Free stuff in front gardens

[FourChimneys]

I love this idea and it seems to be increasingly popular.

At about 9.15 am this morning I put out a camping chair, some carpet tiles and a large plastic bowl. All gone by 10.00 am.

DH came home with a couple of books last week.

What have you given away or found?

If you dont want to leave stuff outside. Stick it on Olio, so good for getting rid of bits. Used to only be for food waste but you can put non food on there now foo

Too*

When we moved here, we paid in advance for the local council to remove some large items that would not fit in the cars, & we could not get rid of any other way.

There were 2 damaged wardrobes, & 2 settees without a fire certificate..

They disappeared overnight.

We've done this and managed to offload lots of kids books that mine had grown out of, loads of toys and a few bits of furniture that DH bought for his home office at the start of lockdown. None of it worth reselling, and we'd already filled up our local charity shops once they reopened after lockdown and many of our local ones stopped taking donations for a while.
We're in central London and to be honest anything we put out on the street tends to disappear within minutes - old kids scooters, a knackered hoover that we were going to bin, all sorts of stuff. If it's not nailed down it'll go! We always intend to take it back inside if it doesn't get taken but we never have to.

When we downsized we put some unwanted dining chairs out by our front wall. DH went inside to write a 'Please help yourself' note to put on them. By the time he went back outside they were gone.

Also, some dirtbag fly tipped a lot of really good household stuff in a residential street in our old town. Some clever person photographed it and put it up on the local Facebook page and people from all over town came and took it home. It's where I got my washing basket. All gone in a few hours.

We've been doing this for years (also SE London like a pp) and it's brilliant. Most of the time we prop stuff up against our front fence with a sign saying 'please take' and find it's gone by the end of the day. Because it's fairly standard around here we have also benefited from it and picked up things including a coffee table and storage unit locally.

About 16 years ago when helping friends in Dorset renovate a kitchen we ended up with loads of decent offcuts. We put it out the front with a sign and one of the neighbours came to tell us off. She said, "it may work like that in London but we don't do that sort of thing here!". We promised we'd bring it all inside and take it to the tip if it hadn't gone by the end of the day. Within about 30 minutes a bloke pulled in, asked if we were sure we wanted to get rid of it, said he was working on a kitchen and had run out of offcuts so would love to take them. He did, and so there was nothing left for the neighbour to be indignant about. She was utterly bemused by the whole idea.

I noticed more during and after Covid. It was mostly awful but one upside I guess

Some lovely stories here (and some sad or annoying results). I'll have to see what we can get rid of tomorrow as the weather is looking good.

Became a thing here in lockdown, I put out two wooden cabinets, two compost bins, three pallets, recently a broken standard lamp. Only problem was DH left a little stool on the drive, it was right at the edge so someone took it and it really was not their fault but it was DS little toddler stool from when he was little, he is almost 22! I was quite upset.

This happens in Amsterdam my Dd says. On Thursday you leave what you want to get rid of on the corner. She was amazed at the variety and quality of some things.

We’ve given away outgrown garden toys and a highchair. Went within 15 mins! Easier and less faff than going to tip and better for the environment.

about 6 weeks ago I put the wife and kids out the front, I’ll probably give in and let them back in if uncollected by Christmas

That reminds me of the old joke (maybe it actually happened once?!) about the notice in the parish magazine:

"Jumble Sale in the church hall on Saturday at 10am. This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of those useless old things that have just been cluttering up your house for years; ladies: bring your husbands!"

It’s a great idea if you live in the right area, I’m on the outskirts of a small town and live in a cul de sac within a cul de sac so no through traffic. I have seen people do it with cooking apples from their trees or surplus plants closer to town though.

I love this idea and it seems to be increasingly popular.

It has its merits, perhaps, with a clear sign, and it's on your land.

The problem is with this habit without clear parameters is what if you just have some things in your garden because you are having a clear out in the garage, moving house or whatnot, you don't just want people taking things?!

If it's not actually in the garden, which it often isn't around my way, then it's flytipping.

And even if if it is, when it is windy or you have antisocial people around, it can end up littering the road and sometimes being dangerous especially when it breaks up. Also flytipping.

Has this trend come about more because carboot and tabletop sales went away during Covid-19. Now that is not the case, it seems rather lazy to me.

We have give your stuff away day once a month in my village it's great! I even got a double buggy once and it's a great way to free up clutter and the kids love finding new toys

LadyMarmaladeAkins It really I not like that round here.

Things are put on drives or on open plan front lawns, possibly in a box on the wall. Mostly good stuff, displayed neatly and on the rare occasion it doesn't get taken, it goes in again before dark or if it rains.

Not flytipping at all and certainly not lazy. Just good for the planet and for a strong community spirit.

I'm sorry if it is different where you are, that literally seems a bit rubbish.

I always do this, toys, box of mugs and glasses we had no room for.

I recently got a cat tree this way, a better one than the ones I had been looking at as ours was on its last legs.

• It really is not 🙄

Not flytipping at all and certainly not lazy. Just good for the planet and for a strong community spirit.

This

@PleaseStopExplaining that is not on, I'm sorry to hear that. Nobody should be blocking the pavement. My things are always on my driveway and never the path. It's just clear by the sign that you can take them away. It's particularly annoying when this is done on narrow paths.

A dishwasher! Put it outside, half an hour later it disappeared

We had an old manky Weber bbq we put out the front before taking to the tip, an hour or so later it was gone, but then another hour later it came back 😂, from the outside it didn’t look too bad and someone must have thought they’d had a find until they took it home and opened it!

We put ours on drive or on the pavement if small. With a free sign.
Always be a goes,. From toys, books, half rolls of roofing felt, empty cardboard boxes, garden furniture, literally anything!
Clothes i put on local page, Free and in porch. To message for address Always goes within the hour.
In lockdown a lady had loads of baby clothes off me talking 2 bin liners full . One day she messaged to see if I was in as as was leaving a gift on step. It was an afternoon tea for 2 all boxed. Was lovely.