Donating Furniture – Everything You Should Know

There are many underprivileged people who find it difficult to save money to buy a table or a chair for their home. Due to their low income, they’re forced to prioritize food, medicines and other basic necessities over investing in second-hand furniture.

If you have pieces of furniture collecting dust in your basement, then you could consider furniture donations. Today there are plenty of organizations that accept all types of furniture as donations.

Why donate your furniture?

Donating your furniture instead of selling it will give you a sense of contentment that you’re contributing to the welfare of the less fortunate. When you choose a reliable charity, you can be assured that your chairs are giving a family the opportunity to sit together for meals, your cot is helping someone sleep better and your recliners are being used by an elderly person to relax. Not just the needy, poor students are also looking out for benches and desks to help them study better. Donating is also a great way of decluttering your home, giving you ample space in your basement or storeroom. If you’re moving your business to a new city, don’t throw away your office furniture. Many charities accept desks, workstations and other office furniture, which are eventually given away to local furniture recyclers. As there is a sharp increase in the amount of furniture being dumped as landfill waste, donating could be a good way to help the environment.

Types of furniture you can donate

Most charities accept tables, chairs, sofas, cupboards, bathroom cabinets, kitchen worktops, benches, recliners, bookcases, desks, stools and other types of furniture. While the basic ones like tables, chairs and benches are usually given away to those who need them, the others are sold at auctions, proceeds of which are given to the underprivileged. If you’re looking to give away broken chairs or worn-out sofas, unfortunately you might not find many charities that accept these. However, if you do a little bit of research you might find one which collects furniture in any condition, though it is not a good idea to donate something you cannot use to someone who really needs it. If you still don’t find any takers, you can also consider giving a new lease of life to your old furniture by giving it for reupholsters. Once the basic reupholstery work is one, you could either keep the repurposed item or give it a new home.

Furniture pick-up service

Majority of the charities today offer a free pick-up service. You just have to contact the representatives, and they’ll schedule a time and a date convenient to you. This could be beneficial, especially if you’re moving to a new city, and are looking for ways to get rid of large number of items.

You can avail tax deductions

Just like donating any other item, by donating old furniture, you’re entitled to tax deductions. Ask the representative for a written receipt with the details of your donation.

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