Furniture Donation Pick Up | Junk 4 Good
Furniture Donation Pick Up
Between furniture being shipped to your door, seasonal sales, Black Friday, and Wayfair, purchasing new furniture has never been more affordable or convenient. So wether you’ve replaced your old couch or bought a new dining table, when the time comes for you to get rid of your furniture items, what is your best option? You can re-sell items on Kijiji, Karrot Market or Facebook Marketplace, recycle items like old mattresses, or even dispose of items if they are worn out and broken. However, there may be a better option! When the time comes, think about donating your gently used items so someone else can enjoy them so they don’t end up buried in the landfill!
Let’s talk about how donating furniture and clothing in the Edmonton area typically works, what it might cost (you or the organization receiving the donation) and the best way to arrange the donation. Plus, we might even have some industry insider tips and hints, so be sure to read to the end!
Arranging furniture pick up and donation
If you’ve wondered how the clothing and furniture donation pick up process works, don’t worry, we’re here to help! The process doesn’t have to be complicated, but it might be confusing if you’ve never donated items before.
- Search for donation facilities in your area. Many cities or regions have listings or databases online that can help with finding an appropriate organization. However, we think that the best and easiest way is to simply Google search what you’re looking for. For example, you can search “furniture donation near me” or “donating clothing near me”, which should show you great local options and even a map with the locations that serve your area. When looking at the details each organization offers, it’s important to check whether they offer pick up services or drop-off only. Additionally, if it’s important to you, be sure to check if the organization is a non-profit/charity or a for-profit company.
- Call or email the organization directly. This is a very important step. When speaking with their representative, they will be able to help you determine whether your items will be able to be received or not. We strongly recommend that at this point you be very accurate and honest about the condition and type of items you have. If the condition is improperly described over the phone or email, this can lead to a waste of your time as well as theirs. Most organizations will inspect the quality before picking up or allowing a drop-off donation and reserve the right to decline the donation if it doesn’t meet their criteria. If the item doesn’t qualify as a donation, it will most likely have to be disposed of or recycled. This is why many customers will choose to have a company like Junk 4 Good pick up their items. Our experienced staff will often know which items can and can’t be donated. Regardless, Junk 4 Good can remove your items during one appointment (disposal and/or donation) and arrange the delivery accordingly. Plus, you can conveniently book online in just a few clicks.
- Arrange a furniture donation pick up appointment. The majority of organization who accept larger furniture donations will often offer donation pick up services, where many who accept clothing donations will require drop off. Simply arrange for a convenient time that works for you and meet their staff on-site for the appointment. Unfortunately, because this type of service is so popular, many furniture pick up services can take quite a while to arrange for an on-site appointment. We have seen organizations booking several weeks in advance for pick up appointments. If a speedy pick up is important to you, give Junk 4 Good a call to arrange a pick up. We are often booking same day or next day appointments.
- Furniture donation day! When the day arrives, simply prepare by clearing access to your donation items. Make sure the items have no items on top of them and can be easily inspected by the pick up staff. Fingers crossed, if all goes well their staff should safely and carefully load the items into their truck.
What happens to donated items?
After you donate your items to your chosen organizations, what happens to them may be different from location to location. Some organizations maybe sort through, package and ship items overseas. Others may utilize the items to support their targeted communities (people exiting homelessness, newcomers, students, etc.). The most common format organizations will use is re-selling donations via thrift stores to support their social cause. Many times, the sale of your former
One important thing to consider is that regardless of the organization, there are financial costs that each one have to cover in their own way. Some organizations may offer you to donate furniture with free pick up, and they might choose to sell the items to cover staff wages, fuel and insurance. Others may offer accept drop offs only, and by doing so might be able to give furniture away into the community for free. Some organizations may receive grants or funding to operate their programming.
Organizations like Junk 4 Good charge a fee to pick up your donations and deliver them to partnering agencies, so they can receive them free of charge. What this fee gets you is a furniture pick up and donation appointment the same or next day you call (or later if you prefer). Best of all, you don’t have to lift a finger! It gives you the confidence that if the items can’t be donated, our teams will still remove them from your home and ensure they are properly disposed of or recycled if possible. No risk of a second appointment being needed. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about vetting and calling multiple organizations to find one thats appropriate for the items you have. Junk 4 Good partners with multiple local organizations that accept all sorts of donations and our staff will help to determine what can go where.
Where to donate furniture and clothing near me?
If you’re located in the greater Edmonton area, here are some local not-for-profit organizations that we would recommend.
Furniture Donation Pick Up
Furniture Donation Drop Off
- Goodwill
- Find
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore
- Bissell Thrift Shop
Clothing Donation Pick Up
Clothing Donation Drop Off
- Goodwill
- Diabetes Canada
- Bissell Thrift Shop
- Inclusion Alberta
Furniture Donation Pick Up FAQs
Is furniture pick up and donation free?
Yes, but also no. Depending on the organization, they may offer free donation pick up for approved furniture items. The downside of this service can sometimes be that the pick up availability may limited or delayed due to high demand and the risk that their staff may decline your donation on-site, leaving you to arrange another pick up afterwards. Other pick up services like Junk 4 Good’s will charge a fee in proportion to the quantity/volume of items being picked up. Along with this fee comes the convenience and assurance of a quick pick up appointment and eliminating the chance that your donation wont be accepted. Junk 4 Good will remove you items regardless of condition as we have to knowledge and ability to properly dispose and recycle any household items.
How to donate a sofa?
Donating a sofa can (and should) be a simple process. However, it’s important to be realistic and honest throughout the process. With most organizations, they will want to re-sell the couch after you donate it. The money they collect through the sale of the sofa is used to cover their operating costs and support the social mission. But the important element here is that the sofa must be fit to sell. This means no rips, tears, stains, burns and/or damage. If you sofa has any of these on it, the organization may decline on-site, wasting both your time and theirs.
Other organizations that give furniture away to the community for free, may be willing to be a little more flexible than others. However, as a rule, they typically wont accept damaged or heavily worn sofas either.
Once you’ve self-assessed your sofa, simply find an organization who will accept this item type and arrange for a pick up appointment. Clear a way for their team to access the sofa within your home and be sure that nothing is piled on top of it, they will need to be able to move it around and inspect it.
Free pick-up isn’t available soon enough, what can I do?
Simple, call Junk 4 Good! Junk 4 Good is well equipped to accommodate your furniture pick up same day, next day, or even later if you like! Junk 4 Good has multiple trucks and teams driving throughout the Greater Edmonton Area each day and can more often accommodate your pick up on short notice. Our teams will arrive prepared and will utilize their experience to delivery your furniture donation to the appropriate organization/facility. Have confidence that because Junk 4 Good primarily facilitates junk removal services, our teams will arrive with appropriate liability insurance and WCB coverage to protect themselves, but most importantly, our customers.
Can I donate furniture that has damage?
Unfortunately, furniture with damage is most often not able to be accepted as donation. Most organizations will want to re-sell or re-use this furniture and seek items that are gently used. The rare exception to this would be if an organization specialized in repairing or repurposing furniture.
What items can’t be donated?
Here are a handful of items that are commonly unable to be donated (but we still encourage you to check with different organizations as these may change):
- Mattresses
- Child car seats
- Baby cribs
- Household cleaning products
- Appliances
- Propane Tanks
- Hide-a-beds
