I gotta get this junk out of my life
March 2, 2010 11:01 PM   Subscribe

How do I get rid of furniture??

I live in an apartment Norfolk, VA, and am moving on March 17. I need to get rid of a sofa and bed (we are buying all new furniture when we move to our new place). I've never lived in an apartment before; when I lived in a house, I could call bulk trash removal and they would get rid of this kind of thing, but I'm not eligible for that in the apartment complex.

I don't feel comfortable donating the furniture. The sofa is in really bad shape, and I really don't think anyone would want it. As for the bed, if you look at my MeFi history, you can see that we had a bedbug scare a couple of months ago. We don't think it was bedbugs, but I'm still nervous about the idea, and couldn't bear to give them to someone else.

I will have access to a Uhaul. How do I get rid of this furniture? Can I just drive it to a dump? A specific dump, or any dump? Do I have to make an appointment? I'm so clueless!
posted by srrh to Home & Garden (13 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
http://www.norfolk.gov/publicworks/waste.asp

Check out the Free Refuse Disposal section towards the middle of the page.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 11:06 PM on March 2, 2010


Also check out junk removal companies like Got Junk.
posted by nightwood at 4:30 AM on March 3, 2010


I know you said you don't think people would want it, but have you tried putting the stuff on the free section of Craig's List? I can understand about the bed, but with the sofa that could be a rather easy fix for someone who knows what they're doing.
posted by theichibun at 4:33 AM on March 3, 2010


Here in Fredericksburg VA old sofas can go to the dump along with all the other trash. I take my own trash to the dump every week and there are always people throwing furniture, old carpeting, drywall, etc into the standard trash compactors. Check the website for Norfolk public works.
posted by COD at 5:33 AM on March 3, 2010


aside from the free section of Craigslist, there is also Freecycle
http://www.freecycle.org/

Nice people, great opportunity to get rid of junk, they will haul it for you. You can put stuff out there with whatever caveat you want, and someone may want it regardless.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:36 AM on March 3, 2010


2nding Craigslist and Freecycle. Stuff gets snapped up on there really quickly, so odds are good you can get that stuff gone quick.

Just clarify the things that might be wrong with it.
posted by Aizkolari at 6:12 AM on March 3, 2010


contact your local ARC (Association for Retarded Citizens). they frequently have furniture overhaul shops that the clients work in; the proceeds from sales help keep the adult education and day training centers open.
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:16 AM on March 3, 2010


Nthing freecycle. I have gotten rid of mundane and random things very quickly, and the high number of replies for any given thing meant that I could choose the person who could come at precisely the most convenient time.
posted by nicoleincanada at 9:49 AM on March 3, 2010


Nthing freecycle... You won't believe what people will take off of freecycle. I got rid of an apartment full of furniture in *days* when I lived in Norfolk -- and trust me, my stuff was nothing to write home about. When I lived in a different apartment in Chesapeake, people were pulling furniture out of the trash. That was a couple of years ago, but I'm sure it's not much better now. People want furniture there. Post pictures and the stuff will probably fly out of your house.

If you're uncomfortable with giving your bed away, warn them they should cover it with plastic.
posted by patheral at 10:00 AM on March 3, 2010


I would not recommend Craigslist or Freecycle unless you do not value your time. I spent about a week emailing back and forth with people, trying to get rid of an entertainment center in good condition, and had four no-shows. We finally ended up dragging it to the curb. If I would have known what a timesuck it was going to be, I would have just rented a circular saw and destroyed the damn thing.
posted by desjardins at 10:01 AM on March 3, 2010


In my area, I usually just drag it to the curb and hang a sign that says "free" on it. I've never seen things out there for more than a few hours.
posted by WeekendJen at 10:31 AM on March 3, 2010


Put it on the craigslist free section, especially if you live in a college down. Last year when I lived in the dorms, we used to get free couches on there all the time and go door-to-door hawking them. Usually got about $15-20 per couch/recliner even if it was in terrible condition, so it was definitely worth our time to be prompt about picking stuff up. We would seriously be continuously refreshing CL when we were just hanging out, and someone would just yell out "free couch!" and the address, and we'd take off and get it. So definitely give that a shot.

I miss living in the dorms sometimes.
posted by DMan at 12:43 PM on March 3, 2010


Freecycle, yes. As far as the sofa looking bad, you don't know what people might want it for. My dad builds things; he has pulled useful, decent lumber from the most godawful looking furniture. Even if they just pull out the wood or springs and pitch the rest, it's that much less crap in a landfill somewhere.
posted by donnagirl at 3:23 PM on March 3, 2010


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