dresser
See Pinterest to get ideas on taking that old broken dresser and create shelves, wine racks, mud closets and much more. Don't throw it out, redesign!
Repurpose an Entertainment Center
See Pinterest to get ideas on taking that old ugly entertainment center and turning it into something that will impress.
Schedule A Pick Up, Life's Better Without Junk.
3
Selling Old Furniture
Another option for getting rid of old furniture is to sell it. Yard sales are good places but they take up a great deal of time and energy. The internet provides a wider market for your goods and is considerably easier. While Ebay is a go to for many used items, you might consider other options first, shipping furniture can be difficult and costly. Craigslist is a customary location for local furniture shoppers.
Draft your description well, it will determine how your piece is shown to others. Facebook Yard Sales is another great option. Buyers tend to be more reliable on Facebook than on Craigslist, just search your location and “yard sales” to find the right group for you.
You do need to know what these items are worth and they must be in good condition so the odds are in your favor for finding a buyer. If you know more about its' history or background, this helps further so you'll also need to do some research on how you came to own it.
Make sure you have read and understand the rules of any online site, you don’t want to be blindsided by surprises, such as delivery requirements.
Craigslist
Craigslist is fast and easy to sell unwanted furniture. All you need to do is take a photo of your furniture, uploaded it and post a description. Many times people will arrange to come to you to haul away your furniture and leave you with cash.
Facebook Yard Sales
Joining local Facebook Yard Sale groups will allow you to quickly and easily communicate with people in your neighborhood who are looking for furniture you have.
Sell on eBay
eBay allows you to upload your old furniture to a worldwide system where your items sell to the highest bidder; you can also choose to sell your items for a flat price. Upon sale you will be expected to ship the item in a timely manner. Therefore this platform isn't ideal for large furniture unless they are considered collectable or antique.
A Few Tips for Selling a Couch & Furniture via Social Channels
Ebay and Facebook aren't the only online marketplaces, check out some of the apps on your smartphone. Poshmark, Trove Market, and Chairish are both designed to specifically sell furniture. VarageSale is another popular app that can get you in touch with dozens of potential buyers.
If you have a decent social media presences a quick post is in order. Just post a pic and a price on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and see if you get lucky.
If you really want to catch a buyer consider the following things when creating your post.
- Look Professional: Let buyers know you’ve done this before and you're good at it.
- Use Good Keywords: A good post is like a good pick up line, you need to know the right words for the audience. The terms you choose will determine if your item pops up in someone's search.
- Pricing to Sell: When you think pricing, remember this is your old stuff. It has lost a lot of value and is not worth nearly what you paid for it.
- Use Good Images: While your words will determine if your post shows up on a search, your images will determine if someone clicks on your listing. You need good clear photos of your couch. Don’t use blurry pics, if you're having trouble with the blurs then turn your flash on, even if it's daylight. Make sure you have a neutral background, if you post up a picture of your couch surrounded by piles of dirty laundry you're not going to make a good impression. All of the clutter in the image will distract buyers and make them judge you. so find a neutral backdrop. Take pictures from multiple angles, it lets people get a feel for what it might look like in their own home.
Take a little time to capture your furniture in its best light.
4
Donating Furniture
Among my favorite thing to do with unwanted items is to donate them. Donating an old sofa or table is a great way to give while receiving. Tax decutions can often times put more money in your pocket than selling the times outright.
It's often said that many people put too much into holding onto old stuff, but there is no pride in being overcrowded by their junk. There is no shame in donating things to charity especially if it doesn't look overly used. One of the easiest ways to lift the burden of personal space is to help others who are lacking something useful in their lives.
If you don’t have the time, tools or interest to upgrade or repurpose old furniture, consider donating those pieces to your community. Donation centers are spread throughout the valley. They work with families that will put your old furniture to good use. You could easily provide be a new couch for a young couple just starting out, or a dining table for a family to sit together. Many donation centers will even provide pickup services. Donating your old pieces is a simple way to make a big impact in someone’s life.
Donation centers such as The Salvation Army or Goodwill provide you with a claim receipt so you can write off this amount for your current tax filing. As long as they are a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, they can provide the appropriate value of goods and furniture you donate to them provided they meet all the criteria for being accepted.
If you're looking for a great cause to donate a couch, chair, sofa or loveset, I'd recommend checking out Got Legs located in Scottsdale, AZ.
AZ Junk Furniture Pickup in Phoenix
AZ Junk Removal will schedule a furniture pickup, same day, and drop it off at the nearest donation center or supply it to someone who would be glad to give it a new home.
Goodwill Centers in Phoenix
Goodwill has over 20 locations in the Phoenix metro Phoenix area with 24-hour dropoff and pickup services available. Pickups can be challenging to schedule and items to be pickuped must meet certain quality criterias.
Salvation Army in Phoenix
There are 4 dropoff locations throughout the Phoenix area. The Salvation Army also offers a pickup service.
St. Vincent De Paul in Phoenix
St. Vincent De Paul has seven locations throughout the Phoenix area. You are able to drop off furniture at any of these thrift centers. They also offer a pick up service.
5
Restoration
Is your old sofa suffering from neglect? Years of abuse, sagging sofa syndrome, or any of the other thousands of ailments that afflict all old sofas today? Worry not, advances in sofa medicine can bring that old dilapidated item back to its glory days. With just a few of the right prescriptions, your old sofa will spring back to life.
There comes a time when you just have to get rid of that old couch ( we'll explain later how you can properly dispose of it).
However, many times, you can give that old piece of furniture new life. Don't be so quick to throw it out. Here's a few ideas.
Deep Cleaning
First things first, clean that thing. Don’t just vacuum it, really clean it. Rent a steam cleaner if you don’t have one and go to town. Take off all removable parts and wash them. Steam clean anything that is still attached from top to bottom. Don’t be lazy or your bad attitude will reflect in a half old looking sofa.
Hire a carpet cleaning pro or rent a steam cleaner at your local hardware store.
After you have steam cleaned every possible piece, vacuum the inside. And when you're done, remember that you should vacuum the inside pretty often, it is not a once in a lifetime thing.
Basic Restoration
Jazz it up a little by making new buttons if the old ones are saggy and worn. Hit a craft store and find the button kits, yes they are real things, then you can pick the right kind of material to match your sofa.
Open up the cushions and pillows and add some stuffing. They are not supposed to be wobbly and saggy. Fill them up until they resemble the couch you bought.
Polly fill stuffing is extremly affordable. Cushion on left has been restuffed while the others have not.
Those few easy step will make your old sofa spring back to life, but only if it was in pretty decent shape to the beginning with. If you have an outdated junker lying around you might have to put in a little more effort.
Next Level Restoration
Let start with the old IKEA classic. It was great when you first got it, now, it's old, dirty and out of style. To make this piece look a little nicer think about TUFTing the cushions, all that really means is ... add some buttons. You need to pull the string from the front of the cushion, where the button attached, all the way through the back. Google it, you'll see just how easy it is to do. This tuft look is certainly more elegant than what IKEA can offer.
Now if you're a risk taker, you can consider painting the old style sofa. Textile material can absorb latex paint while still remaining soft, so we hear. If the classic white sofa now kinda looks like the bottom of your shoe then this might be the way to go.
If you have kids then we're certain you have totally given up trying to get out all of the permanent marker and other kid-friendly stains. Instead of spending another day scrubbing and washing what is clearly not coming out, grab a few cushion covers and class it up. You can even just do a few cushions and leave the others, assuming they look pristine, to mix it up. If you are crafty you can make no-sew slip covers of your own and open up a world of material choices to best match your home’s vibe.
6
Bulk Trash Pickups
You’ve heard of those bulk trash service pickup days that are announced every so often in your city, but have you considered how important they are for bulk trash outs? It’s similar to having junk hauled away aside from the fact that you don’t have to pay anything for this service. The only catch is you have to meet their regulations. The City of Phoenix recently changed their bulk trash pickup service by going to a scheudle only pickup service. Click the link above learn more.
Now, as a paid alternative, you can haul the couch to the dump yourself. In Phoenix, the average cost to haul a couch to the dump is $15.00. Now, if you're going to make the trip to the dump, it's best to declutter your house by filling up the truck with stuff you no longer need. The average cost to dump a full truck load at the transfer station in Phoenix is about $60.00.
FAQs
It depends on the policies of your local waste management company. Some companies may accept large items like couches and sofas as part of regular garbage pickup, while others may require special arrangements. You’re going to need to call them to find out for sure.
Some waste management companies may charge a fee for the disposal of large items like couches and sofas, while others may include it as part of regular garbage pickup. It also matters if the company needs to pick up the couch or you can bring it to a dump or waste disposal site yourself. It's best to check with your local waste management company for more information.
Yes, you can always donate almost anything. And it’s best you do rather than it ending up in a dump taking up space. Try any non-profits you have in your area, the internet or even religious places. They often know who can use the different items you’re willing to donate.
Even sofas in poor condition can be reupholstered so be sure it is really unusable. If that is the case, then you may need to arrange for special disposal through your local waste management company. Whether or not they will come and get it depends on the service you’re using. Just call them and they’ll let you know what their policies are.
We’ll come by and get rid of it for you. You don’t have to do anything but call; just leave the sofa where it is and we will make it magically disappear. If the idea of tossing such a staple is nagging at your conscience, don’t worry, we will find a great home for it. We won’t just drop it off in the landfill, we’ll either donate or recycle it, so it can continue to fulfill its sofa destiny.
