Often, we like to hang onto our old furniture pieces because we think hey, maybe they’re an antique. What if in the future, we could make a ton of cash off them? Unfortunately, this is rarely the reality. More often than not, it just results in more junk in our homes, gathering dust.
Of course, this isn’t the only reason that so many folks are keen to hold onto their junk furniture. There’s also the matter of finding ways to get rid of it. After all, a lot of areas here in Syndney and across all of Australia don’t allow for big furniture pieces as part of the weekly or bi-weekly trash pickup services.
Taking them to the landfill on our own isn’t exactly an appealing prospect, either. For one thing, it can be physically difficult, not to mention how much time it can take up. It’s usually out of the question unless we’ve got a pick-up truck and a lot of time on our hands.
Beyond that, there’s also the fact that letting some of these pieces to rot away in landfills is a pretty big waste of valuable resources like wood. Did you know that there are other options available, that are a lot more sustainable? It may sound strange, but there are ways to recycle furniture.
In fact, Australia has long been a huge part of the sustainability goals that the United Nations (UN) has established. A not insignificant aspect to that has been to create more sustainable ways to get rid of furniture and electronics. If you’d like to know more about how that works, make sure to keep reading.
Furniture: Knowing When to Part Ways
As we mentioned above, one of the biggest difficulties that we face in terms of old furniture is knowing when it’s time to let it go. There are a lot of metrics we can use, but we’ll offer five that can give you a gauge for when you should probably get that piece removed from your home.
Damage
We’ll start with the most obvious reason to dump your old furniture. If there’s damage to it, and it either can’t be repaired or you don’t feel like getting it fixed, then it may be time to call in a junk removal service so they can pick it up for you. While it can be difficult to accept sometimes, just remember that removing the extra clutter from your home can be a big positive.
Comfort
Some things like couches and chairs only have a certain length of time that they remain comfortable to sit and lounge in. Even beds can fall into that category. If you notice that certain furniture pieces aren’t comfy at all anymore, then you may want to get rid of them.
Personal Taste
Over time, our tastes tend to change. Whether it’s with our clothing or with interior design, sometimes we just fall out of love with things. Don’t be afraid to get rid of them when that happens – you can make space for new pieces that make you happy instead!
Does it Still Fit?
Through the years, we also tend to move a lot or simply change the layout of our home. In some cases, our homes just can’t really fit certain furniture sets anymore. Again, if there’s something outdated, don’t hesitate to get rid of it and replace it with something new. Don’t let this sort of junk take up too much space in your home.
Lifestyle
The last way to get a sense of whether or not you should keep a specific piece is to ask yourself whether or not it still fits your lifestyle and needs. If the answer to that question is “no,” then it’s probably not something you need to keep around. This list isn’t necessarily exhaustive, but it hopefully gives you an idea of how to proceed.
How Does Furniture Removal Work?
Now that we’ve covered some of the ways that we can tell when we need to dispose of furniture, let’s delve into how the process works. Thankfully, it’s pretty simple, and the first step is simply to find a service that will do what you need. One example can be found here: ridlyrubbishremoval.com.au, though there are plenty of other ones as well.
Ideally, you can find one that’s local to you in Sydney or the surrounding area. Once you’ve selected one, or you have a few top contenders, you can reach out to them through your communication method of choice. Many of them even have options that allow us to simply submit an inquiry through their website.
That way, you’ll easily be able to get quotes on how much you’d be charged, or at least a close approximation. Just remember that things are always subject to change once they arrive, especially if you end up having more furniture or trash that needs to be removed than you initially expected. Still, getting estimates to compare between them can be quite nice.
After that, you can simply work out when you want the service to arrive at your home. Thankfully, you can schedule it for when you’re not there, too. Of course, you can choose to be there when they come, but it’s not a necessity.
If you take that option, then you can be happy knowing that the only thing you’ll really have to think about is a system to note which pieces should be taken versus which need to stay. Post notes or even a small piece of colored tape can be sufficient for that purpose.
Sustainable Furniture Removal
Now, something else that you may or may not be concerned about is this: maintaining sustainability when you’re getting rid of furniture pieces. At times, it may feel like a waste to get rid of perfectly good pieces of furniture, even if we aren’t using them anymore or they’re not something that suits our tastes. This goes double for nice wooden pieces.
How can we get rid of it sustainably, then? It’s not like you can recycle furniture in the classic sense. However, certain removal companies will find ways to repurpose anything that you want to get rid of, and this can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, they may find local families who need them and refurbish them.
The refurbishment comes at no cost to you since you’re just hiring them to dispose of your furniture. However, you can sleep well at night knowing that your furniture isn’t going to a landfill to rot away. Instead, it’ll go to a family in need nearby.
That’s not necessarily the only option available, though. Some of them will also break anything they remove down into pieces to be repurposed in other ways, which is also quite nice compared to them being sent to a landfill.
The best part of all of this is that most of the companies that offer these options don’t charge extra. Rather, being sustainable is part of their claim to fame and just a bonus for us as customers. For this reason, it’s hard to argue against going with one of these options, especially since they’re still priced reasonably.
