LPT: try giving away your “trash”. Construction materials, furniture, and bulky items likely have value to someone else

Submitted by 69stangrestomod t3_z64f95 in LifeProTips

We tore our deck out, I listed the half rotted wood (but still some good pieces) on FB marketplace for free before paying to dump it. Was gone in two days. (Lady was building a chicken coop)

Today, after a whole 2 hours on FB marketplace, someone came and picked up an exterior door I removed yesterday that was in poor shape. He needed it for a garden shed.

Years ago, we got rid of a couch that was (literally) falling apart. Family had puppies that wanted to train before getting a newer couch.

All these examples would have cost money to dispose of properly. A simple listing for free got them gone…and quick!

It is true you could try to sell items you don’t need anymore, and that’s nothing novel, but my point is truly one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure…and these items were trash to me. Technology has opened up this avenue for upcycling, recycling, and reusing like never before. Try giving it away and you might be surprised!

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jajajujujujjjj t1_ixziwac wrote

I posted a whole ass gazebo that was in the backyard of our house and a couple drove 3 hours and carefully disassembled the whole thing and took it away to rebuild it on the land of their animal sanctuary. The alternative plan was to pay a landscaping company to demolish it and haul it all away. The previous home owner’s daughter had been married in it so I was thrilled that it’s living it’s life out there still.

Edit to add: the lovely woman also walked around with us and explained what plants we had in our garden and identified that unbeknownst to us an area of viney flowers would soon turn to hundreds of strawberries. We posted the gazebo on OfferUp from memory

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CorgiMan13 t1_iy2mdxn wrote

I’m currently soaking in a hot tub that was listed for free - the owners were soon going to pay someone to take it to the dump. $800 and a lot of my labor later, this thing is fantastic!

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[deleted] t1_ixzextd wrote

This infuriates me about "demo day" on those hgtv shows. Like, yeah, Jarod, it's great to hit cabinets with a sledge hammer but don't ya think maybe someone could, ya know, use them?

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Bachata22 t1_iy0guhp wrote

When my mother had her Tuscan style kitchen redone to be a boring all grey kitchen, one of the workers asked what she planned to do with the cabinets and counter tops being removed. She informed him that she'd paid to have them taken to the dump. He asked if he could have them and she said sure. He saved her the dump fee and apparently his wife was very happy to get completely wood cabinets and marble countertops in great shape.

Those demo shows make me cringe.

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AlmostChristmasNow t1_iy0kogp wrote

Friends of mine recently moved and needed a new kitchen. They got one that was only a year old and looked new because the previous owner didn’t like the style anymore. It was great, especially considering they moved because of baby number 4, so between that and the move having to spend a lot of money on a kitchen would have been a problem.

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PA_Golden_Dino t1_iy3p7q5 wrote

My son runs a Tile Setting business. He does mainly custom work, and has many times ripped out his own work a year later and reinstalled the entire kitchen or bathroom because the 'color was off' or the 'feel was off' ... many times this was custom imported and/or hand made tile. These people don't even blink at the costs.

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pamplemouss t1_iy1kfrx wrote

She was gonna toss slabs of marble??

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Bachata22 t1_iy1rcpb wrote

They were the wrong color/shade for the new aesthetic. Yes, it's ridiculous to me too

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pamplemouss t1_iy23vli wrote

Good god. If I could have marble counters for the cost of installation! Wonder if anyone would want my old Formica?

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manderifffic t1_iy1ad8e wrote

Man, your mom really went from one trend to the next

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Bachata22 t1_iy1b4cw wrote

She has too much money and too much time and is really influences by trends. It's like she doesn't have a personal style and just does what is trendy. She's one of those people that actually knows the color of the year for the major paint brands and orders expensive furniture from catalogs and magazines.

Her switching the beautiful ornate wood kitchen with gas stove to a kitchen that was stolen from economy class is a spaceship made me sad. But I'm glad the worker's family gets to enjoy the old kitchen woodwork.

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Cynawulf99 t1_iy1mimr wrote

I almost want to dislike her from your description, but she's not hurting anyone and sounds like a nice lady all in all.

If I'm honest with myself I'm probably just jealous of the disposable income really

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Bachata22 t1_iy1su0x wrote

It's ok to dislike her. I do too and haven't talked to her in 4 years though I occasionally see her Facebook posts which is how I know about the home renovations and her bragging about how generous she was to the worker. Any kindness she's ever shown has been to look good to others.

I'm not remotely jealous of her wealthy but shallow life. I love my little home that I'm renovating to be my oasis and my friends and partner that all love me deeply. I opted out of the vapid life of appeasing others and don't regret it.

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manderifffic t1_iy1ab7r wrote

Every time I see them destroying cabinets, I always think, "Can't you just take them down and use them in the garage or have ReStore pick them up?"

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Dobermanpure t1_iy1nst4 wrote

Seriously! Call Habitat for Humanity! They will come and remove anything in your house you are renovating, kitchen, bath, built-in’s and haul them away and give you a receipt so you can write it off on your taxes.

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KonaKathie t1_iy1wc5e wrote

I had some ancient cabinets, some with beautiful glass fronts, and a Native American center came and picked them up! I was so glad. Even if your cabinets aren't great looking, they could be wonderful storage in someone's garage.

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bookemdanno t1_iy1wit3 wrote

My Dad works in the construction business and he brought home a lot of cabinets and counter-length kitchen sinks (two of them are used in my house). Now that my younger brother is going into the construction business, he's also learning how to gently remove things so he can use it at home.

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MagicalWhisk t1_ixzuq7u wrote

Join your local "buy nothing" group. We give away tons of stuff plus grab things for ourselves.

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69stangrestomod OP t1_ixzuvto wrote

Is that on Facebook, or an independent website?

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caro312 t1_iy1d766 wrote

Freecycle.org is a non- Facebook option, too! I just adopted a dog and got a used crate and car seat cover for free.

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devilishbeing t1_iy2gr05 wrote

I move around a lot and hate throwing away stuff every time I go somewhere new. I haven't heard of this site before but it's exactly what i have been wishing for every time I plan a move. Very glad i came across your comment, thanks! :)

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MagicalWhisk t1_ixzvd7c wrote

The one I'm on is Facebook. There may be others on different websites. Our local FB group got so popular they had to split it up into quadrants.

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BrownRogue t1_ixzzk9f wrote

Even my area has one in FB. Joined just now.

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orangekitti t1_iy2xuta wrote

I love my buy nothing group. It’s nice to know something useable isn’t cluttering up my house but isn’t going to the landfill.

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sircodwood t1_iy0d0tt wrote

Hord it all in a shed, Then throw it away a week before you need it. Be a man

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Tharatan t1_iy0dux2 wrote

Our apartment building runs a freecycle ‘boutique’ in its laundry room. Always a few decent-condition items there free and looking for a new home, and things rarely sit more than a day or two.

They do have a rule against perishable items, though.

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SpookyGatoNegro444 t1_iy1rf3t wrote

In the lobby in the building where I live there are 3 small desks. If there is something I don't want anymore but I think someone could use I put a post-it note that says "free to good home". That stuff disappears fast.

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MycologistPutrid7494 t1_iy0o4es wrote

I got my daughter a wood playset that way. It had some rotting pieces but overall was good. I replaced the rotten pieces. Eventually it was converted into a treehouse, then a shed, then a chicken coop. It really pulled its weight.

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Chemical-Presence-13 t1_iy0rw81 wrote

Yeah I stopped doing this because people wanted me to deliver all of it for them too. I work and have a family. Twenty different people all asking if I deliver isn’t worth my time.

I won’t stop you from taking it at the front of the street if you want it from my trash, but I’m not going out of my way to make sure everything gets reused. People are too entitled IMO.

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69stangrestomod OP t1_iy0swap wrote

I have a whole disclaimer I attach to all adds. Basically states I don’t reply to “is this available”, I send my address when you’re on the way, pick up only.

95% of the problems are solved by simply not replying to those stupid auto generated messages.

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Consistent_Public769 t1_iy14eze wrote

Sometimes giving it away doesn’t work. When my wife and I moved into the house we’re currently moving out of, the previous owner left behind a rolling bar that we had no use or space for. Put it outside with a sign that said “free” on it. It was there for two weeks and nothing. Then I put a sign on it that said “$25” and it disappeared overnight. A lot of people think if it’s free, it’s junk. But if they think it has value, the local junkies/thieves will remove it for you free of charge rather quickly.

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RCtoy321 t1_iy1tapf wrote

I had issues with people being flaky for free items. I always put a price on items now and then I’ll just give it to the person who shows up and make them feel like they got a deal for something they really wanted.

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manderifffic t1_iy1bk2s wrote

I remember that story, except it was a washing machine

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sub-hunter t1_iy2wa0v wrote

My mom had a garage sale and had a box of free items- no one looked at them- she made everything 10 cents and the contents sold quickly

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sunnyflow2 t1_ixzoqkt wrote

You never know what someone needs.

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Malhedra t1_iy1g3u4 wrote

We were all set to reno our kitchen and had guys lined up to demo the old one. We decided to post it on a Freecycle site instead just in case. Next day two guys show up, dismantle the old kitchen and take it away. They did a great job and I didn't have to demo anything. He wanted a kitchen in his shop and didn't care it was "dated" and not in the best condition.

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KamikazeArchon t1_iy0ikxt wrote

This is a great tip if you have more time than money. If you have more money than time, there is still an option - look for disposal services that donate usable items instead of just landfilling everything.

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69stangrestomod OP t1_iy0ndzk wrote

My #1 rule with it is is has to be easy. I have left stuff by my mailbox and posted it before as well, but I was confident it wouldn’t last long

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pamplemouss t1_iy1kyy3 wrote

Use your local Buy Nothing! I have both gotten and giving moving boxes and packing material, as well as more valuable things (side tables, shoe racks, a mirror, wall art)

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username293739 t1_iy22udp wrote

Yes. Had a broken dishwasher and gave it away for free easily. Same with an old set of bedroom furniture that was not worth saving or selling. Years ago I ripped pavers out to put a deck in and piled them up in the back. Some dude came and hauled them all off the same night. Saved me a lot of effort in trying to dispose of them after all the work put in building the deck

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darkhawkabove t1_iy23zh4 wrote

We are clearing out the house with plans to sell next year. I run a free table out by the road with stuff that is good to use but has no real monetary value. It has saved me hundreds in trash fees and kept a lot of stuff out of the land fill. Reuse is the purest form of recycling.

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AuctorLibri t1_iy2493g wrote

There is so much waste in this world. Excellent advice.

One of the best holiday gifts I ever got was a seasoned cast iron pan that was 50 years old. I still use it weekly, 20 years later.

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sonicjesus t1_iy0vwyr wrote

Working by myself trashing out foreclosed properties, I could often give almost anything away on Craigslist and they'd come help me move it in the process. Even a broken old dresser is perfect for someones garage or shed, people will take tires just for the rim, and anything gas powered is worth something to someone.

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idcm t1_iy1ivoa wrote

Tried to give away dog stained carpet I had ripped out once, with serious doubts anybody would take it. Some people quickly came and took it. I asked them what they were using it for and they told me it was for the garage where their dogs hung out.

You just never know what people need and why.

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FartyFingers t1_iy1rz83 wrote

When I was in school years ago our neighbour was making a new fence, then a deck, then they reshingled the side of their house removing most of the old untreated shingles.

We were renting a house and we burned that scrap stuff for half the winter saving a massive amount on our energy bill.

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vlouisefed t1_iy1ww3n wrote

Agreed, my son built a new fence from really old fencing from our neighborhood. He had to toss about a 1/3 of them, and came up with a design that used shorter boards but it looks great. For free!

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10_Virtues t1_iy13ahr wrote

Yeah if you have things that can be up-cycled or re-used this is vital. Can even make a little bit of cash.

I sold I-beams and doors from a demo job. Even old window frames can get a few bucks from someone wanting to do a craft.

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tonyandthebeets t1_iy1nyim wrote

Used moving boxes at the curb will go so quick in my area. Some people want for gardens, their own move, art, etc.

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keepthetips t1_ixzac49 wrote

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If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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Shizammss t1_iy1ieoa wrote

You can also post things on FB Marketplace for free, and give away things that would cost you money to remove! That's a win-win trash to treasure, and c'mon. We love a good $0 transaction.

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2PlasticLobsters t1_iy1kdmw wrote

If you need to trim branches off a tree, they might be good firewood. A lot of houses in our old neighborhood had fireplaces, and any logpile we left out was gone within a couple hours.

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webguy1975 t1_iy1x84n wrote

One man gathers what another man spills.

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azidesandamides t1_iy20lvw wrote

I disassembled my futon was about 12 2x8" that were gone in 2 hrs with a free sign... no CL posting...

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liquidaper t1_iy20wmz wrote

Tree fell in my yard, a big pine. Tree company came out and quoted me $1500 to get rid of it. Neighbor who's yard it was in had a couple grown up kids with chainsaws. They came and cut it up. Posted it on FB as free wood and it was gone in 8 hrs.

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scorpious t1_iy21igy wrote

Craigslist’s “Free stuff” section is fantastic for both ends of the problem.

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MohatmaJohnD t1_iy27mdt wrote

You'd be surprised how quickly free stuff moved when posted online. Had a rear projection TV ears ago I needed to get rid of and slowly went down in price from $200-$25, not one response. Once it was free, I received like 5 responses in an hour

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Thedonitho t1_iy2bskx wrote

I put lots of stuff out and people take it. Old ACs (for the copper piping) go in less than a day.

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arrowyarrowfarro t1_iy2pfm0 wrote

The free section of Craigslist works great too. I’ve given away heavy broken mirrors, old couches, old beds, etc etc.

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coyote-1 t1_iy3cf75 wrote

We got new living room furniture a couple months ago. I placed a Craigslist ad saying the old would be out on the curb at 6am. There was a guy there at 6:15. Recycling this way is VERY satisfying

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ChiggaOG t1_iy031kb wrote

I feel this tip doesn't work for everyday items.

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Fabulous_Lobster t1_iy04qqb wrote

Forks, plates, half-empty cleaning products, etc. can easily find a new life. The difference is that you need a facilitator of some kind. Posting a few odd items on FB Marketplace won't get you great results. Using a platform like Geev, no waste groups, or, best, give boxes/stores really works on the other hand.

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FlyingDoctor t1_iy1e70n wrote

Just don't leave it on the curb and hope someone takes it.

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