Downsizing your home, upgrading furniture, or moving to a new city or country?
Maybe you just want to move from one borough to another one among the five boroughs in NYC.
If you need to do these mentioned agendas, then you most probably have to dispose of your furniture.
The question is – how do you get rid of furniture in NYC?
If you want to dispose of a mattress in NYC, check out my complete guide here.
Thankfully, there are five simple ways to help you remove old furniture from your home.
Whether you are looking for free ways to do it or don’t mind spending hundreds of dollars, there is an option for every preference.
In this article, I listed five ways to get rid of furniture and several examples of businesses to help you out.
In summary, here’s how you can dispose of unwanted furniture.
- Donate Unwanted Furniture to an Organization
- Dispose Furniture on Collection Day
- Sell and Earn Extra Cash
- Hire a Furniture Collection Service
- Repurpose Old Furniture to Make It Brand New
Continue reading to learn more about the organizations, websites, and businesses available to assist you.
Donate Unwanted Furniture to an Organization
Donating goods is a free and ethical way to easily dispose of your furniture for a good cause.
It comes with many benefits for people and the environment as well.
Not only are you helping others in need, but help promote zero-waste landfills and sustainability.
The Department of Sanitation helps you donate goods in NYC with its many programs and services.
Visit DonateNYC to search organizations where you can donate furniture and other household items.
The page leads you to a vendor locator tool to find the list of vendors or organizations in your location that accepts donations.
Click on the vendor to see the address, schedule, contact information, goods allowed to donate, and website.
Most of the donations are made by appointment only during business days.
If you need a pick-up service, you can filter the results to only show vendors that may pick up your furniture.
Aside from the list given by DonateNYC, you can also donate on other platforms such as Craigslist, Salvation Army locations, and Goodwill donation centers.
Listed below are some examples of places where furniture donations can be picked up.
House of Good Deeds
Address: 330 E 65th St, New York, NY, USA
Phone: (917) 325-4548
House of Good Deeds conducts numerous charity events for the community – from blood drives to educational programs and donations.
Donate your furniture from Mondays to Sundays by appointment only.
They accept a variety of goods including baby items, kitchenware, food, clothes, cleaning products, pet food, tools, electronics, appliances, sports equipment, garden supplies, office items, and toys, among other things.
Housing Works
Address: 306 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023, USA
Phone: (212) 579-7566
Housing Works is an organization that aims to help people with HIV/AIDS to have a better quality of life.
Their services include furniture pick-up for a minimal cost.
Books, furniture, shoes, musical instruments, clothes, and appliances are some goods they accept for donation.
Life Adjustment Center
Address: 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA
Phone: (212) 938-1223
Life Adjustment Center is a non-profit organization supporting people with disabilities.
They accept donations including clothing, hygiene items, healthcare goods, and household furniture from Mondays to Fridays between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Pick-up service is also available within the five NYC boroughs.
The Salvation Army Of Greater New York
Address: 536 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036, USA
Phone: (800) 728-7825
The organization focuses on services targeted at youth and adult services, basic needs, emergencies, volunteer work, and holiday assistance.
There are numerous ways you can help the cause of The Salvation Army Of Greater New York, including donating money or goods, shopping at their stores, transferring airline miles, and sponsoring a child, among other things.
Donations are made from Mondays to Saturdays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services
Address: 305 7th Avenue, New York, NY, USA
Phone: (212) 675-1000
Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services assists children and families in poverty by providing social programs in education, youth development, and family and community wellbeing.
You can donate furniture every Monday by appointment only. They do not accept donations from Tuesdays to Sundays.
Dispose Furniture on Collection Day
Where can I throw away furniture for free? The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) accepts free bulk item disposal in NYC by placing them on a designated curbside of your neighborhood.
If you leave the items on an undesignated disposal area or a private property, they will not be picked up by the DSNY.
A maximum of 10 bulk items can be left on the curbside the night before collection day from 4:00 pm to 12:00 am.
If you have more than 10 bulk items, you can dispose of the remaining items on other collection days.
For bigger items that do not fit a regular collection truck, it needs to be disassembled in order to be picked up.
However, if it is not possible to dismantle the furniture, you need to hire a removal service instead.
Send an email to DSNY to know if they can accept your furniture or not.
Before leaving your items, check your collection schedule first. Take note that there is no collection on major holidays such as New Year’s Day or Independence Day.
Collection days are either for recyclable or non-recyclable items.
Check which category your furniture falls into to know which day is appropriate to discard your items.
Here is a list of some examples of recyclable and non-recyclable bulk items:
Recyclable Furniture
- Aluminum lawn furniture with plastic webbing
- Bedsprings
- Metal bed frames
- Cabinets
Non-Recyclable Furniture
- Artificial trees and Live Christmas trees
- EZ chairs
- Furniture (not made of mostly metal or rigid plastic)
- Rugs (must be tied and have a 4-ft width and 2-ft height)
- Sofas (metal frames removed)
- Wooden tables
Sell and Earn Extra Cash
If you like to make some extra money, selling your furniture is the best option.
A lot of New Yorkers look for used furniture for a reasonable price, so it won’t be completely difficult to sell your furniture.
The best way to sell furniture NYC is through online platforms, making it the easiest and most convenient way to look for buyers.
Post your items online and include the necessary details such as item condition, price, location, photos, and contact information.
Remember, be fully honest with your item’s condition and quality and set a suitable price for it.
Once your buyer accepts the offer, they can pick up the items from your residence or whichever method you both agreed on.
Here are some platforms where you can sell furniture:
Sell your items via Facebook Marketplace or Facebook groups for selling.
For Facebook Marketplace, you need to fill in the details asked for including item title, description, price, and pictures.
Users will find your item in the marketplace and message you via Facebook messenger.
For Facebook groups, you have to join groups for buying and selling which are usually named “Buying and Selling..” or “Buy and Sell..”
You will have to post the item for sale in the group’s feed. When you make a post in the group, it is usually examined and approved first by the group administrators before your post is visible for potential buyers.
Here are some Facebook groups for buying and selling in NYC:
- Buying and Selling NYC
- Buying and Selling Everything -(NYC)-
- Buying and Selling NYC ONLY BRONX / BROOKLYN / MANHATTAN / QUEENS ONLY
- Buying And Selling Furniture (NYC)
- BUY AND SELL NEW YORK GROUP
Craigslist
Founded in 1995, Craigslist is one of the most used websites for advertising jobs, items for sale, services, housing, and many more.
To sell your furniture on Craigslist, click “post to classifieds”, choose the correct category, and input the details for your furniture. The last steps involve meeting the buyer and being paid on the spot.
AptDeco
A more specific website for buying and selling furniture is AptDeco, which offers pick-up and delivery services for your convenience.
Simply list the item, write the description, and add photos. Once you have a buyer, you will be asked to choose a preferred pick-up date for delivery.
Payment is transferred to your bank account in two to five working days.
Hire a Furniture Collection Service
The fastest and most hassle-free way to dispose of furniture is by hiring a furniture collection service provider in NYC.
Whether you live in a residential building, a house, or an apartment, they can pick up your furniture for you.
These businesses usually estimate the fees depending on the amount of furniture and size per cubic yard.
Here are a few examples of highly-reviewed furniture collection services in NYC:
The Junkluggers of New York City
Service areas: Greater New York including Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New York City
Phone: +1 718-865-3388
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Get your junk removed by the Junkluggers of New York City, whether you live in a residential or commercial building.
They collect a variety of furniture including sofas, desks, chairs, cabinets, box springs, bookshelves, tables, loveseats, dressers, mattresses, and many more.
To book an appointment, you can schedule via their online booking and input your address, contact information, details, date, and confirmation of your two-hour appointment.
Flat Rate Junk Removal NYC
Service Areas: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island
Phone: +1 917-410-5058
Flat Rate Junk Removal NYC offers junk removal services measured per cubic yard.
The cheapest rate is for 3 cubic yards for $200, while the most expensive is 24 cubic yards for $1,080.
You can also rely on them for hazardous waste disposal and recycling, tire removal, and lead and asbestos disposal.
Big Apple Junk Removal NYC
Service Areas: Manhattan, Brooklyn, and all five boroughs
Phone: +1 917-379-5541
Looking for an environmentally-friendly junk removal service?
Check out Big Apple Junk Removal NYC, providing general and commercial services such as yard junk removal, property management, and construction waste.
If you have household junk needing to be removed, they have services for area clean-out, appliances and furniture, and demolition.
Nice & Rapid Junk Removal Brooklyn
Service Areas: Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, Westchester County, and New Jersey
Phone: +1 888-452-5747
Whether you have junk in your home or office, Nice & Rapid Junk Removal Brooklyn can remove it for you in three easy steps: call their agent, choose a pick-up time, and wait for them to arrive. Prices start at $175 for single items less than 1/8 load and go as high as $615 for a full load. Single items can range from one bed, a refrigerator, or a stove.
EZ Junk Removal NYC
Service Areas: Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island, and Manhattan
Phone: +1 347-744-3876
EZ Junk Removal NYC offers a variety of junk services including business removal, commercial removal, residential junk removal, and property clean-out.
If you are a new customer, they offer a $50 discount on your first scheduled junk removal.
You can get a quote for free by sending them pictures of your furniture or opt for a site visit to get an estimated price.
Repurpose Old Furniture to Make It New
Still figuring out what to do with your old furniture? Why not repurpose it and turn it into something completely new and different? Unwanted furniture does not always have to be thrown or given away.
If you have a knack for carpentry or DIY projects, you can get creative by building, repainting, or upholstering a piece of furniture to make it new again.
Newbies in DIYs can get all the resources online or watch Youtube tutorials to show how to repurpose furniture.
Turn an old cabinet into a new dresser, a vintage sewing machine into a side table, or multiple chairs into one unique 3-seater sofa chair.
Want to hire someone to do it for you instead? Here are a few shops in NYC to help upholster, restore, or repair your furniture:
Kostas Upholstery – Upholstery Shop, Furniture Repair Shop, Reupholstery Service Manhattan NY
Address: Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY 10002
Service Areas: Kings County and nearby areas
Phone: +1 203-441-5530
Kostas Upholstery is open from Mondays to Fridays between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
It is a family-owned business operating in Kings County and nearby areas in NYC. Credit cards are accepted as a mode of payment.
Couch Doctor ®️ NYC
Address: 135 E 50th St #4d, New York, NY 10022, United States
Service Areas: The Hamptons, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Dumbo, Greenpoint, East Hampton, and nearby areas
Couch Doctor offers custom upholstery, furniture repair and restoration, and furniture pick-up and delivery.
They have been featured in the New York Times and worked with reputable large brands including Macy’s Furniture, Ralph Lauren, and IKEA.
Expect top-notch customer service as they provide 24/7 live customer support and a 5-year structural damage warranty.
Jane Henry Studios
Address: 450 W 31st St #503, New York, NY 10001, United States
Service Areas: New York
Phone: +1 212-929-8069
Established in 1989, Jane Henry Studios is your one-stop shop for all conservation and restoration services.
They specialize in the restoration of lacquer and chinoiserie, wood finishing, and gilding.
You can also opt for their paint and custom finishes, fine art repair, and stone and marble repairs.
HC Custom Upholstery
Address: 1027 Grand St Ste 401 Fl 4 Brooklyn, NY 11211
Service Areas: New York City, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, Hamptons
Phone: +1 347-243-4778
Since 2012, HC Custom Upholstery repairs, customizes, and upholsters a variety of furniture including chairs, curtains, headboards, sofas, pillows, and leather.
They also offer new and custom furniture frames and wall upholstery and panels. The shop is open from Mondays to Saturdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Furniture Reformation
Address: 3003 81st St, Queens, NY 11370, United States
Service Areas: New York
Phone: +1 347-458-4188
If you need furniture repair, replacement, assembly and disassembly, and delivery, Furniture Reformation does the job.
They also specialize in sofa disassembly where they help you disassemble big sofas in order to fit into a smaller size door.
If you are in a hurry, you can opt for their rush service or same-day furniture repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I throw furniture on the streets?
As per the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) rules and regulations, bulk item disposal in NYC is only possible via designated curbsides.
Moreover, it should only be left on the curbside the day before the collection day, between 4:00 pm and 12 midnight.
What is the most eco-friendly way to get rid of furniture in NYC?
To help protect the environment and fight landfills, it is best to find ways on how a piece of furniture can be reused again.
You can donate, sell, or repurpose your unwanted furniture, making sure it won’t be thrown into landfills.
When you hire a junk removal service, choose the ones who also donate or recycle their collected furniture.
What is the cheapest way to dispose of furniture?
If you want to get rid of furniture without spending a dime, simply donate it to charity with a pick-up service or give it away to your friends and family.
Hiring a removal service is not the cheapest way since you have to pay them to help you dispose of your furniture.
Is it safe to sell furniture online?
Of course! Selling furniture is a practical way and even helps you earn some extra cash. However, be vigilant when it comes to payments and meeting strangers for pick-ups.
Always meet a buyer in a public area and only accept cash payments upon meet-up.
When is the best time to get rid of the furniture?
Only you can tell when a piece of furniture should go or not. Generally, people throw away old and worn-out furniture to replace it with something brand new to make the home look nicer.
A rule of thumb is to get rid of items that no longer serve their primary purpose, whether that is to provide comfort or functionality.
Is it worth it to get furniture upholstered?
Yes, it is! As long as you choose a reputable upholstery business that has a proven background and can show you their past projects.
Not only are you fighting landfill, but supporting local artists, designers, and professionals as well. It is one of the most sustainable ways to help the environment, rather than buying a new piece of furniture again.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are looking to help people in need or save the environment, donating, selling, repurposing, and hiring an eco-friendly service will surely fulfill your purpose.
If you do not have the manpower to carry your furniture, opt for the options with a pick-up service when donating to organizations or hiring a removal service.
Should you decide to throw your furniture for garbage collection, remember to leave it only at designated curbsides and on the scheduled collection day.
The mentioned organizations and businesses above are just a few examples to check out.
You can search for more examples on Google or related sites if you still want to look for other options.
If you are looking to hire a removal or upholstery service, choose the ones with good reviews and high customer approval.
Have you decided on which option is most suitable to remove your furniture?
Share your thoughts below in the comments section. If you have tried discarding furniture in the past, let us know your experiences and suggestions here.
