Starting Fresh? Here’s What to Do With Old Furniture

Updating your furniture, appliances, and decor can be exciting. New furniture can give your home a fresh, updated look and feel and help you fall in love with your space all over again.

But how do you get rid of old furniture? You can’t just toss an entire sofa in the trash can, after all. This guide will help you understand how to remove old furniture and what local options you may have so you can enjoy your new, upgraded furniture!

1. Donate Your Furniture

Donating can get old furniture off your hands if it is still in good condition. Plus, you can help someone in need. Many charities and organizations accept furniture donations, including charity-run thrift stores, churches, shelters, and animal rescues. Some organizations may even provide free pickup from your home.

Be sure to clean your furniture before donating it and check to see what kind of furniture your local organization accepts—they may have specific needs or guidelines for what they’ll accept. If they can’t take the items you have, they may be able to recommend another organization that can.

2. Sell Your Used Furniture Online

Are you looking to make some extra money before buying new furniture? Consider selling your furniture online. Local online marketplaces can be a great way to make money off of the pieces that you no longer need while giving them another life.

3. Host a Garage Sale

Moving into a new space soon and need to get rid of your old stuff? If you have many different items or simply don’t want to deal with online transactions, consider hosting a garage sale or yard sale. Both are excellent opportunities to purge unwanted items from your home, including clothing, decor, and appliances. Plus, garage sales are a great way to meet your neighbors and socialize!

Be sure to advertise your yard sale locally beforehand and share it on social media. You could also invite neighbors and friends to bring items to sell at the same time or join a local community yard sale.

4. Recycle Your Old Furniture

Where do you take old furniture that you can’t sell? Depending on the time of year, what your local community has to offer, or the condition of your furniture, finding a place to donate and sell your furniture may be tricky. If you have trouble finding a home for your furniture, or it’s simply too old and worn for someone else to use, consider recycling it. Your local landfill, city dump, or specialty recycling center may accept large items like furniture. Your curbside trash and recycling service may also accept bulky items, like sofas and mattresses, upon special request.

Before hauling your furniture to the curb or dump, it’s important to check with the facility or service provider beforehand. Some companies may only offer this service on specific days or during events. You don’t want to take the time to load up your furniture only to be turned away. If you can’t find a local recycling service, listing them online for free or putting them by the curb with a “free” sign may be worthwhile.

5. Upcycle Your Used Furniture

Not quite ready to give up on a sentimental piece of furniture? Or do you have a vision for another way to use it? Upcycle! Upcycling involves modifying an object so that it can serve a new purpose. Some examples of upcycling furniture include:

• Repainting or refinishing: a fresh coat of paint can help a piece of furniture match your new style.
• Updating or reupholstering: reupholstering an old sofa or chair can help it last longer.
• Relocating and repurposing: moving a piece of furniture to another room and giving it a new role, like relocating an old bookcase to the garage to store tools and gardening supplies, can give it a new life.

Turn to Rent-A-Center for Fresh, New Furniture and More

Getting rid of furniture can be tricky, but sometimes, it’s necessary to make room for updated pieces. If you’re ready to start fresh in your space, Rent-A-Center can help. With rent-to-own living room furniture, bedroom sets, kitchen appliances, and more, you can start the year anew with ease. And if you decide that the new piece isn’t right for you? You can easily switch it for something else through Rent-A-Center Exchange*. Shop online or in person today!

*“RAC Exchange” program valid for agreements entered at select locations, is available to new and existing customers and applies to inventory obtainable by store location. Cash price of the item selected for exchange may not exceed approval amount, which is subject to validation and adjustment prior to exchange and may vary from original approval amount. Exchange requires execution of rental agreement for item selected for exchange, which must be completed within six (6) months following the first active rental date of item being returned for exchange. Agreement for item being returned for exchange must be in good standing (with all rental payments current) at the time of exchange and product must be in good condition. Rent paid for prior agreement will be applied to reduce the total cost to own for the replacement agreement but rent paid may not be applied in full to Same As Cash amount for replacement agreement. Any applicable Same As Cash period will apply to new agreement based on product selection and agreement term. The amount of rent paid from prior agreement eligible for application to Same As Cash amount for replacement agreement may vary from 40% to 66%, depending on your state of residence. Exchanges under program may not be combined with other discounts, offers or promotions. Participating locations only. Eligible items only. All items subject to availability and approval. See Store Manager for complete details.