How to Get Rid of an Old Couch
A couch is likely the largest piece of furniture in your home, if it’s not, it’s in the top three. Getting rid of something so large is often a problem. The first step is getting it out the front door, after that, what do you do with it? You have a few options to try before you end up cutting it into pieces and stuffing it in a dumpster.
Try The Local Landfill
The first place to try is your local landfill. Many landfills take large furniture for a fee. That fee can be set per piece of furniture, or more likely it’s by the pound. Strap the couch in the back of a pickup truck and head to the local landfill or receiving station. As you approach an attendant will wave you onto a scale and get your incoming vehicle weight. Follow directions to the unloading area and say goodbye to your couch.
As you exit, you’ll cross the scale again. The attendant will calculate the fee. Most landfills or receiving stations have a minimum fee for 100, 200, or 500 pounds of material, after that, it’s per pound. Pay your bill and you’re finished.
List It Online
If the landfill won’t take it, there is always the option to sell it. Put a for sale, or for a free listing on a social media site or in your local want ads. It doesn’t make sense, but selling it works more often than offering it for free. People assume something is wrong in free giveaways, but will often pay for the same item.
If you live in a college town, this method works great. College kids are always looking for a cheap couch to wedge into a dorm room or tiny apartment. They’ll pick it up and pack it out for you too, making it a doubly great way to dispose of it.
Buy A New Couch and Have Them Remove It
Buying a new couch is another way to get rid of the old one. The furniture store sends out experienced moves when they deliver your new couch. Arrange with them to dispose of the old one when you finish purchasing its replacement. Furniture stores have their own methods of disposing of old furniture, and often have commercial accounts with the local landfill.
Donate To A Charity
Donating the couch to a charity is a long shot, but sometimes a local boys or girls club needs a couch for their meeting room. Charitable organizations often run thrift stores and have bazaars as fundraisers, a couch could generate a few dollars for them. The best part is they’ll come to pick it up.
The Curb Is Your Home
The final step is subject to local ordinance. Get a friend, take the couch outside and put a free sign on it next to the curb. In many neighborhoods you don’t even need the sign, the local practice of putting unwanted items on the curb is understood.
If it doesn’t disappear after a few days and the other options listed above are not available, or didn’t work. It’s time to scrap the couch into smaller pieces, and place it in a dumpster, or take it to the landfill as standard garbage.
Whichever method you choose, you’ll have some free space to fill up with something else right away.
Randy Tucker
