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How to get rid of your old sofa... fast!

You have just bought a beautiful new sofa and made your living room look fabulous but now you are left with a slight problem. What do you do with your old sofa? Stores used to take old furniture away when they delivered the new items but nowadays this practice has mostly stopped because of the risk of infection or infestation of the new furniture in the van.

If your sofa is still in good condition you might be able to make a little extra cash by advertising it for sale in your local newspaper. The disadvantage of this is that it will mean strangers coming to your house in order to view the sofa. If you are unable to deliver the sofa you should make it clear in the advertisement that the buyer is responsible for collection. You could even advertise your sofa as free to anyone who is able to come and collect it. This would certainly solve the problem of getting rid of it as well as giving someone a fantastic free gift!

If your sofa is in poor condition and not worth selling or giving away you could take it to the local rubbish tip. You will need to have access to a large estate car or van and you will probably need at least one other person to help you move the sofa as most of them are quite heavy. It would be a good idea to check first that the rubbish tip is willing to accept large items of furniture before you arrive with it. If you are unable to transport the sofa yourself, you could try contacting your local council. They will probably be able to dispose of it for you but will usually make a charge for this service so best to check first how much it will cost.

Freecycle is a group open to anyone who wants to recycle items to other people in their area rather than just throw them away. You can recycle practically anything and it is a wonderful way of disposing or acquiring items that you need. There is probably a group very near to where you live and someone might be looking for a sofa just like the one you want to dispose of.

Nevertheless, the best way to dispose of your old sofa is to telephone local charities to see if they are interested in having it as some will come and collect it. It must be in good clean condition and some charities insist on it having a fire safety label. If you donate it to a charity not only are you helping the environment by recycling your furniture, but you are also helping someone who may be in need.