What to Do with Old Unused Furniture
If you have old, unused furniture at home, you may be searching for ways to get rid of it or reuse it. In this article, we talk about the most common ways you can get rid or recycle old furniture. Check it out!
Donate the Furniture
One of the easiest ways to get rid of old, unused furniture is to give it away. You can donate tables, sofas, and other furniture to charitable organizations that pick up furniture. It’s a double-win for you: you get rid of your old furniture, plus you get to help other people.
Not sure what kind of furniture to donate? Ones that have no major dents, rips, holes, stains, and other damages can be donated. You can donate to:
- Schools
- Churches
- Community centers
- Shelters
- Charities
- Nonprofits
- Secondhand shops
Sell Them to Interested Buyers
You can also have a garage sale to sell unused furniture in your house, along with other items that other people might find useful. This helps you generate some cash while ensuring that your beloved piece of furniture gets a new home. You can also use the money to buy new household stuff.
If yard sales aren’t your thing, then try online selling. Facebook Marketplace has tons of interested buyers, while Craigslist and other similar websites let you sell to people from all over the country. Just make sure the furniture is in good condition, or users will bomb you with negative reviews.
Trade Them for Other Stuff
If you’re lucky, you can get a much better piece of furniture in exchange for your old one. Some shops offer to trade old furniture in exchange for discounts on a new purchase. This works best if you already found the piece you like but can’t quite afford its price. Don’t be afraid to approach dealers, especially if your furniture is in good condition.
Refinish or Reupholster
If you’re not using a piece of furniture but not quite ready to let go of it yet, then refinishing or reupholstering it may be a great solution.
First, check the best materials for your furniture. For instance, couches and chairs often have linen, cotton, and leather upholstered into them. Other furniture can be made of metal or wood.
Depending on the materials, seek the help of a restoration professional and breathe new life to your old furniture. You can also sometimes revive the beauty of your furniture by repainting it or giving an artful vintage new finish. If you know how to reupholster, make sure to use fresh new fabric.
Repurpose or Recycle
Apart from refinishing and reupholstering, you can also repurpose furniture. Here are some creative examples to inspire you:
- Use an old ladder as a towel rack
- Reusing an old door as a bed headboard
- Using old lockers as shoe storage
- Repurposing travel trunks as center or bedside table
You can also recycle various materials from your furniture. With some creativity, you can turn the wood, metal, or linen of your old furniture into something new and more useful to your house. You can check Pinterest and other websites to gain inspiration on how to recycle various furniture.