If moving out with your old furniture is giving you nightmares, there are some easy ways to get rid of them before you settle in your new abode. But before you start looking for ways of disposal, you need to find out what you should be getting rid of.
First, identify all the furniture that is redundant to you. If something has been sitting in the basement for the last decade and chances are you won’t go looking for them again, it need not make it to your new residence.
Secondly, you need to have a good idea of the spatial scope of the new building you are moving into. You don’t want to end up like Ross Geller with a gigantic sofa that won’t pivot up the staircase. It’s a good idea to use the measuring tape on the big furniture before moving.
Thirdly, do a mental mapping of how you want your furniture to align with the interior decoration of your new home. Form a clear picture of what you want to see in your rooms and what doesn’t fit in. It will help you in eliminating unwanted furniture that could occupy floor space. You don’t want your new house to look cluttered up.
Now, let us look at some effective ways to get rid of the old biggies:
Sell Them
The most obvious way to dispense with old furniture is to sell them. There are several online platforms on which you can sign up for free. All you need to do is click a picture of the piece of furniture you want to sell (Make sure the picture has clarity and click pictures from different angles), chat with potential customers to negotiate the price and the condition of the furniture, and voila! Your furniture will move out before you do.
In case you don’t prefer to go for an online sale, you can arrange for a garage sale in your yard. You can do a little informal campaigning on social media to spread the word among your friends, relatives, colleagues, and neighbors. It is likely to pull a good crowd and you can cash in on the sale to cover sundry expenses of moving. However, one downside of having a garage sale is that it would require you to haul the furniture outside for display and drag it back if it finds no takers. Online sale is a better option.
Upcycle:
You can opt for customization of your old furniture, or get it reworked for a different purpose to suit your needs. For instance, if you really like the carvings on the old mahogany wardrobe, but have no use for the wardrobe itself in your new house, you can hack it off into wide strips and use them as decorative wood panels. Just put on your creative hats and turn big furniture into smaller items of daily use, like photo frames, trinket boxes, etc.
Recycle:
Hauling a big piece of furniture into the dumpster may be a challenging task and not always feasible. Recycling is a more viable and eco-friendly option. You can contact a local scrap dealer or furniture company that might be interested in buying your old furniture.
Auction:
If you have any antique piece of furniture lying around, you can send it to some auction house or antique store. You can actually make a good profit out of it if your furniture carries a piece of history with itself. Find out as much as you can about your antique furniture before putting them up for sale. It might also be a good idea to get it assessed by an expert before you call a price for it.
Sometimes, film studios might also be interested in an old or rare piece of furniture. You never know you might find your old bedpost making an appearance in the next gothic blockbuster.
Donate:
If you are not particularly ambitious about making money out of your discarded furniture, you might consider being a philanthropist. Look up some charity houses, orphanages, shelters, etc. online and see if they are ready to accept your furniture as a donation.
With all the above solutions, you can make shifting less stressful. You can also follow the drill to declutter your home space even if you are not moving anywhere. Moving out need not be a nightmare if you know what you want to do with all your old stuff, especially the heavy furniture.
