Furniture Removal and Disposal Guide
Advice on Furniture Removal and Disposal in the UK
Are you looking for Furniture Removal advice? If so, here is the guide for you!
There are lots of different ways to remove and dispose of furniture. From reuse and retailer take-back options to hiring a man and van waste contractor and local council services. This is your complete guide to furniture removal and disposal.
- Different types of furniture removal
- Types of furniture
- Price guide for furniture removal
- Using a man & van contractor to remove and dispose of your furniture
- Free furniture removal - reuse
- Donating your furniture to charity
- Furniture retailer take-back scheme
- HWRC's - taking your furniture to the local tip
- Furniture removal by council collection
1. Different types of furniture removal
We can split furniture removal into two categories. Firstly, the collection of unwanted furniture from a property for either disposal or reuse. For example, maybe you are refurbishing your house and have some old furniture items to dispose of. This is when you would use a man and van waste contractor or drive items yourself to your local tip. Secondly, the movement of furniture from A to B when you would most likely hire a removal company to remove but not dispose of your furniture.
In this blog, we focus on furniture removal and disposal options.
2. Types of furniture
The main two types of furniture are the following:
1. Household furniture
This includes any large and bulky items sofa, beds, and wardrobes. Essentially anything that you would struggle carrying on your own. Household furniture can also include smaller items like coffee tables, lamps and chairs.
2. Office furniture
Office furniture usually consists of desks, chairs and filing cabinets. These items can be recycled and reused exactly as household items can be. For a more detailed look at how to clear your office furniture, check out our office clearance guide. You can also donate to a local furniture clearance charity or reupholster.
3. Price guide for furniture removal
The table below shows the range of typical prices charged by licensed man & van collectors to remove different furniture items. The data is based on thousands of examples of furniture removals undertaken in London through the LoveJunk waste removal marketplace. Prices exclude situations when items have been collected for reuse which is lower.
Table of Furniture removal prices 2021
| Furniture Item | Low | High |
| Chair | £15 | £50 |
| 2 seater sofa | £20 | £50 |
| 3 piece sofa | £25 | £70 |
| 4 seater sofa | £30 | £80 |
| Corner sofa | £40 | £90 |
| Chest of drawers | £20 | £50 |
| Desk | £25 | £55 |
| Fridge Freezer | £15 | £65 |
| Dryer | £15 | £60 |
| Pallet | £15 | £35 |
| Electrical Piano | £15 | £45 |
| Old TV stand | £20 | £50 |
| Carpet & Underlay | £30 | £60 |
| King size mattress | £20 | £50 |
| Double bed | £40 | £80 |
| Single bed | £20 | £70 |
source: LoveJunk marketplace 12 months ended Nov-2021
Corner Sofa Removal, £50
Comfy Sofa, £40
Chest of Drawers, £60
Fridge Freezer, £10
Two Seater Sofa, £30
Wardrobe, £30
4. Using a man & van contractor to remove and dispose of your furniture
If you are looking for the most convenient form of furniture removal; then you probably need to hire a man with a van. Man and van rubbish collectors will drive to your property, load up your items and then dispose of them. However, not all man and van collectors are licensed and insured. Similarly, not all will be available on the same day you contact them.
Fortunately, this is where LoveJunk steps in to solve both these issues! We use marketplace technology to match you to your nearest and cheapest fully insured and licensed waste collector with the capacity to collect your items. Response time is within minutes.
5. Free furniture removal - reuse
We all know that reusing furniture is a better option for the planet than it going to landfill. We've put together some good options for getting rid of your furniture for free.
a) Send your furniture to a local car boot sale
If your friends and family are a no-go, there is also the option of taking your furniture to a local car boot sale or flea market. Below is a table of the UK's top car boot sales and flea markets for furniture.
| Flea Market | Region | Contact |
|
The Giant Shipton Flea Market |
The Showground, Shepton Mallet | +441749822200 |
|
Brighton Marina Giant Car Boot Sale |
Brighton Racecourse, Freshfield Road. Brighton | https://www.brightoncarbootsale.co.uk |
|
Tynemouth Market, Tyne and Wear |
Station Terrace, North Shields, England | +447907468441 |
|
Malvern Flea and Collectors Fair, Worcestershire |
Malvern, WR13 6NW | +441684584900 |
|
Princess May Car Boot Sale, East London |
Stoke Newington, London. N16 8DF | http://www.thelondoncarbootco.co.uk |
b) Donate furniture to local theatre groups
Local amateur theatre groups often need furniture donations to build sets. This is an excellent option for donating to a good cause.
c) Give furniture to family & friends
"One man's trash is another man's treasure", as they say. However, we don't always remember to offer furniture to our immediate circle first! You never know who might be in need. Sharing furniture items between loved ones also add value to them.
d) Social platforms to give away furniture
These websites all accept old furniture - Freegle, Nextdoor, Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Auctioneer, and of course, yours truly, LoveJunk. The main difference between LoveJunk and all these other platforms is, ultimately, convenience. With a typical response time of fewer than 3 minutes, the same-day collection is absolutely standard.
6. Donating your furniture to charity
The latest figures from our friends at the North London Waste Authority state that 22 million pieces of furniture are discarded every year.
The following table lists the charities that all accept furniture donations in the UK. However, it's important to note that many of these furniture reuse charities are also registered as collectors on LoveJunk. So instead of ringing around to arrange a collection, why not try the more straightforward option of listing on LoveJunk? Let the nearest available collector come straight to you. Simple!
| Charity | Link |
| Age UK | https://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/donate/charity-shops/ |
| Barnado's | https://www.barnardos.org.uk/shops |
| Betel UK | betel-uk-furniture |
| BHF | https://www.bhf.org.uk/ |
| British Red Cross | https://www.redcross.org.uk/shop/furniture-and-electrical-charity-shops |
| Cancer Research UK | arrange-a-collection |
| DEBRA | donate-stock |
| Emmaus | donate |
| Forces Support | https://forcessupport.org.uk/donate-goods/ |
| Oxfam | https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/local-shops/oxfam-furniture-departments |
| PDSA | near-me |
| The Salvation Army | charity-shops |
| Sense | donate-goods |
| Shelter | https://england.shelter.org.uk/support_us/shops/donate_to_a_shelter_shop |
| Sue Ryder | https://www.sueryder.org/donate |
| YMCA | https://www.ymca.org.uk/shops/find-your-nearest-shop |
7. Furniture removal retailer take-back scheme
Take-back schemes encourage retailers and manufacturers to be more sustainable. Above all, they enable customers to sell their old furniture back to the retailer which lengthens the lifecycle of products.
Below is a table showing the retailers that offer either a take-back scheme in addition to sustainable furniture removal services.
8. HWRC's - taking your furniture to the local tip
Civic amenity sites are also known as Household Waste Recycling Centres or the 'tip. They accept many different kinds of waste, including furniture. For more info, check out our list of rubbish tips in London, including rules, locations, and opening hours. |
Top tips for taking your furniture to the local tip
1. Firstly, most councils don't charge for using the tip, but it is best to check beforehand.
2. Secondly, we recommend not to hire a van as council tips usually have height restrictions in place to stop tradespeople from tipping for free.
3. Thirdly, check what types of rubbish the tip you visit allows; for example, specific tips do not take paint or oil.
4. Last of all, bring proof of residence; for example, this could include a driving license or a recent bill.
9. Furniture removal by council collection
Most local councils provide their residents with a collection service for unwanted furniture. Although relatively cheap, the major downside to the council collection service is convenience. As, understandably, many collections take weeks to organise. Below is a table showing the local authorities that offer a free furniture removal collection. For more information, read our council bulky waste collection prices for England guide.
| Local Authority | Region |
| Hyndburn | North West |
| Leicester | East Midlands |
| Liverpool | North West |
| Manchester | North West |
| North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber |
| Nottingham* | East Midlands |
| Pendle | North West |
| Redbridge | London |
| Tower Hamlets | London |
| Waltham Forest* | London |
| Wigan | North West |
And lastly, thanks for reading! We hope you found our furniture removal guide useful. In short, if you're looking for safe and speedy furniture removal and disposal, we recommend using the LoveJunk marketplace. We know you'll find your cheapest, greenest collector in seconds using our platform. However, for any questions regarding our services, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
PS, are you moving house?
In this blog, we've focused on furniture removal and disposal, but if you are looking for information on moving furniture from A to B, we recommend using Really Moving to make this process easier. Packing up your worldly possessions and moving them from A to B safely and securely can be very stressful. They offer money-saving tips and much more!
Extra blogs that you may find interesting:
- Rubbish collection guide
- 10 Eco-friendly Ways to Dispose of Furniture in London
- How to dispose of your Christmas tree for FREE in London
- POPs Furniture Removal Guide
