On average a sofa will last you around 10 years or potentially more, depending on how you care for it.
Although they last for what seems like a lifetime, a time will come when you want to replace an old, unwanted sofa. But how exactly do you get rid of a particularly large piece of furniture?
We’ve rounded up a few options that we reckon are the best ways to get rid of an unwanted sofa. Let’s take a look at a couple of options first if your sofa is still usable, and then later if you want to simply throw it out.
Facebook Marketplace
As of 2018, there are more than 800 million people all around the world browsing Facebook Marketplace every month.
With such a large and active audience you won’t be stuck for getting rid of an unwanted sofa, especially if you don’t care for the price. If you’ve had any experience with Facebook Marketplace before you will know how tedious it can be negotiating offers, which will only be made worse by how in-demand second-hand furniture is.
This is the way to go for the least effort and cost, and you can take some peace of mind that somebody else will still be getting use out of your sofa. Be sure to state that the buyer has to handle moving the sofa to their house and you’re good to go.
Donate to Charity
Many furniture suppliers, such as DFS, partner with a variety of charities to organise second-hand furniture collection. You can also directly donate to a variety of charities, such as:
- Cancer Research UK
- British Red Cross
- Oxfam
There are of course many more, which presents a great opportunity to put your sofa to some good use even if you don’t want it anymore.
The things to consider with donating to charity is that you will likely have to move the furniture yourself (although some will organise the collection, so make sure to call beforehand) and that your sofa is required to have an existing fire label still attached if they plan to sell it on.
This is the best way to go if you want your sofa to go towards a good cause, just make sure it is still in decent condition with a correct fire label.
Recycling Centre or ‘Tips’
Taking an unwanted sofa to a recycling centre – better known as a ‘tip’ – is always an option as most of them will accept any old furniture including sofas and many other household items.
This option removes any chance for the sofa to be reused by somebody else so make sure that it is well beyond a point of repair. You’ll want to make sure that you go to your local centre as there are lots of cases of flytipping around the United Kingdom, so the staff might be a little wary.
Another thing to consider is whether you can transport the sofa yourself or not, as it can be a bit of a problem organising somebody to take it for you (and likely at a small cost). Most tips will have a height restriction as well so be sure to check if you can fit your vehicle into the facility.
Some areas have dedicated household waste recycling centres, so be sure to look out for those.
Council Bulk Collections
You can easily organise the council to collect your sofa for a small premium price, usually a fixed charge around £10 for the first item and a little less per each extra item. These are relatively easy to do, you simply have to leave your sofa and any other items you want to remove outside your property in an easy to access area on the pre-booked date.
You’ll probably have to wait a few weeks due to the high demand for this service but its worth it if you don’t mind paying for it.
Although this is the only option where you will have to pay, you have no stress of moving the sofa yourself and you can be guaranteed that it will be collected.
Dedicated Furniture Removal Company
If you’ve made the decision to get rid completely of your sofa and are willing to pay, using a dedicated removal company is worth considering.
This will typically be much more expensive as you will have to book a man with a van as a minimum, but you can get a much faster turnaround. There are loads of these companies scattered throughout the UK so you’ll be sure to find a company to sort you out.
If you’ve got some other items you want to throw out at the same time you can actually make it more cost-efficient, as well.
Friends and Family
Yes, we know this one is obvious, but it’s always worth asking your friends and family if anybody is in need of a sofa.
A brand new sofa can cost an arm and a leg, and if you know anybody who would appreciate one for free even if it might be a bit worn out, make sure to contact them before you decide to throw it away.
Try a Conditioning Agent – Leather Sofas Only!
The great thing about a leather sofa is that you can easily make it look like new with a few simple products.
Before you decide that you definitely want to throw your leather sofa away, give it a proper clean and condition and you might just surprise yourself how different it will look. If you’re not sure which products to buy, we’ve got you covered with this article.
We know this doesn’t cover how to get rid of your sofa, but its always worth giving a leather sofa a new lease of life before you make the final call.
Final thoughts
So, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to getting rid of an old sofa. We hope we’ve covered just about every method, but if you’ve got any other ideas dont hesitate to let us know here!