What To Do With That Extra Furniture

Moving On Mondays

As mentioned in previous posts, it is important to declutter your home when you are staging it to sell. This often means getting rid of extra furniture from rooms. "Getting rid of it" can have several meanings. Sometimes, you need a temporary home for it. Sometimes you want it to have a new home. Sometimes it's just trash.

Whether you are saving it for later, or giving it away, here are a few options to consider.

• Give It to Family--Is there anyone in your family that has a need for the item? Perhaps a college student is renting his/her first apartment. Or a young couple is furnishing a new home. Check around before donating or selling it.
• Store It--If you are sure you have room in your new home, or you really want to keep it, put it in storage. Choose a portable option that you can load at home and have stored elsewhere, or load up your items and take them to a storage facility. Review your finances before selecting this option. If you don't sell your home quickly, you will be paying that monthly fee.
• Donate It—This includes everything as big as international organizations like the Salvation Army, to small, local programs that help abused women get back on their feet in a new home. There are organizations that cater to the youth, to unmarried pregnant teens, and to the disabled. Many local churches have annual rummage sales to help raise money for various organizations. Choose one that’s near to you, or dear to your heart.
• Sell It--If you would like to try and make money on some of your items, you can take them to an auction house, or try to sell them on-line. Sites such as eBay and Craig’s List help you sell used (or new) items online. Local auction houses are more restricted in the items they accept, as well as the times of the sales.
• Exchange It—This is a program where you give your items away to someone who needs them—no money exchanges hands. Oftentimes, the person taking your items will give something to you in return, that you may need but they no longer want. The largest of these is Freecycle.org.
• Consign It—There are store fronts that do the sales for you. Bring in your items, and they sell them. They usually have a time limit of several months, and will donate anything that doesn't sell within that time frame, unless you go back to pick them up. They are often seasonal, and can be very selective.