If you’re set to move house but have items of old furniture that won’t fit within your new home, there are plenty of options for what to do with them.
Before you go ahead and order yourself a skip or do a tip run, it’s worth exploring what else you could do with them. You could even make some money from your efforts!
Donate to a charity
One of the easiest ways to support your community is to donate to charities.
There are many different organisations local to us in Nottinghamshire that accept furniture donations, and many more across the country. Here’s just a few ideas to get the ball rolling:
- British Heart Foundation
- St Barnabas Hospice
- British Red Cross
- The Salvation Army
- Sue Ryder Foundation
- Age UK
- Cancer Research UK
Many of these will also offer a furniture collection service, meaning it is completely hassle free to donate, whilst supporting a great cause in the process.
Donated furniture can be really valuable for a charity which can resell them to raise funding. Even better, the furniture is usually sold well below the cost of buying items new, so it’s also a big help for thrifty households or families that may be struggling financially.
If there’s a particular charity you’d like to support, then it’s always worth contacting them to ask if they accept furniture donations, even if it’s not directly advertised on their website.
If you can’t coordinate with your chosen charity, then we are happy to provide a disposal service for selected items on move day. Simply chat to the office team at the time of booking your move and we’ll sort it for you.
Use Ballards House Clearing Service
Clearing out an entire house is no small job – but we’re here to make things as simple as possible. Ballards offers a professional house clearing service and we’re also able to assist with recycling and rehoming your unwanted items.
Our experienced, friendly team members can help with packing, storing and rehoming your belongings for an affordable fee. This will allow you to enjoy your house move, free of any unnecessary stress.
At Ballards, we’re always keen to reduce waste by rehoming and recycling items from a house clearance. We also support a local charity called The Furniture Project, and are happy to deliver any donations directly to them.
Be rest assured that all of our house clearance services are undertaken by our professional team and we never use sub-contractors. Based at Markham Moor, we are just minutes away from Lincoln, Newark, Worksop and Retford, with our services available here and in the surrounding areas.
If you’d like to get in touch for a bespoke quote, please contact us here.
Sell your items
If you want to raise a bit of extra cash to help with the costs of moving house, then it may be worth selling some of your furniture you’ll no longer need.
There are many different places to sell your unwanted items, such as Ebay, antique dealers and car boot sales.
Online sales platforms are quick and simple to use – you just need to create an account, upload some photos and a description, set a price and you’re underway! For larger items, you may wish to specify that it’s collection only, as courier fees tend to be on the pricey side.
Make sure that your photos are of good quality and lighting, and be completely honest with your descriptions. People love to see exactly what they’re buying, and value transparency from the seller. This should also prevent the risk of your sale falling through, as the buyer will have clearly seen what they’re purchasing.
Just remember that these online sites tend to take a percentage of your selling price as their fee, so bear in mind that you won’t receive the full price of your item. However, many people don’t mind this, as the process itself is quick and convenient, and can be done from your phone.
Another great online site is Facebook Marketplace – It’s essentially like Ebay, but completely free to use. You can filter by location to find items that are close to you. You’ll just need to use your Facebook account; add some photos, a short description and the price – then post your listing.
If you’re a budding salesperson, then you could consider a car boot sale. You’ll need to search for nearby events that are happening, and plan how you’ll get there and what you’ll need to bring. This will be great for those smaller items, but may be more difficult to transport larger furniture such as sofas and beds.
Get crafty and upcycle
If it’s just the colour or finish of your furniture that won’t suit your new home, then why not consider getting creative?
Upcycling is a great, cost effective way to transform your furniture into something that is more suitable. Sometimes, just a fresh lick of paint or a colour change can really transform an item to give it a new lease of life. You could even upcycle an item so you attract a higher price when you sell it.
Retailers such as B&Q, Wickes and The Range are brilliant to gather the supplies you may need. This may include paint, paintbrushes, sandpaper and varnishes. Don’t forget to do your research into the furniture material before you start – we don’t want any DIY disasters!
If you need some help, there are many different online forums and websites that offer hints and tips on how to upcycle your furniture, such as Ideal Home. It’s definitely worth a quick read before you start to ensure you’re on the right track.
Put it into storage
If you’re still not sure what to do with an item of furniture or you want a little longer to make up your mind, you can also put it into storage.
This means it can be safe, secure and out of the way. This can be a handy way of testing whether you can live without something, or preserving it for future use.
We offer a range of storage solutions, from self-storage with 24 hour access to container storage that’s perfect for long term storage of large items, and all for a good price.
We attach a lot of sentimental value to furniture, so it can be hard to choose which option is best for you – especially when you’re planning a move or dealing with bereavement.
Hopefully, some of these ideas will help make it easier to decide, and our team can also discuss options with you when you book our services.