How to Give Away or Donate Furniture Near You (Free & Easy Options)

Whether you’re moving house, need to make space in your home, or because you’ve bought something new, we all need to give away furniture sometimes.

Even if it's not in the best condition, your unwanted item might be perfect for someone to upcycle. And of course it helps the environment by keeping things out of landfills. It’s a win-win!

Let’s look at how to give away unwanted items of furniture, with the minimum of effort and for free.

Charity furniture donation

You can donate old furniture to a charity. Charities typically sell your donation to raise money, or in some cases use it directly, for example in a homeless shelter.

Tips for donating furniture to charity

What you can donate

Charities usually won’t take broken items. Whatever you donate should be clean and in good repair. If it’s an appliance then it needs to be working.

In the UK, USA, Canada and some other countries, any upholstered items must have a fire label or the charity cannot accept it. This includes sofas and couches, armchairs, sofa beds and anything with fabric.

Furniture donation pickup

There may be small charities or thrift stores near you looking for furniture donations, and many national charities also offer a collection service. You can check their website or give them a call to check and arrange pickup.

Usually this is only on weekdays and during office hours, with one collection day per week. For large items you may need to take them to the kerbside at a pre-arranged time.

In the USA and Canada, big charities that offer free furniture pickup services include:

• Goodwill
• The Salvation Army
• Habitat for Humanity
• You can also try Furniture Banks to see if it has a local service.

In the UK most of these charities accept furniture donations and will collect your furniture for free:

• British Heart Foundation
• DEBRA
• Red Cross
• Sue Ryder
• Salvation Army
• Shelter (they will do a full or part house clearance if you want to donate a lot of stuff)
• You can also try the Furniture Donation Network

Give away furniture on Trash Nothing

Trash Nothing is the app for giving away free stuff near you.

With nearly 3 million users, it’s easy to find someone who wants to give some new love to your old furniture.

It’s free, quick, simple and there’s no need to leave your home. You can also join groups local to you.

How to give away furniture on Trash Nothing

It’s easy to list and give away your unwanted furniture on Trash Nothing.

1. You can use the website, the Android app, or the iPhone app to list your items
2. Create an account on the site or app using your email address, or with a Facebook, Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo account
3. Easily post your item by uploading photos and writing a brief description of the item
4. Wait to receive replies from people who want your item
5. Choose who to give the item to and arrange a collection time that suits you and the recipient
6. After they collect, mark your item as Gifted.

“Thank you Fredi for offering the free dresser on Trashnothing. My Dad was visiting from NY and as a retired contractor he needed to keep busy. We did this together and it will be a treasured memory. The dresser has been gifted to a young woman with Cerebral Palsy. I love trashnothing!” –Betty L.

Tips for posting your furniture

• Take one or two good photos, ideally with lots of light (like the ones below)
• Write a short, clear description
• Mention any defects or what is broken
• Give the dimensions if you can - it’s something people are likely to ask you
• Post a link to your offer on your social media
• Wait until you get a few replies and choose someone to give the item to - you can see the profile, history and feedback scores of other members
• When people reply to your offer, they will say when they can collect it. Choose someone who provides specific dates and times that work for you
• Ask for their phone number to make it easy to remind them about the pickup or to find out what's happening if they are late

Other tools and apps you could use to donate furniture

Freegle

Freegle is a free service very similar to Trash Nothing and also has an app (but not quite as user-friendly). It was formed in 2009 when hundreds of UK groups split away from Freecycle.

You can join, browse and post to Freegle groups with the Trash Nothing app or the Freegle app.

https://www.ilovefreegle.org/

Freecycle

Freecycle is a network of local groups for individuals and nonprofits to offer (or request) free items for reuse or recycling and to promote a gift economy.

https://www.freecycle.org/

Learn more about Freecycling and Freegling

There are also platforms designed for buying and selling, but which have free sections.

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a neighbourhood community app for local news, safety alerts, info, events, groups and listings. These can be free listings.

https://nextdoor.com

Gumtree

Gumtree is a classified buying & selling website owned by private equity and investment funds. It has a Freebies section where you can create a listing, and people can message you if they want to come and pick it up for free.

https://www.gumtree.com/

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace also has a separate category for Free Stuff, where you can list your furniture. There are some complaints about items marked ‘free’ that are actually being sold.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/category/free/

Staying Safe

Whichever app or tool you use, here are some tips to stay safe when you give away your furniture:

• Don’t offer to deliver – Keep the process simple and always ask the new owner to collect, as delivering furniture yourself can risk injury, damage to your car, or put you in uncomfortable situations.
• Don’t share your exact address too early – wait until a collection time is confirmed before giving it out. This helps protect your privacy, reduces no-shows, and keeps your personal details safe.
• When the furniture is being collected, have a friend or family member present – having someone with you adds an extra layer of security and makes it easier to lift and move bulky items.
• Arrange an exact time and leave the item outside - If you’re uncomfortable meeting new people, you can also arrange to leave the furniture item outside your front door for the recipient to collect.